Hockey fashion? Auf wiedersehen!

I'm a complete sucker for anything that's close to hockey garb. Well, kinda sorta. For the past, say, six years or so, a staple of my fashion nearly each and every day is the sentimental band t-shirt. Starting back in '97, I got my first band t-shirt at a Smashing Pumpkins enormo-dome show and that trend continued until basically last year, maybe even earlier. It's time to give up that hobby/fashion accessory. The time for change is now, and it's obvious to me that such a change involves hockey. Duh!

Ever since I saw some sort of advertisement in an issue of The Hockey News a few weeks/months ago that featured logos from a bunch of minor league and junior teams, I instantly knew what my next mission would be - start collecting not your typical hockey team merchandise. Eh... change the wording... get shirts/anything else that represents not your typical team (i.e. NHL). It's time to support the Calgary Hitmen, the Peterborough Petes, and/or the now-defunct Greenville Grrrowl. With team names like those, random locations, and simply amazing logos, you can't go wrong sporting any kind of hockey pride! So I tried a little bit (and, of course, I do mean little) to search up some stuff and didn't get that far. And when I did come across something, I often found out that these shirts that I would want cost $20+. Maybe purchasing a shirt for a month could be cool, but I just didn't justify it, especially for shirt designs that didn't work for me at first glance.

Well, thanks to a post at the brilliant Off Wing Opinion, I think I finally stumbled onto something. As if you didn't figure it out by now (by clicking on the link), there are shirts from teams of yesteryear. Teams that I never even knew existed. I have heard about the Macon Whoopies, but the Saskatoon Sheiks?! I can't even begin to imagine the questions someone would get just for wearing such a shirt. And you'd get major points from true die-hard hockey fans.

So outside of the amazing stuff at Throwbackmax.com (and not just hockey, too), does anyone know of any other cool merch stuff for hockey teams around North America? Or, hell, why stop there? Even any kind of internation teams' merch would work as well. It's always great to walk around town and spot someone wearing the jersey of the Swedish national team... oh, wait, no one would know what that is in Newnan (unless you're a hockey fan, which is slim even in Georgia, sadly). It's a cool thought though.

But seriously, does anyone have any kind of experience with lower-level hockey (or international-level/vintage, too) merchandise? I'd love to have in on any kind of recommendations/secrets/tips that anyone has experienced. I can't help it but love this kind of stuff!


C'mon, would it be wrong to wear a Magnitogorsk Metallurg Evgeni Malkin jersey when he comes to town soon? ;)
Pic courtesy of Hockeytop.

Finding time to procrastinate

So I didn't end up getting the blogging gig over at the Blueland Blog. Such is life, I guess. No big deal, at least you can have 100% pure unadulterated, unrestrained foocow-related bloggings over here. And now that I think about it, I guess it's time to come up with a name for the blog since "foocow" really doesn't do much of anything. That sentence is somewhat fitting, too, but I won't divulge further. :P

I am kinda glad that I didn't get the position though. It's like I said - at least I have my own voice over here and I know that I can still generate some readers if I tried to. There is clearly a lack of Thrashers blogs around (only two to my knowledge, one of which being the one that I mentioned already) and there is a need for more representation in the internet community. Sure, there's the Nasty Nest and this new one that I came across the other day (thanks to Blueland, der), but nothing much. And there are some other sites that list the blogs affiliated with teams across the NHL, and it seems as if there are at least five blogs per team, with the Thrashers only getting publicity from two "official" blogs - those being Blueland (directly tied to the Atlanta Thrashers) and the AJC blog (directly tied to Thrashers beat-writer John Manasso, and has some great contibutions from fans as well). So I am well aware of the need to pay attention to this matter, or lack thereof.

Do I seem poised to step up to the challenge? Ehh... if you know me, you know that could be questionable...! But I'll definitely do my best at covering the team that I love as best as I can. I know I may not be the most humorous guy out there when it comes to putting things into words, but I can throw out something funny everyone now and again. And I may not have the best insight when it comes to hockey (or anything, really), but you can't deny the fact that the passion is evident in my personality and writing.

And speaking of writing, this is not to say that this is only going to become a Thrashers-related blog from here-on-in. There are other things that I enjoy that are mildly hinted at in the sidebar of links. Have I done my best to bring these interests to the forefront? Absolutely not! I do have a life outside of my interests and trying to be current with this thing! But I'm pushing myself to the next level now... basically, it's an attempt to prove others wrong. Or just prove myself right... or wrong? I'm getting lost in the mix of things at this point.

So what's next on the agenda here? Eh, probably a few updates, that's for sure. But I really need a title. I guess that's something that I can focus some attention to.

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Next weekend is my little excursion/return up north to Long Island. In case you didn't know, I'm originally from there and I actually haven't been there in nearly two years. I have quite a few friends there as well as some family members, so it's needless to say that I'm excited about flying up for the weekend. What always happens with these trips is that there's some sort of incentive involved. Usually, I fly up there for some amazing concerts (Radiohead at Liberty State Park, Zwan at Hammerstein, and the Pixies two-in-one-nite shows at Hammerstein instantly come to mind). This time is no different, but it is. One thing that I'm completely amped up about is my return to Nassau Coliseum. It's one of the oldest arenas that's used in the NHL, and I'm gonna be there for the Thrashers/Islanders game. Putting things into perspective, the last time I was there (for hockey) was during the Islanders amazing playoff run in '92-'93 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. I was only 11 at that point, and I thought it was the coolest thing to hear in the stands "Barr-asshole!" (in reference to the Pens' goalie, Tom Barrasso). The last time I was at the Coliseum was for the Smashing Pumpkins in '97. So for me to return to a venue, I'm incredibly sentimental with just about everything, but this visit will probably give me chills down my spine. As I read in the latest issue of the Hockey News, when the buliding is filled with fans, it's one of the best arenas in the league in terms of atmosphere. When it's lacking in attendance, it's downright miserable. Do I expect a playoff-type feeling once inside? No, but I know that Isles fans are ruthless and that's wonderful to know and be around that.

So I'm anticipating my trip next weekend. :)

ATL = Atlanta Thrashers Luck...?

Yadda, yadda, yadda - the Thrashers are nearly atop of the Eastern Conference. Should this really be expected? I mean, c'mon, who would've really thought that our own Atlanta Thrashers would be even leading the Southeast Division?

This team has been red hot and I'm surprised that they aren't blazing a trail on ice... wait, that can't even be possible...? Anyway, poor jokes aside, it was admittingly difficult to find out that they were down early in the game to an abyssmal (sp?) Panthers squad of guys who have either had better years in the league (i.e. Roberts, Nieuwendyk) or players who actually have some promise ahead of them (i.e. Horton, Bouwmeester). But somehow, the Thrashers tore it up, delicately pawing away at the Panthers penalty kill unit and ending up on top 6-3, with an astounding 83% on the power play. It seems like two players stole the show last nite, between Mr. "The Stoli's on Me Tonite, Guys" Kovalchuk and the rugged vet Steve Rucchin. Everyone's going nuts (well, Thrashers fans, and some others, I guess) over Kovy's hat trick and apparently he's making a comeback (after only nine games...?) like no other. And Rucchin's team play on the penalty kills appeared quite useful as Florida's "League-leading power play" was granted only a goal in the goose-egg department.

Am I ever glad to finally see this Thrashers team coming alive... even if it is early in the season. What really shocked me about last nite was that I ended up passing out with about 10 minutes left in the game. I can't believe I put that much faith in them to just fall asleep and believe that the game was their's. Things must definitely be on our side if that's the case.

This road trip that lies ahead does look intimidating. The Saturday nite game against Buffalo is officially circled in red on calendars across Blueland as that is the game that is whetting (sp?) everybody's palate. Yeah, we all know that the Sabres are strong and likewise can be said about the Thrashers, but what will happen when these worlds collide? Eh, just don't rely on Powerman 5000 to come up with an accurate answer to that question. It's a keynote game so early in the season and some are even claiming that this could be a preview for the Eastern Conference final. That's a bit of a stretch, but the idea that Atlanta is making that much of an impression (so early into the season, none-the-less) is telling.

