Waxing Thrash

Right now, the Atlanta Thrashers sit with a league-worst 19 points. That's what a record of 8-14-3 gets you. Really, is there anything promising about this team at this point in time? I'd love to provide the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is the worst I have felt about this team since I started my fandom of the Atlanta Thrashers. The apathy is at an all-time high point and that realization is quite unsettling. You know it's bad when one of my cats starts heaving during a Thrashers game on TV.

Well, that hasn't happened... yet.

You won't find anything here that provides insight into the matter. I won't break down the logistics of a Kovalchuk trade or why our power play is great on the road (I think I heard that somewhere). I also won't whine about goaltending "issues" or defensive lapses or how the team only shows up to play competitive hockey for one minute of a 60-minute game. I've never claimed to be a hockey statistician and I've never stated that I have complete understanding of the game of hockey. I'm just one passionate fan of hockey and an undying supporter of the Atlanta Thrashers. And that's what makes the present so hard to swallow.

It seems like when the Thrashers win, they are put on a pedastal; everyone suddenly believes that Marty Reasoner is an offensive force to be reckoned with and that Erik Christensen finally tapped his potential and this game will be his start to a 25+ goal tear for the season. When they lose, however, it's worse than receiving news that the world is about to implode. TRADE KOVALCHUK FOR, UH, SOMEONE tirades run rampant and everyone seems to wonder why players like Eric Boulton or Eric Perrin have zero effect on the team what-so-ever.

The reality of the situation is that, UNFORTUNATELY, if you thought this current roster that makes up the Atlanta Thrashers is worthy of competing every night for something substantial (i.e. the playoffs AND BEYOND), you were dead wrong. The off-season leads to this kind of behavior because everyone thinks that their team is golden and ridiculously over-hypes players who are probably not worthy of that kind of talk. What the worst part about this is that a bunch of this unwarranted hype comes from the highest levels of the team - the owners and general managers. It's these people's job to sell the team and provide the absolute best product on ice. Judging from the reactions from fans, the Atlanta Spirit and Don Waddell did an AMAZING job of shining the spotlights on players like Erik Christensen and Brett Sterling.

While the Sterling thing is an attempt at me kinda-sorta reaching out there a bit, a majority of fans right now are up in arms about Christensen and how he's a non-factor in anything. This guy had tons of pressure on him early on, with talk about becoming the next great center that would finally click with Ilya Kovalchuk and provide a bunch of scoring that was lost in the Marian Hossa departure. This same player has also been a healthy scratch for several games in an effort to "try to get some competitiveness in him" perhaps. When an overhyped player like EC receives that kind of treatment in the first quarter of the season, it's drastic.

Basically, the point of my rambling here is that while I have a lot of displeasure with the team, I really cannot blame the players (that is if they actually show up to play a competitive game for 60 minutes). At least 10 to 15 games into the season, the team appeared and flashed moments that made you consider that this team was a little more than what was predetermined prior to the season. But the fact of the matter is that outside of Ilya Kovalchuk, serious secondary scoring candidates drop off quick. Bryan Little is having a fantastic season and so is, uh, Todd White? After that, who picks up the slack for a missing 90-point scorer like Marian Hossa?

With that, you also have to add in a new coach into the mix and the Thrashers are, well, really not that good on paper. Chemistry and some lucky breaks could come into play and have a nice effect for a while, but a NHL team cannot carry that for 82 games. Sad to say, but the Thrashers simply do not have the skill to compete with the rest of the league and, as fans, we've been had. Upper management made moves that hoped to plug holes in the ever-leaking dam and those moves have proved to be like a band-aid for problems that were apparent years ago after Marc Savard departed for greener pastures.

It absolutely sucks to write something so passionate and, ugh, bitter about your favorite team, but you cannot deny the glaring holes of this team and make ridiculous claims about who's going to play a certain role and who's going to produce, etc. Blueland deserves better than what is on display.

Here's a scenario for you to enjoy. Friday is my last day working retail. I spot a customer I've seen before because whenever he comes into the store, he wears an old Thrashers home jersey (the one that was replaced by the old "third jersey"). I've always wanted to strike up a conversation with him or just mention something Thrashers-related, but I never could because of something else going on at the time. But I finally had my chance now and I wasn't going to blow it, seeing how it was my last day. What do I say to the guy, hoping for a reaction?

"That's a sorry team right there."

He hesitantly agreed and asked who I pull for and I pointed right back to his jersey. That was met with a smile, but I guess I had to kill the moment and remark about how "I'm a glutton for punishment." He didn't like that too much, murmured something like, "Oh, c'mon now", and the conversation was over.

This conversation either mirrors other Thrashers fans' thoughts or means I'm a terrible conversationalist. Definitely a combination of both, I'd say!

Goodbye, October... Hello, November!

Let's face it - the month of October was really getting on my nerves. The Thrashers only picked up two wins out of 10 games and performed well in most other games that month. However, I wasn't buying into the, "ooh, the effort looks soooo good, but they can't get those two points... THAT'S OK!" stance. I get the rationale behind it, but I couldn't subscribe to it. I wanted either wins or losses, it was that simple. I hated trying to have a closely contested match (like the Boston road loss, for example) and wondering why we couldn't just win the game. Good efforts got on my nerves and I couldn't bear to watch another "good effort" go by the wayside.

I'm guessing that it's a good idea that I'm not an NHL coach then. I say that because maybe Coach Anderson's methods and feel are having an effect on the players and they are responding. Currently riding a FOUR GAME WINNING STREAK (i know, right?!), this is what I was looking for. Or those blowouts that worked out so well for us against Philly and New Jersey (the second time around).

Basically, I'm just like anyone else - I want the team to win, dammit. And I want them to win now. Going into the season, though, I knew better. But you get one taste of winning ways (IN A CAN?) and you want more. After the unexpected season opening win against Washington, all of a sudden all of the critics were wrong in their line of thinking about the team. Then everything else kinda came to fruition, not that there was a plan for failure and self-destruction. But things were playing themselves out the way it was foreseen to be.

But now that the Thrashers have gotten their losing ways out of their system (for the present), who's to say that the ship has been, uh, "righted"? With this four game winning streak, the Thrashers beat the Islanders and Panthers, two teams that are similarly ranked in the NHL - bottom-feeders. To lose against either one of those teams (or both) would've set the tone for the rest of the month, possibly season. I mean, if you seriously cannot compete against some of the league's worst teams (when the Thrash could be considered as one of those teams, too), your future doesn't look very bright. So for the Thrashers to collect some wins against these two teams, that was to be expected, no? To win in an entertaining game against Buffalo, IN Buffalo, was a treat... and to pick up a couple of points yesterday against Carolina was fantastic. Maybe this team is starting to turn around and make themselves look good.

The next couple of games look a little... ugh. Friday marks the debut of the new third jersey and we meet up with the Hurricanes all over again. Then we venture to Philly to hopefully not get pwned by the Flyers, and then there are tilts against the Penguins, Caps, and Predators before December comes roaring in. It's a good thing that most of these games are in Philips Arena because the Thrash aren't looking so good on the road (prior to the last two road games). We shall see what happens.

In the meantime, is it really near the middle of November?!

How This Blog Could Become More Like LiveJournal

It's been an odd season so far. Well, maybe not for the Thrashers, but for me. I've yet to attend a game and I've yet to watch a game in its entirety. I saw most of the season-opener against Washington (great win, BTW!), watched the last half of the OT loss against the Panthers, and saw most of the game versus New Jersey. It feels rather weird to have not witnessed a full Thrashers game, especially in person.

So please excuse the lack of posts as there has been minimal time to post anything substantial lately and especially no time to watch a full Thrashers game, apparently.

However, noting what's on "paper" right now, it's good to see the Thrashers are 2-2-1. I mean, that's still three losses, but that's OK. We picked up a point against another team within the division (Florida) and we lost to two overly defensively-minded teams in Minnesota and New Jersey. Our other victory (the most recent one) was against Buffalo last nite and, of course, I had zero contact with any of it until it was all said and done and my wife received a text on her phone with the final score. I wish I could spend more time with my favorite team of teams and I wish there was more recognition for what they do as a whole.

