There is a God!

Somehow in my quest to actually do work at work and not surf the interwebs all day, I missed the glorious news that is Sean Avery and Elisha Cuthbert splitting up! A Big Thanks to Bitchany who posted it at her blog.

According to OK! Magazine, the two have split after 2-years together and some sources speculate that Elisha "I'm-a-bag-lady-at-heart" Cuthbert was the one who broke it off. Some sources *ahem* falsely *ahem* state that Aves was hitting on Paris Hilton, but we all know that Sean would never double dip with Jose Theodore. (If you couldn't tell, I get my news from very reliable sources.)

I could have sworn that Elisha and Sean were engaged and apparently so did this website. I went in search of more sources citing the split and could only find the National Ledger but the article is citing OK! Magazine. I have no idea how reliable OK! Magazine is so I can only hope that it reports the truth!

So what will my douchey-cocky ex boyfriend do now that he's single? Well, he could go back to being Cammy's wingman, spend his millions on a new haircut, buy The Code and read about why turtling is not very respectable, buy self-help books since his ego was severely bruised by Glen Sather, or hire JR as a life coach in order to help him deal with organizations that call you out and guide him into an acting career after hockey. Sean has so many options for life without Elisha. Let's just hope he stays away from those nasty broads who claim to be in showbiz.

Hockey Movies

While everyone is counting down till the start of preseason, I have my sights set on the regular season. I think the preseason is just a bit better than the NFL preseason but it's still a time for the young'uns to prove themselves and the outcome of the games rarely seem to predict what will happen in the regular season. The Kings faired pretty well last preseason and I got my hopes up way too high. This time I'm not going to get my hopes at all if the Kings do well.

The regular season begins in just over 5 weeks. I have just over 5 weeks to enjoy a hockey-less life. The past couple months were filled with submittals, resubmittals, fretting over exam results (which I came to find out was quite stressful), and prepping for a presentation at work that my boss so graciously and quickly volunteered me to do. I found out last week, with work-related items slowing down, that I'm kind of bored when I get home. With the exception of the occasional trip to the gym or run around the block, cooking, and a sporadic craft-filled evening, I usually just slump onto the couch with a bowl of cereal or plate of eggs with bacon for dinner and watch King of the Hill reruns with the BF.

Last week I finally re-watched The Cutting Edge. Even though I fell asleep towards the end of the movie (but trust me it's really fun to watch, I was just way too tired to stay awake), I realized that I need to watch or re-watch all the hockey movies ever made (in English). This website has a list of hockey movies and I'll take their word that it encompasses all hockey movies. The list includes:

• Les Boys
• D2: The Mighty Ducks
• D3: The Mighty Ducks
• The Mighty Ducks
• Miracle
• MVP: Most Valuable Primate
• Mystery, Alaska
• Net Worth
• The Rhino Brothers
• The Rocket
• Slap Shot
• Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice
• Sudden Death
• Youngblood

I've never even heard of Les Boys and it's in French (not surprised given the title). According to the IMDB plotline, it explores the male world through an amateur hockey team.

I've seen D2 (twice in theaters) but really don't have any desire to see it again.

I've only caught a couple minutes of D3 and I really don't want to see the whole movie. Maybe if I'm bored enough I'll rent it.

Just watched The Mighty Ducks with fellow HLOGers. You can read here about our chat session and simultaneous distance watching.

I love Miracle and have seen it a ton of times. I thought it was interesting to hear from non-American HLOGers that they do not really care for Miracle. The reasons that they voiced, it's too American, the Americans overcame so much, etc, are reasons why I think Americans enjoy the movie. The more I thought about it the more I found it understandable. What non-American really wants to hear Americans complain about things being so difficult and how our winning the gold medal helped unify the country and make us feel better about ourselves and the future. Anyway, I like the movie and will gladly watch it again. It also has some HOT guys in it!

I'm going to cross MVP: Most Valuable Primate off the list because I refuse to watch movies that make animals do human things. It's f'ing ridiculous and I hate those movies; I pretend they don't exist.

Mystery, Alaska is next on my list of hockey movies to watch. I like how the cover poster makes it look like a romp-fest. I wonder if it is about sex and hockey. Tracy and Kirsten told me to look out for "Tree" which is their favorite part (or character?). So far, Schnookie is the only person I know who doesn't like the movie so I'm interested in watching it since I've never watched it because I always thought I would hate the movie.

I've also never heard of Net Worth. According to IMDB,

This powerful tale of the NHL's early years follows Ted Lindsay, an all-star for the Detroit Red Wings, in his quest to create a Player's Association to protect the rights of players against the ravages of monopolistic, profit taking owners. Lindsay, spurred on by the memory of a former teammate who died broke because he couldn't access his pension, mobilizes players from around the league to his cause.

Wow, that's deep. This might end up being a tearjerker. I'm actually really interested in watching it and hope I can find it at Blockbuster.

The Rhino Brothers is another movie I've never heard of. According to IMDB, it's about a player's journey to professional hockey. Sounds thrilling!

I'm sure most of you have heard of The Rocket in which my douchey-cocky-ex-boyfriend makes an appearance. Can you even believe he has an IMDB page?! I guess he has to since he's now an "actor" but it's still hard to believe.

The only reason why I own Slap Shot and Slap Shot 2 is because a couple years ago I received a Borders gift card and decided that since I didn't want any books I would buy a movie. When I browsed the DVD section I noticed Slap Shot and a box set with both movies. The box set was only a couple dollars more than just the first movie so I decided to purchase it. The guy at the register asked if it was a gift or for me and when I said it was for me he looked pretty impressed….yeah, that's how I reel in the men (that is just another example of a male being impressed with my interest in hockey and not accusing me of being a puck bunny. Not once have I been accused of being a puck bunny (to my face) and I'm still shocked that my fellow HLOGers had and have to deal with it.) Back to Slap Shot. Even though I own both movies, I've never seen the second one. I will definitely watch it before the regular season starts.