And yeah! I was in the running for a fan correspondent position on the Thrashers' own Blueland blog. As a result, I had amazing tickets to the last home game, against the Florida Swamp Cats, all for free. For a minute I considered just writing to get the tickets, but I nixed that idea and decided to fulfill my half of the bargain. So I sent something in after the game and we'll see how that goes. To even be selected as one of the top six participants is a pretty big deal and I really hope that something can come out of my writing. Every once in a while it's good to receive some sort of validation for my crafts. So thanks to the web team over at the Blueland blog for the killer seats my girlfriend and I scored Saturday nite and we'll see what happens before week's end!

Six out of seven ain't bad!

The Atlanta Thrashers are 3-0-1. Yes, that's right. It's really the first time in their history that they have come out playing this well. Only does the start to the '03-'04 season mildly compare. And I even recall people in major media outlets (namely ESPN) name-dropping the Thrashers and questioning their play. Now granted, that decent start really fell to pieces come the New Year, but they played from the get-go. But this year looks different, it feels different. After the questionable preseason (which is always up in the air), the Thrashers are hitting their early season stride. Two things have been critical for this to take shape... and they are both rather difficult to come out of my mouth, mainly because these two elements have always been the hardest to come by for the team and their fans. Can you actually believe that their goaltending and defensive corps has been the strongest aspect of the team?! The away game against Tampa Bay (a one-goal nailbiter in which the Thrash prevailed) is proof of how their backlines are holding up. And after watching the Boston game from last nite, I have to dish out some credit to blue-liners Steve McCarthy and Vitaly Vishnevski for some absolutely solid play. And of course, do I really even need to mention the effort put forth by Kari Lehtonen? Leading the league in just about every goalie stat imaginable, this guy is getting it done. The fact that I'm gushing right now is representative of my excitement for the early get-go.

What's more amazing about the start is that things are still questionable. Ilya Kovalchuk has yet to provide anything representative on the scoresheet about his offensive play. But his defensive play is starting to come into effect and that, to me, is really more valuable than having him win the Richard trophy two out of the past three years. Also, there's still the pink elephant sitting there in the room about the position of center and who will emerge to actually lead lines. Metropolit's goal last nite made me proud in the fact that he's making his presence known to the team and the fan base. But there's also the veteran Rucchin and the durable Kapanen who definitely have the opportunity to go ahead and seize a spot on a line with a Kovalchuk, with a Hossa.

So while things have yet to be worked out, everything is starting to look rosy in the Thrashers corner. But could this really be young, naive excitement at something that should've happened years ago to this team? Absolutely! Personally, I am thrilled at the prospect of knowing that this team is getting things done and attending to the problems that have plagued them in the past. Am I still hesitant about what's to come? C'mon, why shouldn't I be? As I said above, there are still lingering concerns this team needs to address. Thrashers fans know that anything could happen at any point during the season. We're all used to the constant 180s that occur to anyone at any position. But with the way things are looking right now, this team is only going to get stronger, faster, more productive, and flat-out better.

Tomorrow nite they face the almighty Carolina Hurricanes, a team out of Raleigh that somehow (well, not really) captured hockey's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, last season. Quite the opposite of the Thrashers, Carolina has only mustered up a single point in four games. Is that cause for concern in 'Canes country? Not yet, but things are appearing kinda hazy for 'em at this point in time. We'll see if they can get out of their funk... NOT! Of the games I saw last season, the Thrash OWNED the 'Canes. Hopefully this matchup will be no exception as Carolina looks a little out of focus with the ambivalence of Cam Ward's goaltending (sophomore slump, perhaps?) and the seemingly lack of production. But it can easily be said that the Hurricanes are getting to the point that they are due to have a win, as the Thrashers are due to come back down to Earth. Regardless, tomorrow's battle will be well-fought and of course well-deserved. We'll see what happens.

See you there!

ilounge.com - Yes!

Ok, so after I finally received my first (and only, so far) iPod back in February, I came across the website ipodlounge.com. I was looking for some kind of silicone-type cover for it so that it wouldn't look too tacky, but still be protected from scratches/drops/other miscellaneous damage. Needless to say, I came across the website lajo.biz and hence my current selection of iPod covers. From the very beginning, I've loved this website. It's like a Consumer Reports for iPods. And we all know how I love (and swear by) CR.

Since then, the website has changed domains to ilounge.com, but it's premise remains the same - the be the best source of information for anything related to any kind of iPods.

Well, as of late, my 4G monochrome iPod has been on the fritz. I'd wonder why there would be some extremely short-lived skipping before songs were played. And then the bottom fell out. When I'd plug my iPod into my computer, it went unrecognized and said that the hard drive was corrupt (file error 1418, if anyone's checking). Whenever I'd go to start it up or restart or whatever, all that would show up on the screen was the file folder with an exclamation, with a link to Apple's support page for iPods. That site didn't get me far, only to tell me that it would cost $275 and change to send it in to get it repaired. I figured I might as well give up on that prospect and just get a new one for about $240, or whatever the 30 gig cost on Apple's website.

Then I remembered ilounge.com and found it bookmarked. Surely something was mentioned about my problem. After quickly browsing a few areas of the website and random forum topics, I didn't come up with much. Then I found something out about performing a disk scan, and since my hard drive was deemed "corrupt", this could work. Well, couldn't get that to work. So I searched that up on ilounge and stumbled upon this thread:

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?t=135673

C'mon, opening up the iPod and slapping the hard drive? Could that really work? Of course, I was skeptical as anything. But at this point, there was no return. Either my iPod was done for or I suddenly had a free, DIY repair.

After using this site for tips on how to safely open my iPod (which was flawless, BTW), I did what was mentioned in the thread and took the hard drive and tapped it a few times. While I had it open, I wanted to see if this really did work. So I started my iPod up and it was ok. The next step was to hook it up to my computer and do the real test. While the original message that my iPod was corrupted did pop up on screen again, I still chose to restore it. This time it worked like a charm! My iPod was recognized by my computer for the first time and something just worked!

It sounds ludicrous to actually open up a piece of machinery and just slap around the what-was-thought-to-be super-sensitive hard drive. But you know what, it works!

So if you ever come across this kind of behavior with your iPod or someone else's, this is the trick! Now hopefully this is a somewhat reliable fix that lasts for a few months. As to how long this remedy lasts is unknown. But it immediately saves you some cash on something that really shouldn't be such a problem. Who would've thought that something that seems like the be-all-end-all for your iPod could be repaired so easily? This is truly a blessing... at least in the short-run!

Huge props goes out to ilounge.com and everyone who's a part of the site!

Stayin' busy but being free, simultaneously?

Here's some shorties for y'all, especially since everyone's been wondering, "What's going on with foocow?!" Hmm... something like that! :P

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The Wrens came to town last weekend and it was actually one of the best shows I have been a part of. While the vocals were not in the mix way up front (where I was), the music was still there and so was the performance. This is band that consists of late 30, early 40-somethings and they bring the energy like kids half their age. It was pretty intense. Mediocre pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foocow/sets/72157594300907490/

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The live draft for my fantasy hockey league was insane. I have never been a part of a live draft before so it was a learning experience, as well as a lesson in awareness. All managers had 90 seconds to pick players and before you knew it, it was your turn to have your take at the remaining players in the pool. I did fairly well, though, coming out with a few big names as well as some repeaters from last season. Here's what my roster will look like on opening day:

CENTER

Robert Lang - DET - I had him for a sizable chunk of the '03-04 season and he really came through. He started out with Washington, I believe, then moved to Detroit midseason and really took form. Hopefully he's not getting up there with age and can still provide great stats in the assists department as well as the power play.
Jeff Carter - PHI - one of the "lower-class" rookies from last season that was outshined by the rest of the rookie class that included Ovechkin, Crosby, and Phaneuf. The tag team of him and Mike Richards should provide some good numbers on the power play in Flyerdom and he should have a pretty standard season for a wishy-washy team.
Ryan Getzlaf - ANA - There was a nice write-up in The Hockey News about the drafting and rookie class out of the Ducks from last year and this guy got a lot of buzz, so I'm really banking on him to turn it on with a team that has amazing potential for success in the West.