I mean, yesterday I attended a birthday function and ended up watching college football all day long and endured conversation after conversation about how UGA's schedule in the coming weeks looks rough and the who's the weakest team in the SEC. The entire time I took this information in, I deeply longed to have this kind of conversation... only about the Thrashers, and the Southeast Division, and HOCKEY. It's this kind of love that is noticeably absent in the South and it will remain that way until the Thrashers win, and win lots. In the region where college football is KING (yes, all caps, because it really is THAT BIG), all other sports and teams are overshadowed. Hell, for the birthday function, my wife and I attempted to go around to local retailers and pick up some random Falcons memorabilia for the birthday boy and we noticed that even the Atlanta Falcons are second best, below the almighty GEORGIA BULLDOGS.

So what started out as a blog about the lack of posts due to the lack of attention I'm paying to the Atlanta Thrashers has morphed into a post about how college football owns all and that there is no hope for anything more for any other sports in this region of the country, at least in Georgia. But is that really true?

As I said, what the Thrashers need to do to in order to gain any kind of attention here is win and win lots. We all know what one semi-successful season can do and it was noticed in '06-'07. This isn't enough, obviously, as the Thrashers went four-and-out in their only playoff appearance in franchise history. If the Thrashers can have regular season success consistently, this will get recognized until the purists shoot down their winning ways because they compete in the "weak" Southeast Division. If they do this AND win the Cup just ONCE, I think that this could be enough to give credibility to the Atlanta Thrashers and to hockey in Georgia, which would result in recognition and possibly fodder for conversation at birthday functions that I could involve myself in (for once).

Really, this is a self-serving post that (ideally) would satisfy my conversational needs at awkward social gatherings. (Fortunately, here's the universal tie-in, people.) But wouldn't it be nice to have this kind of appreciation for such an amazing sport in an atypical environment like Georgia? I long for the day when hockey can actually be understood and appreciated to its fullest in the South. I will never give up hope for hockey in this part of the country. It's a fight that will take a lot of work, from both fans and the team.

I mean, do you really have any idea how frustrating it is when people are asking you what your favorite football team is and you respond with, "Well, I really don't care that much about football... my favorite sport is hockey and I'm head-over-heels in love with the Atlanta Thrashers." The common response to that (IMO) is, "Oh, that's cool, hockey looks awesome with the fighting and all, but it's not football."

Uh, no shit it's not football, but take a second to get your head out of your ass and get a deeper look at the fastest sport in the world! I always try to talk new people into hockey usually I end up right about it after they watch a game (usually on TV, and that doesn't do the sport justice either). Some people need to get over themselves and take in something new that has the potential to really blow your mind.

I love it when posts on my blog turn into LiveJournal entries! Huzzah!

I really need to watch some hockey, for content purposes alone really.

Get to Know: Mike Hoffman

The Thrashers announced yesterday that after three cuts to the roster, everything appears to be set for opening nite in terms of the lineup. Gone are two notables - Colin Stewart and Boris Valabik. These players were definitely in the plans for opening nite when last season ended due to their strong play last season. Apparently their play during camp didn't win anyone over, which is unfortunate. However, do not count these guys out as they are strong contenders for roster spots later on in the season.



Of the three guys who appeared safe, the one who has most people scratching their heads is Mike Hoffman. He was signed this past summer by the team after spending an eternity in the AHL, bouncing around the farm teams of St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Anaheim (to name a few). Now he's finally getting his shot at some primetime NHL action. I only found two useful links for people to peruse, so that people can familiarize themselves with Hoff prior to opening nite... and that you can actually have an answer when the casual fan asks, "So, who's this HOFF guy?" If you have any other information on him, let us know!

Bargain pickup lands in Portland - Portland Press Herald

Hoffman continues to fight his way to the NHL - theahl.com

hockeyfights.com profile



Also, here's something interesting that actually gives the guy personality. During the Portland Pirates' playoff run last season, he made an appearance with the local radio station there, trying to get fans to the arena for the games. While I'm not sure that he accomplished that goal, he sure is a goofball (and I appreciate that).



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Coachella 2009 Dates!

I missed last year's edition and it looks like I'm missing the 10th anniversary edition as well. That doesn't mean it still isn't good news! It was announced earlier today that the uber-cool/amazing/fantastic/[insert overwhelmingly positive adjective here] Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival that takes place in Indio, CA will take place from April 17th to April 19th!

I've attended Coachella for four years and if my schedule (and the economy, too) allowed me, I'd go again in a heartbeat. It's easily the best music atmosphere around with the best possible scenery for a music festival. This is awesome news!

FIxation Focus: Deerhunter

One of my recent obsessions has been with the band Deerhunter. For the longest time, I put off listening to 'em because they were surrounded by the hype machine and that gets annoying after a while. That was around the time they released Cryptograms, which was early 2007. With the hype obviously came a ton of write-ups and blurbs about this band from Georgia, mainly how front-man Bradford Cox is crazy, waifish, cross-dressing on stage, anorexic (false)/bulimic (false)/has Marfan Syndrome (true), etc. After some time, I just got tired of hearing about it and any possible interest I might've had was squashed... until this new record of their's, Microcastle.

Cryptograms was a record that was awash in reverb, hushed vocals, and sounds that resulted in the descriptions of "atmospheric" or "ambient" and "psychedelic". Basically, the record is shoegaze, but not as over-the-top that a band like My Bloody Valentine was (is?). There are moments of toe-tapping on it, but I don't think that was the selling point of the record. The fact that there was a band who was creating a shoegaze-type sound in 2007... it sounding genuine... it coming from a place like Georgia - all of these traits brought this record out to the forefront and established this band as someone to watch for experimental indie rock.

Then comes Microcastle, a record that I think is brilliant. It's poppy, it sounds old, it's wisely restrained, and it also regains the psychedelia that attracted people to this band in the first place. As of right now, I'm having a harder time coming across bands that sound GREAT. I'm struggling with new releases from Stereolab, Jenny Lewis, and Brendan Canning, artists that I'm very familiar with and am passionate about what they do. However, there's something about these new records from favorite artists of mine that isn't sticking. Maybe I'm getting bored of the sounds that said bands bring to the table. None of this boredom exists with Microcastle.

What really put me head-over-heels with this band is a recent gig of their's. At the last minute, I read that Deerhunter were playing a free show at a vintage clothing store (of all places) in Atlanta. The band were doing the gig as a sign of appreciation to the locals who supported them as well as an attempt to break loose from the tour that they were involved with at the time - opening for Nine Inch Nails across America. I figured with the short notice and the free factor and the location, it would be a memorable event that would possibly be a short set and even including acoustics (or unplugged material). I was completely wrong and it was a fantastic mistake. The band played for more than an hour, all electric, playing songs from the two records I've mentioned, and having a lot of fun while doing it.

The material that was so hushed and held back on record was in your face, unrestrained, and loud as hell. It was brilliant. And it was all happening while I was looking through clothes from 1983. People were squeezed into the store, people were standing up on displays, others were outside-looking-in - it was just incredible.

After that show, I knew that was one of the top three free concert moments I've had and their music made for a great soundtrack for the rest of the summer. I found a great appreciation for the track "Nothing Ever Happened". About two-thirds of the way through the song, it just builds and builds with new guitar parts layered onto each other. Sometimes it's the simplest guitar parts that resonate the most, and that's absolutely what happens here. For some reason, whenever I listen to that part of the track, I want to unleash tears of joy while thrashing about. Music that makes me feel that kind of emotion is a wonderful thing.

