Monday, November 28, 2005
Monday Musings: A Chilly Grey Cup Weekend
It was a cold, but exciting Grey Cup weekend here in Vancouver. The home side didn't make the big game, but the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes and Pamela Anderson provided enough highlights. Edmonton won 38-35 in overtime in an exciting finish that you just would never see in the NFL's overhyped version of our Grey Cup.
(and another lesson: never leave the game early!)
First things first, though...My jaw is still sore from dropping it on the floor after seeing the Acid Queen's favourite defenseman, Marek Malik, score the most beautiful shootout goal I have ever seen.
(Video Clip Link)
That goal is sweet...but MAREK MALIK?? Not only does he totally shock the hell out of the universe, but then he adds a rather "Yeah, I've done this before" celebration at the end.
---
Back to the Grey Cup, you know you are going to get more than a few bozo's when you pack a huge dome full of (mostly) male fans and allow them to purchase alcoholic beverages.
Some observations from the weekend...
Grey Cup Parade: How do you know if it's a CANADIAN parade? Bagpipes! I guess Canadian police units need an excuse to wear skirts/kilts, because there must have been 10 different bagpiping bands. Does anyone like the bagpipes? Do Scottish people like bagpipes?
Biggest visiting fan presence: Saskatchewan. I guess there isn't much else to do in Regina, so the whole town packs up and visits the Grey Cup city. Not only where there many Roughrider fans, but many of them tended to be quite whacko. Who else would cut a watermelon in half and wear it as a helmet? On the flip side, I didn't see one single Ottawa Renegades fan (not like that team has much to cheer for)
Pamela Anderson: She's looking really old all of a sudden.
The biggest and slowest looking lineup in BC Place had to be for the ATM machine. Really, shouldn't you know better and take out money before the game? At $1.25 or $1.50 a pop, the company that runs those private ATM's must have made a fortune last night.
Paper Airplanes: It felt like an inner-city highschool with 1,000 paper airplanes flying around. Did you come to watch the airplanes or watch the game? Seeing parents letting their kids throw these things was quite annoying. Have some balls and smack your kid around if they do crap like that! There was almost 0 usher and police presence in the stands, so fans were getting away with a lot of crap.
The Beachball: If it ever comes to me, I am going to pop it. It never did get anywhere near our section, so I didn't get to be a hero.
The Wave: 0 for 2, thankfully.
Half-time concerts: Overrated. The Black-Eyed Peas put on a decent performance, but only the cheerleaders surrounding the little stage and people watching at home on TV could actually see anything. The fans in the stands aren't going to get a lot of enjoyment, especially since sound echos a lot at BC Place. On the plus side, the music wasn't so polished and it sounded real and not lip-synched.
Speaking of cheerleaders, Edmonton's were far hotter than any other city's...good uniforms, too.
Despite of all of this, the weekend was fun and quite successful for the fans, the league, and the Eskimos. It turned out much better than hosting the NHL All-Star game, which is very corporate in comparison and not nearly as much fun.
(and another lesson: never leave the game early!)
First things first, though...My jaw is still sore from dropping it on the floor after seeing the Acid Queen's favourite defenseman, Marek Malik, score the most beautiful shootout goal I have ever seen.
(Video Clip Link)
That goal is sweet...but MAREK MALIK?? Not only does he totally shock the hell out of the universe, but then he adds a rather "Yeah, I've done this before" celebration at the end.
---
Back to the Grey Cup, you know you are going to get more than a few bozo's when you pack a huge dome full of (mostly) male fans and allow them to purchase alcoholic beverages.
Some observations from the weekend...
Despite of all of this, the weekend was fun and quite successful for the fans, the league, and the Eskimos. It turned out much better than hosting the NHL All-Star game, which is very corporate in comparison and not nearly as much fun.
Comments:
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$1.25 or $1.50 a pop to use the ATM??
You should feel lucky! Sometimes we pay service charges upwards of $4 US for a transaction at an ATM.
You're right, though. By now, people should know not to use the ATM at sporting events. Especially one of that size.
You should feel lucky! Sometimes we pay service charges upwards of $4 US for a transaction at an ATM.
You're right, though. By now, people should know not to use the ATM at sporting events. Especially one of that size.
Malik's goal was a moment for the little guys! (so to speak)
I watched Kelly Hrudy on HNIC After Hours and being the poor goalie that he is... actually brought out the rulebook and read the rule that explains that the puck must always maintain FORWARD momentum. The move where Malik pulled back between the legs was BACKWARD.
Technically - he's right. (but dopey)
Kelly said he's going to continue to bring the issue up on TV. This would make a second shootout goal this year where the rules are at issue. Let's see if the NHL will get their shootout rules straightened out and add replay while they're at it.
I watched Kelly Hrudy on HNIC After Hours and being the poor goalie that he is... actually brought out the rulebook and read the rule that explains that the puck must always maintain FORWARD momentum. The move where Malik pulled back between the legs was BACKWARD.
Technically - he's right. (but dopey)
Kelly said he's going to continue to bring the issue up on TV. This would make a second shootout goal this year where the rules are at issue. Let's see if the NHL will get their shootout rules straightened out and add replay while they're at it.
# posted by 
: 6:22 pm
: 6:22 pm
Hrudey's just upset that it wasn't a Leaf that pulled that move off. /rolleyes
The way the rule has been interpreted is that if the player is still in control of the puck and heading in the general direction of the goal, then the requirement that the puck be going forward is still satisfied.
It'd be as if I were running toward the stern of a ship that's moving forward in the water. Even though I am technically moving "backward", I am still on the ship, the ship is moving forward, and therefore I am moving forward myself.
The way the rule has been interpreted is that if the player is still in control of the puck and heading in the general direction of the goal, then the requirement that the puck be going forward is still satisfied.
It'd be as if I were running toward the stern of a ship that's moving forward in the water. Even though I am technically moving "backward", I am still on the ship, the ship is moving forward, and therefore I am moving forward myself.
Us Scots would have given up on the bagpipes long ago if it wasn't for the lucrative North American export market that keeps our economy buoyant.
# posted by : 2:15 am
: 2:15 am
If I ever have a son, I'm naming him Hamish (even though I have not a single drop of Scottish blood in me that I'm aware of). That's such a great name.
Right on with the beach balls. I popped the first one that came to me at a ball game this year and no more came close. I wasn't a hero though. In fact, I was roundly booed. Sorry everyone else, I didn't pay to see beach balls in front of me, I paid for the game.
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# posted by : 1:50 pm
: 1:50 pm << Home