LEFT WING

Henrik Zetterberg - DET - One of the more consistent forwards in the game (definitely in the West) who will team up with Pavel Datsuk and have a tear on the opposition and make it hard to defend against such a great playmaker.
Mark Bell - SJ - Really benefitted from the rules changes last season and somehow came out on top in a terrible situation with Chicago. I remember there were a few times last season when I knew I lost weekly matches against a certain manager, simply because of this guy.

RIGHT WING

Marian Hossa - ATL - Of course I have to have a Thrasher on my squad... and what better of a player to have than the great Marian Hossa?! There's one thing that's certain about Hossa and that he will produce, no matter what. He's someone you can always count on to have some sort of say in the game.
Marian Gaborik - MIN - After his hold out from a few years ago, he hasn't quite materialized to be worth the hassle since. But with a new line-mate in Pavol Demitra, he's sure to produce some serious firepower in the great white north.
Colby Armstrong - PIT - Without a doubt Armstrong will go on an offensive slaughter with Sidney Crosby on his line. Anyone who will play with someone as gifted as Sid the Kid will benefit and Armstrong will be the go-to guy on this team when it's crunch time.

DEFENSE

Wade Redden - OTT - One of the top defenders in the game on one of the top teams in the league. Probably playing on a line with Andrej Meszaros, his plus/minus ranking will fly through the roof.
Zdeno Chara - BOS - It'll be questionble with him in Beantown this season, but he's sure to remain one of the top fantasy picks for defensemen. As a defender, he's still an offensive threat, and he's not afraid to get physical and rack up some penalty minutes.
Marek Zidlicky - NSH - I never intended to draft him, but at the time, I needed a sure-fire defenseman. I couldn't do any better and with him on a team as powerful as the Preds, you really can't go wrong. Not too bad.
Ed Jovanovski - PHX - There has been a lot of buzz about his signing in Phoenix in the offseason and I'm hoping that it's right. While he is aging, playing for Coach Gretzky, what's a better source of motivation for a player who can be an opposing offense's worst nightmare?
Niklas Kronwall - DET - Heir to the thone that is currently held by Nicklas Lidstrom. In the few games he played last year (as well as the Olympics), he displayed flashes of what's to come and this season will be his time to shine in Hockeytown.

GOALTENDERS

Mikka Kiprusoff - CGY - The cream of the crop when it comes to goalies. Last season's leader in shutouts. Last season's Vezina trophy winner. Possible contender for the MVP award. This guy is what kept the Flames afloat last year. He is a sure thing... at least I'm really hoping for it. I see no reason why to even be mildly considered about his status as one of the league's premier goalies.
Cristobal Huet - MON - Had one hell of a second half of the season. When Theodore was struggling, Huet siezed the opportunity and ran with it, subsequently causing Theodore's exit from Montreal. While there is wonder about his status about whether or not he is a one-hit-wonder, Huet has shown what he is capable of and I think he can shine throughout the season.
Mark Denis - TB - Talk about a gamble. He was the bee's knees when he was signed by Tampa early in the summer. After having a few rough seasons in Columbus, he finally gets the chance he's been looking for - to provide a reliable job in net and let the crazy offense of Tampa take over without worries. As opposed to their terrible situation last year, Tampa finally has an actual number one goaltender. Even if he isn't what everyone is making this guy out to be, he'll be getting a load of starts and providing stats when necessary.

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Project Runway's decision to go with a "final four" last week surely left some viewers with their mouths open. While some wonder why couldn't they boot someone, it is still a great remaining foursome to prove their worth. There's already talk about their Bryant Park shows and I'm staying away from those as much as possible. My pick for the winner? At this point, and because I love her personality, I say that Laura slays everyone and barely edges out Jeffrey. Michael Knight has the amazing potential to do some mindblowing fashion (yes, those two words can co-exist), I don't think he can pull through. And as for Uli, I'm just concerned that she's too much into patterns and "funness". We'll see. There are a few weeks ahead of us, and next week brings the much-loved reunion episode... can't wait!

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With PR and hockey taking over my life for the past few weeks, I am ashamed to admit that something got swept up in everything else... and that is the glory of Lost. Wednesday night at nine is the premier of the third season of this thrilling drama and I know I'll be glued to the television for sure. What will happen to the three who were captured? And the others - who exactly are they? And how will the rest of the survivors of Oceanic 815 deal with the loss of their three leaders - Jack, Sawyer, and Kate? And the arctic stuff at the end of season two?! Where will it start/stop?! I don't know, but I absolutely love cliffhangers and this show shells 'em out like no other.

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Thursday the fifth is opening day for the Atlanta Thrashers hockey season, and they'll start their campaign for the playoffs against hated division rivals Tampa Bay. Puck drops a little after seven, but I'm sure there will be a bunch of opening day theatrics in store for the fans and believers of Blueland. Do I even have to say how excited I am about the reality of another hockey season on the horizon? I mean, really?

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Slowly but surely that time of the year is creeping up on us. Halloween? Nope. The holidays? Nah. Coachella line-up speculation and rampant extreme rumors? Absolutely! While the line-up for the great desert event won't be announced until mid-February, ridiculous amounts of rumours (i.e. scrawlings on the bathroom walls of the Knitting Factory... in either NYC or LA!) will fly on the official message boards over at the Coachella website. Who will be the headliners in '07? There has been the perpetual thought that Billy Corgan is up to something in 2007... could this be it? Or will David Bowie and/or Portishead finally take the deserty by storm? And Gnarls Barkley played mid-day in the Gobi tent last year - could they make a triumphant return to close the Outdoor Theater in April? And we all know about Daft Punk's legendary set last time around... could they make a comeback and be the object of much swooning by, well, everyone? And is this the time for Boards of Canada to come out of their turquoise hexagon sun and reign supreme in the closing slot in the Sahara tent? Who knows?! But the rumors will circulate with much vigor in the coming weeks/months. I know I have my eyes open for something interesting.

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Wait, I've actually been listening to some new music, besides the same old rotation of Smashing Pumpkins and something from '01-'02?! You don't say? Here's what's tickling my fancy lately:

Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Darkel (JB Dunckel, from Air) - Darkel
Snowden - Anti-Anti

For years (and I do mean years), as a member of the Atlanta music scene, I've heard bits and pieces about Snowden. Did I ever really subscribe to any of it? Not so much. But after hearing "Black Eyes" on WRAS the other day (for probably the 10th time, at least), I thought that it would be a good time to actually see what the deal is with these local darlings. After listening to the disc for the first time today, I have to give it up to Jordan and Company for providing such a new touch on the scene 'round here. I've never been too satisfied with the bands around town, and Snowden really provides a sense of hope for others to succeed and pound out something valuable locally. And I've even seen that they will tour with the new bloggers' sensation, iForward Russia! (yes, I used an 'i' before Forward because I am lazy and don't want to take the time to find an inverted exclamation point... but then I still have the time to write this massive parenthetical... how odd), in the coming weeks/months (can't recall immediately). Maybe one of these days I'll be able to catch Snowden at their home base of the Earl in East Atlanta. We'll see. But kudos to them for making the Atlanta scene a little more sonically interesting.

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So much for keeping this short!

Oh, Jesusssss

- Cat Power was a good time. Chan behaved for the most part, the band sounded great, and she even did some stuff solo, which was a little unexpected. Although my pictures turned out terrible, I got a copy of the setlist... which did not include the off-the-cuff cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". Sounded weird, but quite stirring.