Other standout tracks on Microcastle include the brooding "Saved by Old Times" and "Never Stops". Through and through, it's one of my favorite records of the year, for sure. What's even better about this listening experience is that Microcastle will apparently include a complementary album, Weird Era Cont.. This release includes the more psychedelic stylings that brought listeners to Deerhunter in the first place. What nails it for me is the album closer, "Calvary Scars II/Aux.". On Microcastle, the band perform a version of "Calvary Scars" that is short and to the point. The second version on Weird Era Cont. is raw, unleashed, and it rips. Perfect way to end an album, in my opinion.

For more information on the band, check out their myspace and give a few of their songs a listen. You won't regret it. What's also great about this band is that they often give away random recordings via their blog that mostly Bradford maintains. There are tons of videos up there of various things and every once in a while, he puts up Deerhunter or Atlas Sound (his solo project) demos for everyone to gauge.

Ondrej, what about Ondrej?!

Yesterday, The Sporting News' Craig Custance reported that Atlanta's goalie prospect Ondrej Pavelec's agent voiced disapproval of Pavelec getting sent back down to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

What do we make of this news? Everyone knew this was happening back in June when the Thrashers resigned The Moose of moose(es?), Johan Hedberg, to a two-year deal. When THAT happened, it came as a shock to me.

When Kari went down last season for a brief period, Pavelec finally had his shot at NHL play and made the most of it, winning three and losing three in the seven games that he was involved in. His play during that stretch won him a lot of praise, a bit of credibility that he missed ever since he was drafted by the Thrashers in the second round of the 2005 draft.

So, when Pavs received these glowing reviews and promise from both fans and the team, why did the Thrashers want to bring back Hedberg, who some say his best years are behind him? Clearly, Kari needs a veteran to learn from as he's only 24 years old. Also, Hedberg is a great presence in the locker room. He has a tremendous work ethic and possibly one of the best attitudes in the game.

But what about Pavs? In all honesty, I thought that it would be a battle between Kari and Pavs for the starting role. We know that Hedberg wasn't going to push Kari out of the number one position, but Pavs could easily do that. He's young, he has the skills, he just needs the time and experience to put him ahead of the rest. With some competition between the two, I'm sure that both of their games would rise to the occasion and one-up each other. It would be great for both goalies to compete for the same opportunity.

Now that this news came out yesterday, the problem that everyone saw coming is finally manifesting itself in what could be the worst way possible. Do we really think that Pavelec is behind all of this? He could be. I remember when he was resigned a few years ago, there was some doubt about him remaining a member of the team because he wanted a shot at the big team then and he had the skills, but he was incredibly unproven at the next level. When this was going down, I believe he was still playing for the juniors in Cape Breton. Fortunately, that worked out and some sense was talked into Pavs and his agent then. This time, Pavs has a little more to work with in terms of getting to the next spot, which is inevitably a full-time place on an NHL team, preferably the one he is currently with. But to make claims that he should suggest a trade to get what he wants or, even worse, jump ship and an ocean and play over in Russia is exactly what the Thrashers do not want.

Who knows exactly what's going on here? Pavelec needs to get his stuff together and make his way back to Chicago, suck it up, and just play. His time with the Thrashers will come. It happened last season and it will happen this season as well. If he thinks he has the game to call the shots like this, that's absurd. Players like Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, etc. have the right to push the limits and make these kinds of demands - BECAUSE THEY ARE PROVEN. Pavelec is still a prospect goalie and he needs to sit tight just a minute and let things play out. I understand that he wants the best and that is as a starting goalie in the NHL. Realistically, unless he plays for Los Angeles, he doesn't have that kind of opportunity just yet. LA's tried going full-time with new kids and see how that's turned out (i.e. LaBarbera, Bernier). They are getting put through the ringer and not getting the chance that they deserve.

Honestly, what did Pavelec expect at the beginning of this season? For him to bitch and moan about having to deal with ANOTHER season in Chi-town is crazy. You don't see Brett Sterling BEW-HEWING about going back down to Chicago (if he does, that is). Brett is a proven AHL winner, attaining scoring titles and team championships. That's essentially the same stuff that Pavs has - great goalie stats and a Calder Cup (for one year's time in Chicago, mind you). If Brett gets assigned to Chicago for the beginning of the season, you better believe he won't go crying about it.

This is what happens when decent players get involved with jerky agents. Do I think this all sources from Pavs? To a degree. I mean, I'd be pretty bummed out that I wasn't making the big squad when I know that I really should be considered. But... THAT'S LIFE, ONDREJ. I'm sure that his agent is playing more of a role in this than Pavs, but you still have to place some of the blame on Pavs.

Hopefully this will work itself out in the coming weeks and the right thing will happen here. Someone needs to talk some sense into Pavs and he should report back to Chicago and wait for his time to come. Didn't Scott Clemmensen cry about constantly having to be Marty Brodeur's backup? And didn't he get picked up by Toronto, with the hopes that he'd actually get a shot at playing more than 10 times a season? See how that turned out? I don't even think he rode the bench during that stint and he was stuck in the AHL. Maybe Clems and Pavs need to exchange numbers and have their own conversation, hm?

On the Schneid?

Dan Boyle, please take note of how you treat the other teams in the NHL.

So last week, the Thrashers traded Ken Klee, Brad Larsen, and one of the babies (Chad Painchaud) to the Anaheim Ducks for Stanley Cup-winner, two-time All-Star, two-time Olympian, and flat-out ridiculous defenseman Mathieu Schneider. It came as a surprise to me and, at the same time, it wasn't that much of a shock. Everyone knew that Schneider was getting shipped, but I never expected him to end up in Atlanta. I especially didn't plan on sending Klee, Larsen, and Painchaud for him.

Really, three-for-one seems like a lot. And maybe it is. But we're talking about Mathieu Schneider for an aging defenseman who wasn't exactly the most mobile on the ice, an aging forward who really didn't belong on the team (because he rarely produced and was mildly effective on the penalty kill), and a prospect who may/may not pan out. I'm surprised that's all that we gave up for Schneids. I guess that Anaheim wanted Teemu Selanne that bad.

But back to the point. Blueland Blog's Ben Wright recently got together with Schneider and discussed some aspects of Schneid's game and his attitude toward the trade that sent him to the right (as opposed to left) coast. Apparently, he's liking what he's seen from the Thrashers defensive corps and that's nice. What really struck me, however, was the following comment:

Atlantathrashers.com: I'm sure Thrashers fans would be thrilled if you were able to start your career wearing 18 and end it in 18 if it meant you were staying here in Atlanta.

Schneider: "That would be tremendous. I would love to see that happen."

Throughout the entire feature, Schneider doesn't sound disappointed in the trade or the end result (i.e. ending up in Atlanta). Remember when Dan Boyle, upon hearing that he could've been on the waiver wire, commented that he'd rather get traded than getting picked off of the wire... by a team like Atlanta?


Original picture is linked!

Take a page out of Mathieu Schneider's book, Danny B. Schneids is a class act and I'm thrilled to have someone like him on this team. Sure, the ownership may suck. And perhaps we don't have the best general manager in the league. But what remains is hockey and especially some respect for the players who play it. I'm hoping that Boyle doesn't disrespect the Thrash (though he did play for the Bolts, so the possibility is there), but when you put the Thrash down, you put the entire organization down, too. Because of the rivalry, I cannot stand the Bolts and that's because of what they represent (at least in the past) - leadership and their winning ways. They always created problems for us in the past, whether it be in "simple matchups" (like there is such a thing when each game against divisional opponents means something) or pushing for the playoffs. It's fun to go to Tampa/Atlanta games because there's a ton of tension there. But that doesn't mean I have zero respect for them.

Mathieu Schneider, welcome to Atlanta! We're thrilled to have you here and we cannot wait to see what you bring to the team in terms of production, leadership, and a fantastic teammate.

Yesterday In Thrasherdom

Let's see here, this is pretty bad ass. Toby-o signs a little extension that helps kick-start the THRASH0RZ 4 LYFE campaign that he is apparently spear-heading (let's keep Kovy out of this for now, mmmk?). Methinks this is a good thing. Wait, scratch that - it IS a good thing. Toby (originally typed as TONY) is one of those players who really gets his job done and that's quite shocking as he's a member of the Thrashers. Let's see if we can name the last great defenseman of the Atlanta Thrashers, shall we?