- Thrashers training camp opened on Friday, the 15th, and I was there in all of my glory. For the first time since April, I got to be feet away from the working Thrash, including Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, and Kari Lehtonen. I also got my sneak peek at new members of the squad and some of the kids in the lower ranks of the organization, including recent draft picks. Overall, it was awesome. It's not everyday that you have the opportunity to be this close to the players as they are playing... and to be able to do that, for free, is so amazing. There are more sessions of camp that go until the beginning of the season. For more info, check this out at the Thrashers' website.

- The Atlanta Spirit promo caravan came to town (i.e. Peachtree City) last nite and, needless to say, it was totally lame. Other events included appearances with head coach Bob Hartley, broadcaster Dan Kamal, and n00b Michael Garnett. I guess the caravan lost some members as there was NO ONE there last nite. Well, a bunch of PTC kids were there; Thrash was there; a few inflatables were set up. Unfortunately, that was the turn out. Now, granted, I can understand that the players/coaching staff are tied up with the start of the season, but at least have someone present from the team. Oh, and may I add that there was almost zero representation from the Atlanta Hawks? Yeah... well, I guess it's good to know that the priorities with the Atlanta Spirit in this part of town are with hockey. But the event as a whole was quite the letdown.

- Tonite marks the return of hockey to the Atlanta area as the Thrashers take to the ice, pre-season style, against the Florida Panthers at Phillips Arena. The lineup for the evening can be found here. It's reassuring that I'm also hearing that the student ticket prices are returning this season. I'll have my fingers crossed until we arrive at the box office that this deal still stands. The puck drops a little after 7PM.

- Project Runway is getting dicier and dicier. And I love it. How I love it. Kayne's obsessively bitchy character is finally removed from the show... and now we're left with four. And it seems that everything is gonna change... HOW SURPRISING. But, once again, how I love it. What I don't love is how there is not a new episode airing tonite. What I'm hesitant about loving are the clips/stills from all four designers' Bryant Park appearances... found elsewhere on the web. I have yet to involve myself in such things and I'm wondering how long I'll continue holding out. What I do love is a fourfour sum-up. Oh, Jesus!

Things going on this weekend:

- JapanFest at Stone Mountain Park. For what seems like the ump-teenth year, I'm missing out on it. Apparently it's a celebration of Japanese culture, which I am quite fond of, and I'm assuming that it's probably a great time of the year to make it out to Stone Mountain as well. Both excuses work for me, quite honestly.

- Paste Rock-n-Reel Festival at venues all over Atlanta. While it's been going on since Saturday, there are still some pretty noteworthy artists still performing, including the French Kicks (Sunday @ the Earl), Jose Gonzalez (Saturday @ the Earl), and The Wrens (Saturday @ the Variety).

- 80s revivalists Ladytron make their stop at the Variety Friday nite. Light and magic commence at 8PM.

- Big City Burlesque stops at the Punchline Comedy Club Saturday nite at 11PM. Granted, I found out about this yesterday and cannot do anything about it because my girlfriend and I are already going to see The Wrens that evening. But considering how we were looking forward to catching something burlesque during our summer trip to New Orleans, I guess this could work, too. Something about these kind of shows curiously appeals to me. It's not quite as goth or depressing as the Suicide Girls, so I guess that's a plus? It's good to know that there is a local burlesque troop though... for future reference.

- For the historians in the audience (myself included), there's a regrettable moment in Atlanta history being acknowledged this weekend. The 1906 Atlanta Race Riot set this city back what seemed like decades in its race relations department. Completely perpetuated by the local news media, several innocent African Americans were murdered due to local newspapers printing outrageous and wildly inaccurate stories about black men attacking, kissing, or even acknowledging white women. This weekend marks 100 years since that terrible stretch of days and there are numerous events around town that are remembering such a blight on the history of a seemingly progressive city in the Southern U.S. For more background on the events from 100 years ago and further info about what's going on, consult atlantaraceriot1906.org.

- For local Cowetans (ugh, myself included), there's the Coweta County Fair. If you're a fan of funnel cakes, bumper cars, the gravitron, and fair culture, this is the event for you. I know I'm hoping to make an appearance this weekend, if things work out alright.

And to speak frankly on the matter, I'm making a return up north during the first weekend of November. Carry on!

This Just In - Nothing Shocking! And other hockey tidbits...

Upon waking up this morning and trying to fumble my way around the networks, I saw a ticker on ESPN that mentioned that Islanders' fledgling goalie Rick DiPietro agreed to a 15-year contract. You know, considering the off-season that the Islanders had, I wasn't surprised in the slightest. I mean, that 10-year contract for Alexei Yashin has worked out so well for the team and rewarded a player who rightfully deserves each incentive. Riiiiight. And must not anyone forget about Smithgate, or How I Learned to Love My Back-up Goalie and Drop the Respected, er, Reknowned, er, Experienced (!) GM. Everything is getting mixed up in this once-respected franchise and that's a shame. At least all of these goof-ups are making it much easier to find a need to seprate my ties with the team. I can't even begin to imagine if they were my hometown team... oh, wait. Hmm.

--

It's only a few days before training camp opens for the local Atlanta Thrashers and am I getting stoked beyond belief. With things up in the air for this season (namely the a ownership struggles and my own worries of the status of student tickets), I'm unsure as to how much first-hand exposure I will have of my favorite team. In past years, there was never a concern or even the blink of an eye as to whether we would be able to get into a hockey game. Only up until last season was there a legitimate worry about whether weekend games would sell out or games against reputable teams would do the same.

To have the opportunity to observe the Thrash at their rawest moments is pretty awesome, I must admit. The best way to do such is to make a stop at the IceForum in Duluth starting Friday morning, the 15th of September. Attending the training camp sessions will be well-known players like Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa, recent additions like Steve Rucchin and Johan Hedberg, fan-favorites like Garnet Exelby and Jimmy Slater, and up-and-comers such as Alex Bourret and David Caruso. It's a great opportunity to get a sneak peak at the team and all involved with the decision-making process that is involved when determining the roster for the season opener next month. And for freaks like myself, I love trying to get autographs and great opportunities to take pictures of the guys in action up close and this is also an ideal place to do such. There are a bunch of fanatics (*cough*Nasty Nest*cough*) that go all out when it comes to these kind of happenings in the Thrashers world. It's just a neat time to get acclimated with hockey all over again and witness true professionals in an environment that is rarely found in sports.

--

It's also been quietly mentioned that Thrashers radio personality Billy Jaffe has departed the Thrashers for the more relaxed pastures of Long Island... hmm. Have fun dealing with Mr. Wang in between segments, Billy. It was nice knowing you!

Any word on the replacement? There's nothing but speculation at this point, but I suppose we can rule our OLN's/Versus' Ray Ferraro. He would, however, make an excellent replacement as he does bleed True Blue some. There is a hint that perhaps the Artful Odgers, Jeff Odgers to be exact, could suit the position. I know I'd love to see that 'stache on a regular basis... it'd be a hit for the in between period interviews and such. And I dunno how his english is, but I'd love to see Pasi Nurminen back in the Atlanta saddle with some position... and what better than announcer?! I guess that's a little too much to ask (either that or it's just nonsensical), but I love the Pasi-nator. Can't deny it, for sure.

Fixation Focus - Lily Allen

In case you couldn't discern from the subject from the previous post, I am quite caught up with Lily Allen. Hm, maybe that's not an accurate assessment... or even phraseology. Regardless, she tickles me the right way and for that I am relieved. You see, her album Alright, Still has only been released overseas and it appears that she is a force to be reckoned with in the UK... and rightfully so, if you ask me. This girl has an amazing talent that is captured through her witty and quite hilarious lyrics. The music styles explored on her album are diverse and packed with jams... seriously!

When I initially read up on her earlier this past summer, someone instantly popped in my head and that was Nellie McKay. Being quite the songwriter herself, McKay is actually really nuts when she performs and writes... often misquoting her own lyrics and her songs go from zero to sixty at an alarmingly quick pace. But this isn't the case with Ms. Allen. Not at all. Where McKay tends to stumble up on her theatrics, Allen makes up for it in sheer cuteness. Ok, and there's a bunch of FUN thrown into the mix.