Speaking of Toby, it looks like he wants to bring out the Niko Kapanen haircut. Please take note:


Exhibit A - Toby Enstrom as of September 24, 2008. Clicking on that pic enlarges it like woah, so be prepared. But please notice the poofiness that's slightly protruding out of the sides of his helmet. There's no mistaking those Swedish blonde locks. And now...


Exhibit B - uh, Niko Kapanen.

All I'm saying is compare the hair (ha!), not the play, not the player, and certainly not the game. I hope I'm not the first to say it aloud and, by doing that, I hope that I'm not the gypsy who puts the Kap-Kurse on poor Toby-o. Shhhhhh!

With that said, I guess I misled, like, everyone by saying that I was going to practice on Saturday. I was all gung-ho about it all week long, and then corn dogs and funnel cake took over my body the nite before and I couldn't muster up the courage to make the trek to Duluth the following morning. Really, it just came down to gas prices and making multiple trips up to Atlanta in one day that was the kicker. BUT! But I finally made it up there on Wednesday morning and had a great time. At long last, I was able to really check out Mr. Bogosian and note that while he wasn't the best player on the ice on Wednesday morning, he definitely looks like an NHL player. Is this manchild really only 18? That's INSANE. He's a lock for the team, mark my words, but I just pray that he gets over the overwhelming part of the NHL quick. Once he does that, I think he can have a very solid season for the Thrashers.

I also caught a glimpse of Jason Williams, and was I shocked when I initially assumed that he looked like Justin Williams (why does he have an official website, BTW?). They are quite the opposites. Didn't keep too much of an eye on Marty Reasoner and definitely didn't peek at Ron Hainsey, but I guess I'll just save that for either another trip up later on or game time (woo, it's soon!).

Can I also say for the record that it was instantly odd to know that Marian Hossa wasn't there? I dunno, but I felt very... empty... that he wasn't at camp. I just had to say it. But as Filburt Turtle once said, "You turn the page, you wash your hands..." Bew to that! :(

Enough of my chatter about the practice, here are what you really want - pics!







For 26 more pics, check out the album at the Flickr.

It was unfortunate that Erik Christensen was not in attendance at this morning's session, but I guess that all is not doomed for our mystery center. I only say that because he had such a limited time with the Thrashers last season (due to injury) and now there's this strike against him when there are a lot of hopes for this guy to pull through and produce for the Thrashers. Let's hope his body can get things together!

Hmm, what else? I think that covers it for my Thrashers Wednesday.

On another topic, I'm kinda confused about how I should feel about this next issue. I'm in two fantasy leagues this year - a first for that - and while the second league hasn't drafted yet (sign up NOW!), the league I'm running is all set to go. The only thing is that one team, uh, lucked out (?) and secured the two goalies who are dearest to me.



You see, my wife and I have the two absolutely adorable kittens who I'm fairly positive will dominate the world. Seeing how we're kinda goalie fanatics (especially from the Finland region of the world), we named these two cats Miikka (red, obv) and Vesa (grey). Seriously, y'all, I'm kinda torn about this. The guy who drafted 'em did it through the auto draft, so I'm sure it was fate that led him to these guys. But really? I mean, if I go up against him for a week, how can I find it in my heart to root against Mr. Miikka and Mr. Vesa? Sure, you can make the completely logical argument that I'm only "facing" the human goalies and that has zero relation to our cats. But I counter your logic with my illogical standpoint that while these two goalies are indeed human, our cats are mere extensions of their awesomeness and if they do bad, ill-will could ensue towards these seemingly innocent felines. And if I DO root for them during that week, I end up losing in fantasy. It's a lose-lose situation, you see. It puts a whole other spin on fantasy for me this year and I honestly don't know how it will play itself out.



These cats are fucking adorable, y'all - don't even try to deny it!

It's -- WEEKEND!

For the first time in, like, forever I actually have a weekend off. That's the price you have to pay when you sell your soul work retail. Such is life, I suppose. However, I'm making the most of this weekend. Tonite I'm heading up to the North Georgia State Fair in Marietta and then somehow going to get a sufficient amount of sleep for the following day.

Saturday is, uh, Super Sports Saturday...? Putting the lame alliteration to a halt, we all know (as you are avid readers of WWD, I AM SURE) that tomorrow is the opening day of the Atlanta Thrashers training camp, held at their practice facility in Duluth. I do this every year and it's sooooo great. It's always great to reacquaint myself with the familiar - Ilya, Kari, Slava, etc. What's really awesome about training camp is all of the new people that will cause much head-scratching. Last year, there were questions about Bryan Little, Brett Sterling, and Tobias Enstrom (among some others, I'm sure). This year, it's time to get to know Marty Reasoner, Ron Hainsey, Jason Williams, and, of course, ZACH BOGOSIAN.

Really, all anyone has done during the summer is get high on Zach Bogosian, the Thrashers' first round draft choice. Some say he is the next coming of Christ (eh...), others (not many) say they would prefer him to hang out in juniors for a minute before just being tossed into the man-eating "waters" of the NHL. I mean, the kid is only 18 and he has the Thrashers' defense on his shoulders. It's kinda ridiculous.

Note my skepticism. That's what makes training camp so wonderful. Finally all of the bullshit-talking during the off-season ends and the real business is attended to. A good deal of questions will be answered during the next couple of weeks. Thank God, I say.

So that's my Saturday morning. Totally fun, right? I come back down south for a second and then make my way BACK up to Atlanta to catch my first (and only) Braves game of the season as they take on my faves, the Mets. Before publicly displaying any kind of animosity against the Mets, please keep in mind that they are the team that brought it home during my younger years... you know, the mid-80s. So, yeah, you can definitely say that I have an attachment to them. Also, it's just fun to yell "LARRY!" whenever that third baseman of the Braves takes to the field.

And then my Sunday is spent quietly selecting my fantasy hockey roster in my killer league (ID=17007, password=blueland), probably blogging about it, and then blogging some more about the camp experience from the previous day. Totally rad, right?! Like, so totally!

It's always difficult to get decent pics at the Ice Forum, so I'll do my best, but I make no guarantees. It's worked in my favor in the past years (2006, 2007). I just can't wait for this weekend! And it's already started!

OMG, SO EXCLAMATORY!

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun Weekend!

WWD favorites Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun are about to play some blistering sets this weekend locally, which is good if you don't have plans (grr?).

Tonite, they make a stop at The EARL with The Shanghai Gesture and Win Win Winter. Supposedly they go on around 1030P or so, but I'm really talking about a show in Atlanta. For the show on Tuesday, I thought it would start sometime around 9-ish since it was listed online as starting at 830P. I arrived at Smith's close to 830P and waited until 930P when A.A. Bondy finally took to the stage to start things off for the evening. So... yeah. Just be aware of those somewhat-deceiving starting times... but, simultaneously, don't miss the band!

Anyways, the rock doesn't stop there. Tomorrow nite, they trek over to Birmingham and play one of my favorite venues around, The Nick. (Hmm, from Earl to Nick? Weird.) I swear, The Nick really is like the CBGB of the South. It's amazing, and they're playing with The Winter Sounds as well as All Get Out, same starting time (approximately). If I weren't baseballing it tomorrow (and if gas wasn't unavailable, as it seems that close to half of the gas stations I've seen in the past few days actually HAVE gas), I'd make the trip, because you cannot go wrong with a show there.

Sorry, no links to the openers! You can find 'em on myspace or last.fm! I'm in a hurry; funnel cake and corn dogs beckon!

SIgnificant Dates

No, I'm not getting all emo over here and reminiscing about "What might've been..." with certain women I've interacted with. Psht. Here are some dates that I have (virtually) circled on my calendar in the immediate future and that you should also pay attention to.... if you asked me (and you should!).