Not being that eclectic in my listening habits, I haven't listened to someone who's been so comfortable with their lyrics as Lily Allen is. And to casually comment that her album is the perfect summer album doesn't even do the stuff justice. As it is September in Georgia, there are days when the temperatures can still get kinda high... but those days are fading fast. Realizing that, it seems like Lily Allen season is taking a backseat to the more cold, more dark, more sharp sounds that will make the winter season more bearable. But, with any good album, you'll find that these tracks still hold up even if there is a threat of cold rain for the next three months. The sun and light, breezy air definately doesn't hinder tracks like my personal favorite "Everything's Just Wonderful" or the what-should've-been summer anthem (had we been in London, this would've taken the cake, easily) "LDN". If you haven't done so already, it's time to familiarize yourself with this dollop of cuteness:

The myspace that started it all: http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic


Candy for the senses - Lily Allen on Top of the Pops 11/06/2006

Yeah, baby, yeah -- you're alright, still!

Tomorrow nite's the super-cool (fingers crossed!) Cat Power show at the Variety. We've gone over this before. Needless to say, I'm still excited and I'm anticipating it greatly. I'm thinking this show will either make or break my relationship with Chan Marshall. We'll see. And hopefully I'll bring in a camera... that's the thing about the Variety - you never know if you're gonna be able to sneak one in there and, if you do, whether you'll catch any flack once it's inside.

Also, Vincent finally got auf'd from last week's Project Runway. About time, I say. Never liked the guy from the get-go. Now that both he and Angela are gone, it's time to let the talent shine and not have to worry about any other weird moments of insanity to conflict with everyone else's skills. But now that I think about it, today's Monday... and we all know what that means - fourfour time!

In Thrashers news, with the signing of Kari Lehtonen (I want to say "yay!" but at the same time I'm quite hesitant to do so, imagining that my outburst will have some sort of effect on his groin, thus taking him out of the first half of the season), comes the quietly-mentioned departure of ECHL goaile juggernaut (hmm, or not) Adam Berkhoel. While I am somewhat sad to see Berkie take the high road to Buffalo, I must admit that I really don't care. Had Atlanta not had so much of a demon hellride in net last season, the average Atlanta fan (well, average in my circle, not average on the Atlanta street) would never know of Mr. Berkhoel. Same goes with Michael Garnett, but he was already higher on the depth chart... so at least he would've had a small 1"x1.5" headshot in the gamenite program.

What I am excited about, though, is the coverage that local prospect David Caruso is getting (recent article, for example). Granted, it's hockey coverage in Atlanta, but at least the guy is getting some press. Seems like the Wayne Chrebet of the Thrashers if you ask me... and, if you're a sports/football/NYJ fan, you know about Mr. Chrebet. We'll see how he pans out, but I completely welcome him with open arms. Could be a great story for Georgia/Atlanta hockey if he even makes a ripple in the organization, let alone a splash.

Oh yeah, let's not forget about fantasy hockey! It's looming on the horizon... and soon!

More to come tomorrow, scouts' honor!

Drum Licks and Hockey Sticks

OMG, gotta appreciate the rhyme scheme. RIIIIIGHT! My lack of wittiness is painful, this I know. At any rate...

Yeah, there's this rumor that there's a fantasy hockey league a-startin' in a few weeks. Well, cast aside the rumor, because this one's so solid that it's an e5, baby! Speaking in relation to the participants, an announcement is coming soon.

--

Lately I've been digging into my back catalogue of tunes from which I listened to years ago. It felt like sophomore year all over again when I pulled out The Breeders' Title TK and The Gloria Record's Start Here, but the record that's really coming into full swing is Unwound's Leaves Turn Inside You.



There's just something special with this album that makes it flow together so seemlessly. The whole project just seems like a test of the listener's palate. Two minutes' worth of a layering of single notes start the double album and that's when you begin to wonder what's about to happen... especially knowing the history of the band. As a more loud, in-your-face group that seemed to nightly kill audiences by their punkish approach, Unwound (hate to say it, but...) matured on their final masterpiece. Maturing ain't that bad, either, as can be figured out by giving this record a listen. Once you get past the bombarding of notes from opener "We Invent You", you begin to get a sense that, "Ok, I'm thinkin' this was worth it now," when "Look A Ghost" takes over and brings you to your knees. It's kinda fortunate that happens because it's less of a distance for your jaw to drop.

As a fan of other Unwound records (namely Repetition), this record caught everyone off guard. And rightfully so. Something like this just doesn't happen as if it were supposed to. A bunch of their previous song arrangements tend to start and stop on the dime and are dramatically punctuated. Leaves' tunes are more elegant, graceful, flowing ("Radio Gra" instantly comes to mind), but that doesn't mean that there is a lack of tension felt on the record either.

It's hard to believe that I missed this band before I could truly appreciate them. I'm sure we can all say that about something.

--

I also downloaded a copy of the latest Emily Haines solo effort, Knives Don't Have Your Back. Throughout my first few listens of the record, I really feel like that the problem here is that these "knives" won't have "your" (i.e. Ms. Haines') back.

Confession time, kids. I'm a pretty big fan of Metric. Shocker, right? Even though my girlfriend played the crap outta their first record, Old World Underground Where Are You Now?, I still find myself coming back to it every month or so because of its freshness and vivacity. And even though initially their last one appeared to be a "sweep-under-the-rug" effort, hearing Live It Out's stronger material live did the trick and makes the album more memorable than its predecessor. So when I heard that Emily was drinking from the same water that other influential "bandheads" were (i.e. Corgan, Amy Millan, Thom Yorke, Jenny Lewis, etc.), I genuinely got excited, just as I had about all the mentioned performers. Turns out I was bummed out with the end product... just like all of the other mentioned performers.

All I hope for from a true "solo" record is a beautifully crafted album that features great songwriting, dominating lyrics about something involving LIFE, and acoustic guitars... really. Nothing technological, nothing gimmicky, and absolutely nothing sleep-inducing. And this is where Emily falls into, unfortunately. With her, I didn't necessarily expect what I had just mentioned, but something along the lines of, "Hey, I put a bunch of thought into these older, crappy songs and then I put them in a rock tumbler and I came out with these gems... you know why? BECAUSE I CARE!"



Initially hearing "Our Hell" on her website, I got a little antsy. It was enough of a tease to form assumptions, but enough of a tease to really start chomping down at the bit and drool a little bit. The rest of the album just doesn't pan out like that as it often doesn't get off the ground. Which is a shame because she is a true character in Metric and that kind of personality doesn't even appear to touch the record. And maybe that's the entire point of releasing Knives. Desperate-for-attention piano tracks just doesn't do it for me for 10 tracks.

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton (featuring members of Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars) /// Knives Don't Have Your Back /// To be released 26 September, 2006

Your mom is SMALL MARKET

OK, so the league has been established and I'm looking for victims... err... players... for the league. I have room for 11 other managers to participate, and the live draft is on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 @ 11AM. If you won't be able to take part in such a thing, simply pre-rank the players who are the most "important" to you and see how the auto-picker works out for ya. I figured a mid-week draft right before lunchtime would work for most people. It shouldn't take any longer than 45 minutes, I believe. The only "catch" with the draft is that there needs to be an even amount of managers in the league. If I only have people, total, participating, the draft won't work and we'll need to hunt out for another recruit. But yeah, it's a head-to-head league and it'll be very straightforward once everything is all settled. Needless to say, I'm effing stoked. Here's the info for you addicts... er... the curious:

- Go to http://hockey.fantasysports.yahoo.com/hockey/ and sign up to participate in my league, appropriately titled "Is This Small Market Hockey?".
- Join an Existing Custom or Public League (which you'll want to choose "Custom League").
- Enter League ID # 30210 and password dellacamera (because, as we all know, he is the best-named announcer for the Thrashers).
- From there, I'm assuming (because I created the friggin' league) that you'll be able to come up with some witty team name (like mine, "Polska Kielbasa"), choose your avatar, and then probably play around with Yahoo!'s fantasy stuff and become comfortable with it. Please do, by the way, because this will consume your life until April... no lie.

Oh yeah! In case you haven't figured this out by now, you're gonna need a Yahoo! ID in order to sign up for the league! And you can do that here (assuming the link is correct).


Sign up for the league now, you gap-toothed fools!

Macaroni Art 101 - CLOSED!

I guess everyone's wishes came true last nite on Project Runway when Angela Kesslar was eliminated. I will have to admit, though, that it was one of the hardest eliminations I've seen. Upon creating their own "international jet-setting" outfits, the designers were flown to Paris to participate in a challenge overseas at Parsons Paris next week. But upon arrival to Parsons Paris, one of them was promptly auf'd from the show. And, actually, now that I think about it, there was no true "auf" this week because of there being no Heidi. WEIRD. Anyway, yeah, Angela was flown to Paris only to leave as soon as she arrived, basically. Kinda harsh if you ask me, but whatever. I really thought she'd ride the wave of consistently "getting by" as she has throughout most of the competition, save the INC win. I mean, c'mon, rosettes/"fleurchon" on the ass? How long do you think that kind of stuff will be tolerated by the judges? Whatever... good riddance? Eh... I've been feeling mildly sorry for her during any kind of debate that ensues with Jeffrey. But am I really sad to see her away from the show? Not so much. Not every female contestant on the show can be the one and only Alison Kelly after all.

--

About the local weather - could it be any better out there today?



Sure, there could be a little more sun, but the nice, consistent clouds bring down the temps and that's ok by me. Granted, I won't be out that much... but when I will be out, it won't be suicide as soon as I get into my car or walk out of the house. The summer weather is alright for about a week and then I'm all ready for everything to cool down a bunch. Keep the temperatures at a safe 70 degrees all year and I'm ecstatic.

--

Found something interesting a day or two ago. This popped up on the Thrashers website and it really intrigues/interests me. Could be fun, could be lame, could be whatever. More to come on this, I'm sure. From what it looks like in Athens and Greenville, SC, it looks like it's worth an afternoon/evening stop... especially if it's coming to the Newnan/PTC Thrashers stronghold... ha! I remember the Falcons having something in Newnan a month or two ago... if it's anything like that, I'll be into it for an hour or so. We'll see. Hopefully there will be a player's appearance or two. Scheduled stops of the Atlanta Spirit Promo Caravan, that features the Thrashers and thrilling Hawks:

Aug. 30- Athens, GA
Aug. 31- Greenville, SC
Sept. 6- Chattanooga, TN.
Sept. 7- Rome, GA
Sept. 12- Newnan/Peachtree City, GA
Sept. 19- Macon, GA
Sept. 27- Columbus, GA
Oct. 19- Birmingham, AL

--

And speaking of the Thrash, tickets for the upcoming season go on sale 10AM on Wednesday, September 6th. There's an Internet-only pre-sale going on at the ever-wonderful ticketmaster.com, so you know. I already secured my tickets for the season opener and the season finale games, which is appearing to be tradition at this point... and what's wrong with that?

"Image is everything..."

Growing up as a kid, I sincerely have (at least) one thing I would like to thank my parents for - tennis. It's the only way I've truly encountered competitiveness, aggressiveness, and camaraderie simultaneously. I constantly remember trying to be the best every week for my Sunday ladder matches. I recall wanting to throw it all away because I never rose to my own almighty standards - how shocking, right? Anyway, to say that tennis played a major role in my adolescent life is an understatement. While I always anticipated each spring in high school because of competitive tennis, I still realized that something like this was about to end and that I'd have a hard way of trying to renew something I had such passion for.

All that aside, I have to admit that I'm getting quite reminiscent of the recent headlines about Andre Agassi's retirement after this year's US Open. Growing up in New York, two things that always went together were tennis and summer, without a doubt. There was never separating the two. And on top of that, nothing really signalled the end of summer like the US Open did. And, if you're a tennis fan/player/etc. in the metropolitan New York area, you know that the US Open is your tournament. There's a part of you that really gets caught up in it and you really can't explain it to someone else who doesn't have the same level of intensity as you with regard to this topic. Being separated from that environment for six years now, I can't deny that that part of me has definitely taken a backseat and I have passed it over for other summer happenings... mainly the first few weeks of the fall semester. Now that I'm finally out of school, I can go back to where my energy once was.

Ok, long story short - I'm really feeling this year's US Open because of the whole Agassi thing. There was a time in American tennis that it was dominated by two figures that, despite whatever rankings said at the time, never disappeared from the thoughts of American and/or international tennis fans - the duel that was Agassi vs. Pete Sampras. I grew up a Sampras kid, ever since he won his first major at Flushing Meadows in 1990. By default, I had to despise Agassi's overexpressive style and showmanship... and skill. That's what made a rivalry - and that's what lasted for the duration of the 1990s. It seems as if every generation has some kind of tennis rivalry existing and this was mine. Currently, there is nothing resembling the sort. It makes you wonder if tennis in the United States is even a priority anymore. All anyone hears about is Andy Roddick and that's the be-all-end-all of American tennis, which, if you ask me, is sad. Granted, Roddick's play is dominant, but there is no one else other there to provide some kind of unifying element in this country concerning tennis. Agassi/Sampras did exactly that. Sure, others like Michael Chang and Jim Courier added to the mix of American tennis and made it even more dominant of a force in the world, but Agassi/Sampras reigned supreme. And this year's US Open truly signifies the end of that era, even if Sampras retired years ago. One of the critical figures of my childhood has gotten older, getting rusty (really, knowing his career, is that even applicable to Andre?), and is hanging up his racket to put a priority on family life and probably the [GASP!] senior circuit of men's tennis in this country.

I mean, if you really want proof of the impact of the Agassi/Sampras rivalry on the culture of our society during its hay-day, look at this commercial from 1995 that features the two dueling it out in the middle of a New York street and the New York City crowd just soaking it up:

(Note: YouTube won't allow embedding of the clip onto my site for some reason, but the link is here, and I highly suggest you watching it... its like a microcosm of their relationship with themselves and the fans as well)

I just have so many memories of the US Open and I really wish I could've been able to make it there just once. I went during one of the free practice sessions the year the Arthur Ashe Stadium opened and I was able to witness Sampras and Courier warming up in there as the crew was putting the finishing touches on the complex... but I wish I was able to appreciate the true atmosphere of the event. I remember that whenever my family would drive into the city from Long Island, we would always pass the site of the World's Fair, the National Tennis Center, and Shea Stadium. I would always marvel at the size of the then-center court, Louis Armstrong Stadium. And then to actually be within the newest, largest tennis stadium EVER (well, to me) left me awe-struck and speechless. Moments like that you'll never forget.

And then there are the players that make a tournament like that so memorable. Men like Boris Becker, Michael Chang, Tomas Muster, Stefan Edberg, Jimmy Connors, Goran Ivanisevic, etc. and women like a young Lindsay Davenport, Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, etc. had so many crazy matches that it really is hard to pick out some defining ones. But as a kid, I soaked it all in and had my daydreams of playing there one day and wanting to be a ballboy for the tournament. There is without a doubt that, even though I was against him in every aspect, that Andre Agassi played a role in all of this. Without his presence in the battles between he and Sampras, there probably wouldn't have been much of an American scene in tennis during the 1990s. But it's always this time of the year that really forces me to want to play as much as possible and still aim to be just like Sampras or return a serve just like Agassi. It's just hard to believe that a formative figure such as Agassi is going to be gone from the competitive tennis scene for good.

For his career, for his attitude, for his rebelliousness, and for everything that I just couldn't stand (especially those Nick Bollettieri instructional videos!), I salute you, Mr. Agassi, and I am quite appreciative of what you have offered to the tennis world and to this country's tennis scene.

Nitemare of my life?