September 15 (ooh, that's today!) - Early sale for individual tickets (hey, that password is BLUELAND.)
September 20 - Training camp opens (free for the public and fun for all!)
September 25 - Preseason action starts in Nashville!
October 1 - Preseason games continue as the Thrashers come home for three preseason match-ups, starting against Detroit.
October 10 - Time to open the season at home, against Alexander "The Ocho" Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals! I haven't purchased my tickets yet, but I'm planning on doing so in the next few days!

Yeah, that should do it for the next few weeks, I'd say! I'll be at training camp at least for the opening day stuff (along with tons of other people who have, uh, great advice about our beloved hockey team), maybe for another session if I can pull that out.

WWD Wants You...!

...for fantasy hockey, that is. Who knows, we really could use the help, too, but whatevs.

Seriously though, I tried this last season and it didn't work out so well, but that doesn't necessarily make me a quitter! So, as I just said, I'm returning to the fantasy hockey world with my wonderfully-named Small Market Hockey League and I'd we'd love to have you hand over your points and your charming fantasy hockey banter and, uh, skill sets. Here's what you need to know...

http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/register/joinleague
League ID#: 17007
Password: blueland


It's worked in the past, so we're going to go with a live draft (because it's never too early to talk smack, especially during a live draft!), and that will take place on Sunday, September 21 @ 12EST.

There's plenty of room, so feel free to join the ranks and have a little fun this season!

A.A. Bondy @ Smith's Olde Bar

WWD favorite and friend, A.A. Bondy, will take to the stage tomorrow evening at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta with his touring buddies The Felice Brothers. From what I've noticed and paid attention to (not saying much, BTW), this has been Bondy's first Atlanta appearance in quite some time. He was last in Athens a few months ago with The Weakerthans, but I didn't make the trip because of the price of the commute (ha).

Go to his myspace and check out some of his songs and then buy his debut solo release, American Hearts, out now on Fat Possum.

Thrashers Update A-Roo

It's like the calm before the storm, really. There was a flurry of activity in June, with the draft taking place and then the free agency wackiness of early July. Now, it appears as if things have settled down a bit. Sure, the Thrashers signed some players (we all know this) and these players weren't the ones we had in mind initially (likewise), but the roster was finally taking shape for the upcoming season.

With the hiring of Coach Anderson, and the departure of Associate/Assistant Coach McCrimmon, many wondered who would help out the Coach behind the bench and try to rally with the team. The answer to this question revealed itself last week as it was stated that Randy Cunneyworth and Todd Nelson will now play the roles of assisting to the Coach. It was an interesting move simply because Cunneyworth's name has been tossed about with NHL head coaching vacancies lately and he's now secured an assistant spot with the Atlanta Thrashers. Nelson arrives because of his ties to Anderson in Chicago, which is a bit reassuring. Anderson knows Cunneyworth through his time in the AHL and he directly worked with Nelson on the Wolves' staff. It's good to know that there aren't three question marks that will be coaching the Thrashers next season (and beyond!).

Also, take this as you will, it was noted on the highly reputable (hmm...) hockey rumors website Hockey Buzz (OMG MATS HASN'T SIGNED WITH THE HABS YET, OMG) that there are plans for more jerseys, league-wide, for the upcoming season. This blurb fortunately isn't deemed an E3 or anything, so that's nice. The source of this is actually from Howard Berger, a top-notch radio persona and writer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Apparently, he has seen a number of new third-jersey designs for some teams, including our Atlanta Thrashers. Here's what he had to say about these new "sweaters":

ATLANTA: The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word “THRASHERS” on the front, just above the player’s uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey.

For more on this (as well as descriptions of a few other teams), the link is here.

As I said, it's getting slow, news-wise! Hopefully we'll hear of a trade in the coming weeks that will simultaneously bowl us over and bring some temporary disappointment (in that one of our favorites is sure to leave).

McCrimmon Out, Bodily Functions Back To Normal

Wouldn't you prefer to bleed red? And cry "blue" tears? How realistic is it to even bleed blue anyways? Brad McCrimmon apparently feels the same way. Either that or he noticed the chance of a lifetime at his doorstep and decided to take advantage of it.

A favorite of many of the Atlanta Thrashers, last year's associate coach Brad McCrimmon is officially out of the South and making the move from Blueland to Hockeytown USA. He's joining the Detroit Red Wings as their Assistant Coach, replacing Todd McClellan, who left for greener (or tealer?) pastures in San Jose to seize their head coaching position. This is a nice move for "Beast" and is most certainly a promotion. While he retains nearly the same title as he had in Atlanta, becoming an assistant is a bigger deal than it is here in Atlanta. I mean, let's be serious here.

Good job for Coach McCrimmon for landing a possible dream job (that's not a head coaching position) and we wish him the best of luck in Detroit!

Blogrolls Updated

Take note, followers! (If there are any, that is!) I've updated the list of preferred and followed blogs.

While I do feel a slight need to revamp the site for the upcoming season, I'm unsure if I'm feeling that creative just yet. We'll see what happens.

Welcome to the bloggerati, Blueland Chronicle, Thrashers 411 and Mr. Ice Man!

Obligatory Thrashers Updates That You Were Already Familiar With

I'll start with what's already been written about and I'll finish with something of personal relevance and, possibly convenience, mmmkay? Let's go!

The Atlanta Thrashers announced their schedule for the '08-'09 season. Yahoo! Now it's time to pinch pennies so that I can make my annual purchase next month for the home opener and the season closer.

The Atlanta Thrashers also signed the following players to contracts for the immediate future: Joey Crabb, Nathan Oystrick, Kari Lehtonen (yay?), Marty Reasoner, Brett Sterling, and Angelo Esposito. I question the Kari signing because I hope it's not a prelude to him getting dealt. It's no secret that I enjoy Kari's presence between the pipes for the Thrash, so I'd hate to see him shipped away. The Thrashers are lookin' good in goal for the short-run, though, with the re-signing of Da Moose and Ondrej Pavelec waiting in the wings. Just like everyone else, I'd hate to see my one of my favorite players shipped away. My favorite Thrasher was (and possibly still is) Marc Savard, so while I didn't like the idea of him moving north to Boston, I understood it because he was a UFA at the time and he controlled his destiny. Kari, not so much. Let's hope he sticks around Blueland for this season and that everything works out swimmingly well.

Former 99x DJ and Thrashers announcer Steve Craig will leave Atlanta for a new radio job in New York in the coming weeks, meaning that the voice of Blueland will be replaced come October. Steve's one of those guys who had a fantastic voice and had genuine passion and knowledge of hockey as opposed to some random filler guy who could possibly butcher last names at the drop of the hat and not know the difference between a power play and off-sides. Steve's presence in Blueland will be missed and we hope he does well in all of his ventures in New York!

Lastly, something that was tossed around lately is the idea of a practice facility moving down south... south like Peachtree City. Considering I'm a resident of a neighboring town, this is cool news. While I don't expect there to be a full move from Duluth to PTC, the prospect of a rink on the southside of Atlanta is awesome. I wasn't around when there was a rink in Newnan (and it's now an aquatic center, I think), but I visited the IceForum in Morrow back in '01, right before it closed. If there's one thing I really hate about living on the south side of town is that the closest rink is in Duluth, which is about 90 minutes north of me (roughly).

Basically, I'm not too sure about this idea simply because it will be in Peachtree City. I honestly don't think the residents of the bubble town would approve of it because of the failures of the previously mentioned rinks. While I'm overwhelmingly in favor of it, it will be hard to convince the casual golf cart riders of the world to approve of something that doesn't look promising... and to fund it with tax money for years and years. I remember when the tennis center was sparkling new and how there was talk about hosting some local and possibly national tournaments there. When I worked in that part of town at that time, I only remember one, maybe two, tournaments occurring there. As of right now, it's simply a members only club without any prospect of anything more becoming of it.