I'm taking Vincent's words and applying them to his win on last nite's Project Runway. I really don't feel that it was justified in the slightest. He's lucky he had one of the few truly beautiful "models" in Uli's mother and that his simple idea translated well. Try that dress on Angela's mom and see how it works out.

Ok, dumb thing to say, but I'm just slightly bitter about his win. Robert's auf? Not so much. Vincent's triumph? Yeah, kinda. I'm gonna go out there and say it - I don't like the guy. I'd rather have Malan still hang around with his awkward accent and emo personality than Vincent's eccentricities and flat out WEIRDNESS. He did impress the judges last nite but he in no way "wowed" them to the point that he could've been declared the winner. And who's to say that editing didn't play a role in that? Regardless, his design aesthetic doesn't impress me in the slightest. Same goes for Angela, but she's more of a cockroach as compared to Vincent... somehow.

Who really should've won last nite was Uli. Her use of patterns and how she really designs around them IS impressive. The same can be said about her garment for Kayne's mom. It really suited the client well and Uli was able to show off her talents again. ATL did a great job on his outfit for Robert's sister, but I felt it awkward to have him win #3 in a row. Austin Scarlett almost did that at the beginning of Season 1 and I don't think ATL is there just yet. Close, but not quite.

Jeffrey, while initially was alright, is kinda getting under my skin. Him constantly going after Angela is alright with me because, like Vincent, she should've been gone a while ago (and maybe Jeffrey should be grouped in with them?), and she kinda deserves it with her poof skirts and her goddamned rosettes. But the treatment he gave to her mother was just uncalled for. You just don't do that to someone else's family, period. I should've figured the guy out from the get-go when he completely randomly labelled Angela "femi-nazi" in episode 2.

Now it's time to countdown to Monday and fourfour's take on this week's episode.

Thrashalicious!

So who thinks this season is the year of the Thrash? Well, us Atlanta hockey fans are pretty much tired of hearing such talk as it has become a perpetuation of the expectations of a team that is in its seventh year of existence and has yet to make a dent in the post-season. Everyone thought that last year was the team's best chance to really push forward in the standings. And you know what? It really was. Bringing in the veteran leadership of Bobby Holik and Scott Mellanby was there to help the team be stable. The enigmatic departure of Dany Heatley brought one of the game's most elite players, Marian Hossa, to town to be a replacement, which eventually lead Hossa to establishing his own deep roots in the hearts of fans and the organization. And Kari Lehtonen was supposed to be the big deal in between the pipes. Defence really was not relied upon because, well, why do that if you have one of the future top three netminders in the league, right? Same goes with finding a reliable backup goaltender (enter Mike Dunham).

Eh, nothing ever goes according to plan. Yeahhhh.

The so-called "New NHL" (thanks Darren Eliot, and the majority of the hockey world, seriously... we definitely didn't hear enough of that) took its early toll on the vets and those who weren't suited to the faster rendition of the game (i.e. Modry, often dubbed as "Slodry"). Atlanta was a tough place to get used to for someone like Hossa, who was such a presence in the Ottawa Senators' lineup for years. And then there was Kari. Or was it Dunham? Or Garnett? Berkhoel? SHIELDS? There was no end to the Thrashers' goalie depth charts, it seemed. Things either didn't work out as was hoped, stability was never a sure thing, and leave it to a bunch of AHL/ECHL kids to do the work of NHLers. Granted, Michael Garnett somehow found a groove mid-season and held the Thrash up on two blades and played his heart out, including being the only goaltender in Atlanta history to post consecutive shutouts. Unfortunately, AHL development doesn't immediately spring greatness and "the next big thing".

And now we turn to this year. All anyone's heard about with regard to Atlanta is the seemingly-rapid departure of part of the power-play arsenal, center Marc Savard. Being too much to afford (which is still a little out of hand, if you ask me), Savard didn't bat an eye on July 1st when he unhesitantly signed on the dotted line with Boston. Well, maybe that didn't make much news because of Savard's play... not so much the scoring aspect (moreso play-making), but because of his sluggish responses to the opponent's opposition (i.e. not a good defensive forward) or because of his poor decisions with his play (i.e. penalties!). What everyone seems to be leaning on this summer in Atlanta is the status of Kari's abilities. We all know what he is capable of. Refer to the four games late in '03-'04 that Kari displayed dominance in for that. Or his 20-15-0 record after he returned from groin injury December 30. Or his great record in shootouts, in which he went undefeated in five appearances. So with all that we know about Kari's abilities, can he finally come through this year and really provide the team with the opportunities it needs to really make a play at being one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference come April?



The AJC recently published an article about Kari's work ethic this summer and it really seems that this kid (who's only 22, remember) is becoming quite the crutch for this team. Is such a thing too much to ask though? He was supposed to explode onto the scene last season. He ended up blowing the opportunity, only lasting one period in the first game of the season in Florida. Yes, there is a lot of pressure on him and, yes, he is due some of it. But the rest of the team has to up the ante.

Once again, everyone in town thought the organization achieved such a goal by acquiring Holik, Dunham, and journeyman sniper Peter Bondra. All either spent an amount of time catching up to the rest of the league in terms of style of play, enduring injuries, or not meeting any expectations what-so-ever (yeah, and thank you, Mr. Dunham).

This season the team chose the more frugal route, especially after the spending spree of inking Ilya Kovalchuk and the acquisitions of Hossa, Holik, Greg deVries, and the incentives in Bondra's contract. Deciding to secure the goalie depth chart, Johan Hedberg and Fred Brathwaite hopefully will provide the insurance to mainman Lehtonen in case the guy loses a leg and an arm mid-season. Others brought into the fold include forwards Glen Metropolit (who's already a favorite of mine with that amazing last name), Jason Krog (in a close second behind Metropolit), Kyle Wanvig, and Darren Haydar (who I'm hoping makes the team because of what I've read about him and his Nashville perils). Reliable (to an extent) center Steve Rucchin is also the supposed replacement of Savard, but we'll see how that pans out. I remember Rucchin being a playmaker in Anaheim during their cup run a few years ago... hopefully he can return to that kind of a stature.

There's also a bunch of talk about the prospects in the Thrashers' system. With the surprise emergence of Jim Slater last season, it makes you wonder if there are any other candidates to be considered for the unofficial Thrashers Rookie of the Year title. Without a doubt, Slater took that title with his gritty style of play. Next in line could be Alex Bourret or Braydon Coburn, with some wishful thinking going towards recent draft pick Bryan Little or Boris Valabik, who I heard had a fantastic prospect camp last month.

It'll definitely be interesting to see how everything looks in a month after the start of the season. Or the first half. Or come April. While the playoff race was exciting last year, hopefully it'll be even more exciting knowing that the Thrash will finally make it in in '05-'06.

--

Speaking of new acquisions to the Thrashers squad, their website has a profile on newcomer Niko Kapanen. Check it out here: http://www.atlantathrashers.com/View.aspx?CID01=8dc9fea9-bd39-4d20-946d-d2dff87f839a

--

Oh, and lastly, Yahoo! has finally opened its fantasy hockey floodgates for the upcoming season! Anyone interested partaking in a league should let me know as I either plan on setting one up in the coming weeks or find a suitable commissioner for a league. I've had a blast doing it the past two seasons and I'm incredibly eager to get back into the obsession that is fantasy sports. It definitely won't be a repeat of last season for me, though. I just have a feeling Sidney Crosby won't be around in the later rounds of the draft (like last season, who would've thought?) and that Alexander Ovechkin won't go undetected in the draft (like last season as well, but no one expected him to shine as bright as he did... and subsequently will, as he is the real deal). I'll keep y'all posted on the status of this year's league.

For more on fantasy hockey, hockeybuzz blogger Adam Poirier recently wrote up a concise "how-to" for those uninitiated into the realms of fantasy hockey here: http://v2.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=2669

She Sends... Tourdates?

Yep, that's right, I just got word that New Jersey indie darlings The Wrens will be in town at the Variety on September 23 as part of the somewhat mysterious Paste Rock 'n Reel Festival. Having seen The Wrens before, I know that they are the real deal live. When they finally came around to Atlanta a few months (maybe even a year) after the release of the brilliant, seven-years-good The Meadowlands, they were true professionals on stage and solely relied on each other to send the music through the Echo Lounge. I never saw a setlist and the band played for what seemed like over two hours. After the show, all four members stuck around for quite a while in the crowd just talking to everyone. While looking over the merch to see what they had to offer, their merch girl mentioned that we should buy a shirt. Not having enough money at the time, she just decided that, since we hung around long enough and got the band to sign a poster of their's, we were worthy enough and just handed us two shirts. We weren't even pouting about not having a shirt, she just gave us some! Ridiculous. You'd think that with that kind of attitude, they were over-supplied in the t-shirt department in Secaucus or something. Either that or that members of the Wrens camp are pretty genuine. Whatevs.

Regardless, I'll be there and everyone else should make the effort for the gig, too.

The Wrens, Now It's Overhead, Bain Mattox, & two others @ the Variety Playhouse - Saturday, September 23 @ 7PM

Oh yeah, and there's that show Project Runway...

Now that I realized I forgot to even mention a word about last week's episode, I'll leave y'all with this (and a link, because the commentary on the episode is PRICELESS):

Hm... Updates on a Blog?

Yeah, as the subject indicates (or, at least, I hope it does), I saw the critically-acclaimed cinema-thriller Snakes on a Plane. I really can't deny it, or the fact that the movie's basically the Rocky Horror for the current blog generation. I can only imagine theaters being rented out by blogspot alum and holding massive showings for SOAP... and what a great acronym that is, BTW. Never before have I experienced a movie like Snakes or even a viewing of a movie. I really had zero expectations going into it, and that was strictly movie-related. The crowd was questionable beforehand. Were there going to be tons of internet nerds there taking it in or were we going to be the only ones present? It was reassuring that the theater was 80% full and that it wasn't full of bloggers. You could pick out the bloggers during the credits though, during the showing of Cobra Starship's "Snakes on a Plane", that features a "snakes on a blog" shout-out. All bloggers were on their way out afterward and then the video aired and everyone just stood and acted like they were at your typical indie rock show, myself included actually. You know how it is - arms crossed, single foot tapping along to the beat, and whispering about the video and how it would've been enhanced if the ensemble had on white belts. But such is life.

The movie itself was pretty craptactular, but I had a great time watching it. There's poor acting, poor casting (with the exception of Samuel L. and David "WHAMMY!" Koechner), zero plot, even less follow-through, etc. But that's what made it what it was. I never think the movie was due anything spectactular or monumental. With a title like Snakes on a Plane, it's not that difficult to follow the premise. Regardless, as I said, it was great watching with a bunch of other people who really got into the public viewing. People threw rubber snakes in the air whenever there was a crazy snake scene. Others wore stuffed snakes around their necks to the movie. It was nuts. For a small moment, I felt like I was at a Star Wars premier. It's a cult movie without a doubt.

In other news, it's great to finally have a breath of fresh air and just relax for a day. You see, my parents have been out of town all week and for the first part of that week, I went up to Vogel State Park with a few buddies for three days... talk about fresh air. Did some nice hikes, some grilling, and some game time. Considering I never do anything like go to the mountains, chill out, and do outdoors stuff (i.e. hiking), it was a very nice change of pace.

So now I'm stuck trying to catch up with stuff that I might've missed while I was either out of town or too busy taking care of the house and working, etc. Mostly I'm trying to figure some hockey-related happening out, mostly the news of Mr. Malkin making his grand escape from his Russian team to come and play for the NHL this season. There's also the rumor of Jason Allison coming over to the Thrashers to be the "true" replacement for the departed Marc Savard, as opposed to the older Steve Rucchin. And I'm also attempting to dissect the recent acquisition of Vitaly Vishnevski to the Thrash's defensive corps.

And not that Yahoo! News is the most reliable source, I found a mention of it on some website a couple of months ago and never heard anything more about it. Then I searched it up and came across a bunch of info (i.e. rehashed) on quite a few sites. Aside from the fact that the Smashing Pumpkins are "back together", they are in studio recording SOMETHING, and that original Janes Addiction bassist Eric Avery could be in the mix.

Lastly, my much-beloved members of Verbena are doing something. Well, at least one of them. Ex-Verbena frontman Scott Bondy will be releasing a solo album later this year with Superphonic Records. You can hear some of his songwriting on his myspace, but I'm unsure of those tracks will make it onto the finished product. Sounds like great news! And it shouldn't go without mentioning that Les Nuby (drummer) is working on material for his own thing, too. But at this time, there are no songs on his myspace... weird.

Two awesome shows just announced last week:

Broken Social Scene @ the Variety Playhouse - Friday, October 20
Dresden Dolls @ the Variety Playhouse - Tuesday, October 23

When I saw BSS a few years ago at the Echo Lounge, they played a great set that featured opening band Stars, who I completely fell in love with from that moment on. I've been craving to see BSS since that show, and I'm happy to know that they are gonna be back in town. And my exposure to the Dresden Dolls at Coachella in 2005 really smothered my crappy expectations of the band. I couldn't believe how great their stage presence was and how much of a showman their drummer is. I'm considering on making it to this show, but we'll see. I already have my BSS tickets though. :)

TV Stuffs - PR, Lost, and the Thrash

Crazy happenings in my realm of television today.

Fifth episode of Project Runway was quite a change from the ordinary. Models picking designers, models determining designers' designs. However, the weakest link (that being really nutty and close-to-alien Bradley) got the auf for the week, with Michael ATL winning a much-deserved challenge. For a while, I thought Bravo was milking the drama by focusing so much on the show's silent weapon. But things worked out in the end and ATL rocked it. Really good episode tonite.

That was followed up by my own showing of the second season finale of Lost, a show that I recently fell in love with. I was initially skeptical of the show from the very beginning and having friends obsessed with it really didn't help me come onto it. Watching a few season one episodes was ok, but hard to follow simply because I didn't know enough story. Starting from the very first episode, however, I slowly get immersed in everyone's world (everyone being all the characters on the show) and got my heart tugged every which way during the season one finale and the raft-Walt-Vincent-Shannon scene. Ever since then, the show's become quite the addiction for me and that statement really couldn't be farther from the truth. The damned show has everything in there to make it so effin' good. And now that I've watched every episode in preparation for the premier of season three (October 4th, if you're interested), the show still amazes me with its constant twists and turns. For those who either are unfamilar with the show (and shame on you if you are) or not caught up, I won't reveal any spoilers, but you might as well put "WTF?!" on your forehead with a Sharpie marker because that's the point where I'm at with it. I've read theories and I've heard discussions, and I'm still thrown for a loop. The fact that a show can do that and is constantly creative week after week is head-scratching.

And lastly, the NHL released it's nationally televised schedule on Wednesday. This excites me because of the exposure that the Thrashers are going to get. There was only one Thrash game on NBC all season (and that was the home finale in April) and maybe two games on OLN (which is now Versus Network, BTW) if I remember correctly. Well, I guess someone's interested in the team because there are a bunch of games on some key networks for the upcoming season. And considering NBC's coverage of the season and the post-season, I'd say that if I can't make it to those games on those nites, I really won't be disappointed. But with John Davidson leaving broadcasting for the Blues organization (and I really do wish him and that team the best of luck in '06-'07), I wonder who will fill such a void... and, if I can recall, I think JD was a part of those games on the national schedule, not just metro NYC's MSG network for the Rangers. At any rate, here are the Thrashers' nationally televised games for the '06-'07 season:

On Versus (ex-OLN):

Mon., November 6 - vs. Boston
Mon., February 26 - @ Boston
Mon., March 12 - vs. Washington

On NBC:

Sun., January 28 - vs. Philadelphia
Sun., March 4 - vs. Carolina

Info courtesy of NHL.com's Thrashers Team Schedule