Unfortunately, I could see the same thing happening with this new ice rink/fitness facility. There's hints that it could provide revenue to the residents of Peachtree City and Fayette County and prospective tournaments held there, but who's to say that will actually happen? I'm sure that the rink would create interest and that all of the transplants (myself included) would flock there early on, but what about in the long run? I know of the existence of a roller hockey league in PTC, but is there enough interest for an ice hockey league to sustain such a place? I like the argument that this new PTC facility is closer to the airport than the rink in Duluth, and I think that even a place like PTC's Falcon Field could be used in a similar argument. And it's common knowledge that transportation is a little smoother on the southside as opposed to the tightly-congested northside of town. We'll see. It proves exciting for me, but probably not so much for PTC residents and Delta families.

Coming up next week - an unforeseen trade that has everyone scratching their heads, ticket prices are reduced and somehow revenue increases, Kovy gets the captaincy, Don Waddell steps down, the Atlanta Spirit Group gets bought out by members of the Nasty Nest, and the proclaiming of "KNIGHTS!" during the National Anthem is deemed illegal with jail-time for repeat offenders. Oh, who am I kidding here?!

Thrashers Snag Williams (and I Wax Skeptic)

Last nite, the Thrashers added another piece to their team, signing forward Jason Williams to a one-year deal.

I was mildly surprised to see not that Atlanta inked Williams, just that Atlanta acquired anyone period. We've been conditioned (up to this point) to think that significant moves may not be a reality. Of course, that's really not the case. Just because the Thrashers signed (or overpaid?) d-man Ron Hainsey, added a few kids, and signed Eric Boulton for another two years doesn't rule out anything. It just seems like this is the off-season from hell, something that certainly wasn't considered on June 30.

I'd lie if I said that I wasn't disappointed with the lack of players flocking to Atlanta's hockey hotbed.

Er, mask your sarcasm!

I think this summer really brought things into perspective for Thrashers fans. Last season, we were so misguided (just like the rest of the team) and had no idea what lay ahead. A superstar in Marian Hossa departed because winning wasn't a number one priority to the Atlanta Spirit Group. Who knows how much truth there was to that, but Hossa was probably on to something with that kind of gesture. Having a select bunch of individuals own a hockey team (few with hockey expertise?) and simultaneously involved in a battle over ownership with a cast-out figurehead really takes the energy away from the product that matters - our Atlanta Thrashers (and those Atlanta Hawks, and our Philips Arena...). However, isn't the ownership group in Tampa Bay similar (involving a handful of guys, sans courtroom battles)? Look what they accomplished in the past two weeks. (Some could argue that they haven't achieved much as they've signed forward after forward and let their number one defenseman out to dry... and their head coach is a Mullet.)

Truth be told, I'm skeptical. I'm a skeptic by nature. When life hands me lemons, I wonder why I was handed them in the first place and who handed them to me and what the condition of the lemons was, etc. You bet I was disappointed by the lack of signings on July 1st, and then July 2nd, and so on. Sure, the Hainsey signing has a lot of potential and it could be a great move. But there's just too much hanging on that for me though and, like everyone else, I wanted an instant "YES!" moment. I wanted the marquee name at a decent price that expressed an overwhelming desire to sport the Thrashers crest and proudly call Blueland home for the coming seasons.

That never really came. And it wasn't even a realistic notion. To say that Brian Campbell was modestly rewarded for his time spent in the league, his talents, and his recently highlighted skill sets is an understatement. I'm thrilled that Atlanta didn't sign him for the compensation he received from Chicago.

When it comes to free agency and a team's needs, the best team needs to win. This past off season, no team won anything; it was a player's field day. Does Brian Campbell really think that Chicago can get into the playoffs and be a serious contender this season (or the next)? Perhaps, but when a player of his caliber signs an eight-million dollar a season contract, I'm sure he wasn't completely motivated by winning. Who even knows if someone like Brian Campbell feels like he rightfully deserves that kind of money? I mean, I think he's making even more than Ilya Kovalchuk at this point. How much does that make sense? And if that's the case, how ridiculous is that?

Now that it's realized that the Thrashers are in a bind with signings, I'm grateful for anyone that comes their way now. With two weeks into the free agency period and a decent sample size of suitable players remaining, the act of overpaying someone to play here reduces. Players simply want to play hockey in the NHL come October and they'll dress for anyone who has an interest in their skills. When the Thrashers target their next free agent, I'm positive that they aren't planning on getting the paycheck of their lives. They just want to play and they will be thrilled at the opportunity. But are these kinds of players the difference-makers?

We'll see. It's all about chemistry. Coach Anderson is all about that. (And what hockey coach isn't, really? Except Don Waddell.) There's something about Coach Anderson that says that this kind of chemistry isn't unrealistic. Players come together and play as a unit, not individuals. Wins matter, not running up the scores. When one guy gets knocked down, another reciprocates. And it's all in the name of sport and fun. Or so it seems.

Long story short, I'm just glad to see a player come this way. I'm hoping that Jason Williams gets a fair shot in Atlanta and that he also gives Atlanta an opportunity to wow him. Atlanta isn't as terrible as you might think, Dan Boyle. Given our set of circumstances that we're currently caught up in, anyone new is welcome.

Either I'm just apathetic at this point or I'm really bleeding blue. I'm really hoping it's the latter. Regardless, I'm ready for the puck to drop in October!

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (in words)

As you can see through my previous post, I went to Duluth to take in the yearly prospect camp that the Atlanta Thrashers host. What's so awesome about these events is that you're seeing into the future. At last year's prospect camp, Toby Enstrom, Bryan Little, and Ondrej Pavalec were featured and we all know how their run-ins with the NHL were. Toby was a serious contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), Little started the season in the bigs (but couldn't quite fit into the system, or whatever you could call it as there was no "real" coach, more-or-less, all season long), and Pavalec stepped up big time while Kari was out with injuries early on. So you know that the players you're watching at these camps have great potential to be the real thing.

This year, tons of focus was given to the Thrashers' most recent draft pick, Zach Bogosian, who was drafted third overall. There is a lot of talk that he's soon-to-be the eventual savior of the Thrashers' blueline. For a kid who isn't even 18 yet, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. But after watching him skate, like everyone else, I was impressed with how he was on the ice and how the ice seemingly belonged to him. His skating was smooth, his passes were money, and his shots would result in a lot of ducking and cowering. He's clearly a defenseman with an offensive edge to him, someone the Thrashers needed for a long time now. As soon as he was drafted, Blueland should've just rolled out the red carpet for this guy because he's getting that kind of fan-fare. It's insane. People to the left and right of me were talking him up and down and it was crazy. Naturally, that's all I wanted to watch was Bogy. But with other highly qualified skaters on the ice, it was hard to just cast them aside for the wunderkind.

My focus eventually strayed from Bogy (who was sporting number 44 for the camp) and just tried to absorb the big picture, paying more attention to guys who were standing out in their own ways. Angelo Esposito was a highly-touted draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins and I wanted to pay attention to him because of that and because of how he was talked-down up until the the 2007 draft. Riley Holzapfel's abilities warranted some discussion at last year's camp and I tried to keep an eye on him for a while. Defensive favorites of mine include Grant Lewis and Chad Denny, both of whom I watched last year.

So while I had my list of highlighted names to look out for, and my actual list to match numbers with names, it was damned near impossible to keep track of these relative unknowns. Because I'm exposed to these types of players once a year, it's hard to leave a lasting impression with me, especially when I only see them one day of camp (and the camp runs about a week). I'd try focus on Holzapfel's passing, but while I'd do that, I'd miss some insane skating from someone who I never heard of. Then I started watching the new guy, and then I'd realize that I'd miss what's going on in the corner over there (like a Bogosian hit or something).

With that said, I sadly cannot provide great objective descriptions of these players that other sites have recently. What was interesting was that I was fortunate enough to watch the teams scrimmage and attempt a few shootout maneuvers. The scrimmage ended up in a rout, something like 6-2, in favor of the blue team (that featured Bogosian and Holzapfel). Lucky for me, most of the scoring was by my end of the rink, so I witnessed most of the goals as they happened, instead of trying to figure out what happened across the rink. Esposito's passing set up at least one of the goals, and two guys managed to score twice each. One of the players who scored twice was recent draft pick Zach Redmond, another defenseman. One of his goals was a result of a ridiculous move through several members from the white team.

It's players like Redmond that make the prospect camps so worthwhile. You start paying attention to the bigger names, the higher profiled guys, and the kids who really end up standing out are the lesser-known ones, like Zach Redmond.

Something that I never noticed in the past was the presence of the head coach at the prospect camp. Granted, Coach Anderson is very familiar with the youth and some of the players that were at the camp. I'm unsure if this played any role into his appearance at this. But it was refreshing to see the new head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers directly getting involved with the younger members of the organization, something Bob Hartley seldom did.

Also, while Bogosian simply dominated the day I went (and I've heard similar reports from other days of camp), I'm still skeptical about him. The kid's 18 in a matter of days and people are already penciling him on the opening day roster. I don't question his abilities at all, but I'm just wondering how he'll perform with guys that have played hockey as a career. How will Bogosian fit onto a team that features players like Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Hedberg, etc.? More importantly, how will he play against ridiculously-skilled players like Lecavalier, Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, etc.? To make comments about his play that suggested otherwise, that would be cause for concern. Bogosian is supposed to dominate these other prospects, apparently (according to the hype), and he's achieved that. But is he really ready to be a full-time NHL player? Time will tell. I'm sure that after his performance with this past week's camp, however, he earned an invite to training camp in September.

Prospect Camp, 2008/07/10 (clicky)

Here are some pics from Thursday's prospect camp in Duluth. More are on the flickr.

Up Next - Thrashers Prospect Camp!

While this off-season isn't that satisfying to some Thrashers fans, the next best thing is actual hockey, which is going on up in Duluth this week for the annual prospect camp. I have yet to make the trip there, but I fully intend to jet out of work and make my way to the Ice Forum.

Ben at the Blueland Blog is writing every single day about the happenings over there, and provides a great, well, introduction to how prospect camps work. Typically, I'm not big on researching the young'uns prior to these kinds of happenings, so, needless to say, it's very confusing to find out who's who and by the time you might have things figured out, it's time to pack up the pucks and resurface the ice. What I basically do is hang out in the same spot and try to pick up on what others are saying about the kids on the ice. Now that we're a couple of days into the camp, I'm sure the regulars in the crowd can differentiate between the Zach Bogosians from the, er, Scott Bartletts.

I'll do my best to report what I could make out and I'm going to do what I usually do and attempt to get some decent pics (at the very least). As hockey season starts back up, expect more updates - and that's a promise!

Hey, if anyone knows if the kids tomorrow need anything like, say, deodorants, mouthwashes, or aspirin, gimme a holler and I'll do my best to hook up some young Thrashers! I guess that's one upside working retail... ugh.

All's Quiet On the Thrash Front

Wow, has it really been more than five months since I've blogged about the Thrashers? That's mildly depressing, but given how the season ended, I'm not all that surprised, really. I mean, le Thrash handed over Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis (PWEE!) to the runner-up Pens, finished in the bottom three teams in the NHL, and pretty much bottomed out.

By the beginning of April (i.e. the end of the season), the Thrashers had zero identity. There was no coach to speak of, with no real hints as to who the replacement would be. One of the league's superstars (Marian Hossa) decided that Atlanta wasn't close to providing the winning environment he wanted dearly and departed. The "captaincy" of Bobby Holik was nonexistent. And no one on the team had anything to play for. Hell, they couldn't even play the role of spoiler because Washington was the real deal after the trading deadline in March and all other Southeast Division "threats" were nowhere to be found. It was terrible.

Needless to say, this off-season left a lot of room for changes. Literally. With the departures of Hossa, Holik, and the recent buyout of defensive pilon Alexei Zhitnik, the Thrashers had tons of money to spend with free agency signings occurring, starting on July 1. To add to that, the salary cap increased yet again for this upcoming season, and with that increase, the Thrashers had to spend a good amount just to reach the salary floor of $40 million.

So when July 1 came and went, nothing was accomplished. Sure, we probably attempted to bring in some of the bigger names that would've provided instant gratification (i.e. Wade Redden or Brian Campbell), but all was quiet. After July 2nd, all that we could muster up was a younger defenseman from Columbus, Ron Hainsey. Gone were the Campbells, the Reddens, the Rozsivals, the Commodores, and the Streits from the defensive pool that could've helped strengthen our blueline. To add insult to injury, we needed a good forward to help out Kovy (something that he's missed since Savard left two seasons ago). Did I mention that the only player we signed as of right now is defenseman Ron Hainsey?

Two areas that hint at promise for next season are the hiring of John Anderson as head coach and the drafting of defenseman Zach Bogosian. Anderson will attempt to coach the youth of the Thrashers, something that wasn't a priority while Bob Hartley was calling the shots. Considering how things have gone in the AHL with his old team, the Chicago Wolves (i.e. the Thrashers' farm team), I think Anderson is in a good position, along with most of the younger guys who attempt to land themselves a roster spot come October. Bogosian appears to be the next Ray Bourque, Scott Stevens, Bobby Orr, and/or Chris Pronger. For a kid who isn't even close to being past his teen years, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders already for this organization. With someone this young, there's absolutely no telling what's next for Bogo. He could bust out of the gates early and validate every bit of hype or he could take a while to mature. But considering that Anderson is the new head coach, I'm positive that the necessary steps will be taken for this kid's development into a full-time NHL defenseman for the Atlanta Thrashers. If Hartley was still in charge, I'd be terrified. I mean, look what happened to Braydon Coburn. Ugh.

So now that a few things are actually shored-up for the team, there are still holes that need to be addressed in order to calm the masses. Before noon on July 1st, there was a TON of promise with this team. While some had their doubts about the prospective dollars that could be handed out to certain free agents, the sky was the limit for the Thrashers. Technically, we could've signed two BIG NAME players on Tuesday and still probably had room for another slot, or maybe two, to fill. The real problem with this is, as The Falconer wisely stated on his blog, no one wants to come to the Thrashers. The ownership is in shambles and hockey isn't viewed as high on their radar. There isn't much respect (hockey-wise) for our General Manager, Don Waddell. And I'm sure that the drawn-out process of getting Hossa to re-sign last season (which led to his departure) didn't help things at all. Atlanta is not perceived as a winning franchise. As a result, no bigger named players want to come here because why play for a team that isn't committed to winning? It's a good point, and this is what makes signing players so difficult for the Thrashers. You then are at the point of baiting players with tons of money and open promises. If the Thrashers made the playoffs in the past few seasons, I'm sure that free agents wouldn't be so hesitant to sign with us because of that winning reputation (or at least hard-working). But with one post-season appearance in the team's history, no post-season wins, and nothing else to really show for it, it's incredibly difficult to persuade elite players to play here. It's a terrible position to be in, but the Thrashers have to make the best of it now and try to bring in the real players, the ones who will instantly make a difference, in the coming seasons.

So we'll see what happens in the coming days and weeks as the fall draws nigh. We still need to address the holes at defense and land a GOOD forward. Who from this list do you think provides the "best fit" for the Thrashers at this time? Personally, I wouldn't mind a Brendan Morrison, Paul Mara, or even trying to go after San Jose RFA Christian Ehrhoff (depending on how their cap situation is).

I don't know what to think anymore. I was definitely one of the people who was checking online constantly on Tuesday to see if we signed anyone notable. Then I was checking sporadically on Wednesday, only to find out about Hainsey. It's still non-stop checking just to see if we added ANYONE.

A bunch of drafted kids from last month (as well as older fellas from previous drafts) will attend the upcoming prospect camp next week in Duluth. I'll do my best to make it up there for a day or two and come back with some pics of the new-uns.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photos: Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun (clicky)

From Saturday's rock fest...

Recap & Photos: The Kills (clicky)

On Wednesday evening, you could've found me at The Earl, checking out the post-punk duo The Kills. Their "thing", you see, is that they consist of only two members and rely on a drum machine to provide the underbelly of their tunes. There's just no way you could conceive of two people with guitars (sometimes just one) and a drum machine sounding so mind-blowing, but somehow The Kills do it. And that's exactly what they accomplished on Wednesday.

Back in 2005 (I think), they played Coachella and upon returning home, I noticed that a lot of people were commenting on their set and saying how awesome it was. I took a minute to get into what I missed out on and got very little out of it. Either I wasn't there mentally or I just didn't get the sound or whatever, but their newest album at the time (No Wow) refused to stick with me. So I kinda brushed 'em aside and that was that. Then they came out with Midnight Boom this year and things changed. Lead-off single "U.R.A. Fever" got stuck in my head for days and refused to leave. What was really odd what that I didn't really think the song was that special after first hearing it. I decided to go back to what I previously cast away and listened to No Wow and I was swept up in it, along with this new record. After hearing that their tour for Midnight Boom was ending in Atlanta, I wanted in and prepared for anything. I just couldn't think that their kind of setup would be as propulsive and explosive as what was hyped.

Damn, was I wrong. They brought it hard and they brought it loud; it was insane! There was a screen playing various videos behind them while they were doing their thing, with videos of seemingly random things to performances of Patti Smith and Tom Petty. Alison Mosshart, who does most of the vocal work, really had my attention most of the night, and she definitely commanded it. Whether it be through her creepy glances to the back of the club or through her odd stage antics (like walking in circles or distinct squares in between songs), I was drawn to her. The other player, Jamie Hince (who provides a vast majority of the guitars), displayed tons of intensity throughout their set, often yelling while playing. You'd think that with their kind of guitar sound (especially how LOUD it is), the guitars would be enough for noise, but apparently not.

At any rate, the show was awesome and a great surprise. Here are some decent pics from the gig and hopefully they'll do the show justice.

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun - TONITE!

Today's a day I've had circled on my calendar for a long while now, for it is Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun's record release party at Vinyl.

I've known about this band for a little less than a year and I've heard the songs live several times over that period. A few months ago, my wife and I were invited to their studio to listen to some early mixes of songs that were slated to appear on their debut release. While this band is meant to play live, the rough takes sounded awesome and their official release finally sees the light of day, uh, tonight. Weird sentence there.

ANYWAY!

TTMTTS' debut EP, "Hurry Up and Wait", will feature most of the live staples from the past year and I'm sure that they will not disappoint. This band just tears it up in the clubs and I cannot wait for them to rip apart the speakers of my car.

If you're not doing anything this evening, I highly suggest that you take a trip to Vinyl (located in the CW Midtown Music Complex with Center Stage and The Loft). The show starts at 9PM and tickets are only $8. Sure, gas is pricey these days, but when you can get your face melted for only eight dollars, I'd say that's a tremendous deal.

Currently, their myspace is hosting a few songs from their EP. It's only a click away. Get yourself warmed up for tonight!

Also, the Atlanta Rock Blog conducted an informative and insightful interview with all four members of the band. Part one is here, and here's part two.

Gobbledigook

I like Sigur Ros' first album alright.

Then came their second album and I kinda got bored with it.

Saw 'em live after that record and was, at points, in awe, and, at other points, seeing zzz's.

Takk... was released and I got back into the band for a minute.

Was really excited to see them at Coachella in '06 for the sunset. I seriously wasn't impressed.

And, now, it looks like we have a new Ros record on the way, called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Thank goodness for copy and paste, right?! Somehow it translates to With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly. Whatever, guys!

At any rate, the first song is available for download at their website, and that has the childish title of "Gobbledigook". Finally, a Sigur Ros song title that I can actually pronounce! And you know what? I actually like the song a lot! The band claims that this record will be Sigur Ros at their happiest. "Gobbledigook" definitely reinforces that statement. There's a bunch of "lalalalalala"s going on in the intro that are reminiscent of the last Flaming Lips record, and that leads into a propulsive, kinda muted drum beat with nicely melodic vocals. I'm really digging it.

Actually, it gets a little better. The "Hopelandic" stuff is taking a backseat and more Icelandic is prevalent on this new record. But the killer is the last song on the LP. It's called "All alright" and it's apparently sung in English. This could get a little crazy.

There's such a beautiful sense of mystery with the band's music, partly because of these so-called lyrics that no one can understand, except "the band" (and who knows if the lyrics have meaning or are simply sounds to gorgeously accompany the music). Now that the band has been around for close to eight years, we all know what to expect when listening to a Sigur Ros album. You're gonna get swept away in the lush soundscapes and the words/vocals will mean whatever you want them to mean. There's no trying to read between the lines with this band; each person's listening experience will be different. That's what makes Sigur Ros so profound - messages transcend meanings.

So how will this English track be received? Will the magic of the band disappear as they now have an appeal to a whole other audience? Granted, everyone has emotions and their music should have an impact on everyone simply because the sounds they create are so emotive. But now that ONE song is sung in English, does that change the dynamic of the band or their fanbase? Will the band face any kind of backlash because of this decision? It's definitely an interesting move for the group and we'll see how it pans out.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is released to the masses on June 24 (US). Enjoy your Hopelandic/Icelandic Sigur Ros while you still can!

Look what the foocow dragged in...

Exhibit A: Miikka


Exhibit B: Vesa


Welcome to the family, Miikka and Vesa!

State of the Blog Address

When I started this blog, I really didn't know how to start it. For a while, I didn't even have a title. Subject matter spewed all over the place, from favorite TV shows of mine to music that I love to traveling to sports. At that point, it didn't matter what I wrote about as long as I wrote what was true to me.

Then things got a little wild with my favorite hockey team and I jumped on that wagon. It lasted for a while. Actually, it will last forever, but seasons like this past one made the fandom and writing rather difficult. So that explains why the writing came to a halt there. Or does it?

Either way, it's amazing that people still somehow find this blog even though it's been a stagnant place for months now. It seems like there was a period of time when I couldn't tell if anyone was reading anything, but I'd receive the occasional comment. When the writing stopped a few months ago, the comments and emails were building, but about something I wrote well before I started writing about hockey (which was the main focus of this blog).

The post in question was about a friend of mine, musician A.A. Bondy. He's a brilliant guy who has this great album that was re-released just today and he just made an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show in support of it.

It's just weird how things like this work out, know you? The past few months for me have been a whirlwind of adventure, fun, and loving life. In February, I got married and last month we went on our honeymoon to Hawaii. I've been to a few hockey games and been to a few shows. As a matter of fact, a band that I've really appreciated over the past months is a band you'll hear a lot more about, and they're called Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun. But there's time to talk about them in the future.

Basically, to whoever has stumbled across this blog, thanks for reading. I'm not planning on stopping, that's for sure. I'm thankful for the kind words, really. Let's see where else this thing can go.

All Points West - Correction!

In an earlier post, I mentioned the All Points West music festival that's "set" to take place in New Jersey in early August. What I had wrong is the website, apparently. Here's the correct link:

http://www.apwfestival.com/

I signed up for the mailing list when the website was first online and I have yet to receive anything from Goldenvoice about it, so we'll see what actually happens with this website. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of the event though. I mean, I went to the two Radiohead shows there in 2001 and I have to say that the venue for this festival is amazing and the views from Liberty State Park are speechless. Usually, with Coachella, the scenery is a crucial part of the event. Tucked into the San Jacinto Valley, the Empire Polo Fields are surrounded by palm trees and mountains are the backdrop to just about everything. It's ridiculous. So it comes as no surprise to me that the "Eastern" Coachella boasts scenery that includes an amazing view of downtown Manhattan... and the ass of the Statue of Liberty. I mean, if you want scenery for a New York/New Jersey music festival, you just cannot beat this:



Needless to say, I'm hoping that this event does happen and doesn't turn into another Field Day fiasco that occurred in 2003. (Wait, it happened in 2005! Psych.) If Radiohead had two mindblowingly good shows in 2001 without a hitch, why wouldn't a music festival have the same luck, right?