At first I thought that Sudden Death was mistakenly placed in the list until I read the plot summary and realized, "wait, I've seen this movie!". When I was growing up, whenever my parents had to go out for the evening my brother and I would always rent a movie to keep us occupied. My brother thought Jean-Claude Van Damme was the shit so I wouldn't be surprised if we rented this movie because it was about hockey and starred JCVD. I vaguely remember the movie so I really want to re-watch it. Kind of makes me want to re-watch Bloodsport.

I desperately want to re-watch Youngblood. I can't even remember how old I was when I watched this movie but I really want to see it again to see Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe (yum!), and Keanu Reeves all looking so young and hot! Who cares what the movie is about because it has Rob Lowe in it. After Mystery, Alaska I'll be renting Youngblood.

Looks like I have some pretty good movie watching ahead of me. If any of the movies are really cheap on Amazon I might just end up buying them so that next summer I won't have to go through the trouble of renting them again. Hmmm, maybe this will be my off-season routine.

The Cutting Edge

The other night I watched The Cutting Edge. I loved this movie when I was younger, probably because it included a couple clips of hockey and I thought DB Sweeney was just so damn cute with his accent and blue-collar good looks. Can't remember my name the next morning? That's ok, you're DB Sweeney! I won't throw shit at your head while you're running out the door shirtless with your huge hockey bag hanging off your shoulder making you look like a real tough man. Ahh, those were the good ol' days of DB Sweeney. Then I saw him on an episode of House this past season and thought, "Wow, what happened? Maybe it's just the character and not really him in real life."

One character I was surprised to see was the father. It took me one too many scenes to figure out why I recognized him but as soon as I did I thought, "John Locke, I'm surprised you haven't beat some good manners into your bitchy daughter yet. Kick her to the curb, you deserve better!!" Terry O'Quinn looked slightly creepy and odd with darker hair, younger looks, and a "I'm-too-rich-for-my-own-good" moustache, but it was nice seeing him in this movie.

Next hockey movie to watch: Mystery, Alaska

Fantasy Football

This might be the first post about a sport other than hockey. I have some ideas for posts but have been struggling with actually writing them so you'll have to deal with non-Kings news for a little longer.

This football season is the first time I'll be playing Fantasy Football. The only reason I decided to participate is because I'm doing really well (so far, keep your fingers crossed!) in a Fantasy Baseball league, another sport I don't care about. The other players in my league are college friends and friends of them. Yesterday was the draft and since I couldn't make it I was on Auto-Draft. When I got home and looked at the team that Yahoo! selected for me, my stomach sank when I saw that I got stuck with Brett Favre. Brett Favre!! Isn't he practically retired?! Sure, if my team was based on Squee points then I would definitely win, but can the old man still throw a football??

When the BF came home I told him about my unfortunate draft (based solely on seeing Brett Favre on my team) and showed him my team. He was absolutely floored that I have a team this good from an auto-draft. He immediately emailed all of his friends in his Fantasy league to tell them who was on my team and practially threatened me by saying, "You better get first place in your league" (or else...what, you'll break up with me??)

Here's my team: (maybe tomorrow I'll compare my team to the others in my league based on Squeeness and see who wins)
QB1: Matt Hasselbeck
WR1: Terrell Owens
WR2: Marques Colston (the BF has a major mancrush on him)
RB1: Frank Gore
RB2: Rudi Johnson
TE1: Chris Cooley
W/T: Randy Moss
W/R: Marshawn Lynch
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri
Defense: Miami

Other players (or, I guess, second string):
Julius Jones
DeShaun Foster
DJ Hackett
Greg Jennings
Brett Favre
Anthony Thomas

You be the judge. How good is my team?

Negotiations

I have a difficult time imagining Gomez and Drury being so violent, especially Drury, but this has to be the best explanation for how they acquired such lucrative contracts:

(In the Bleachers)

Goals

Is it sad that one of my goals in life is to one day be a season ticket holder to the Kings? While I could probably purchase the cheapest season tickets package and squeak by on daily expenses, it wouldn’t be the rational thing to do at this point in my life. Without getting too personal the main reason why purchasing season tickets for the upcoming season is not rational is because I don’t work close to Staples Center; driving to games on the weekday straight from work would take me over an hour. Factor in a +30 min drive home and I’ll become a walking zombie at work for the entire hockey season. Not exactly something that would be good for my career.

The Kings posted the ticket prices for the upcoming season. I really wish the Kings organization would let buyers pick the games they want to attend when purchasing a mini-pack plan because I would definitely do that. If I had it my way, I would purchase 6 games all held on the weekend; but no, of course that’s not an option.

I looked at the season ticket packages just to see what it would set me back if I decide in the near future to be a season ticket holder. At this stage in my life (and probably for the next 2-5 years) I would probably settle for the $12/game package. I thought the full amount would be due at the time of purchase, which is another reason I would not want to purchase season tickets. However, I quickly found out that you can make 8 monthly payments! Woah…things just got a whole lot more financially feasible! I couldn’t believe how “cheap” season tickets appeared to be when you looked at the price based on monthly payments. The $12/game package would cost me $126/month for two tickets per game. That’s it? I make that amount in [fill in the blank] hours at work! At that rate I could probably reasonably afford the next highest ticket price.

I thought season ticket holders get reduced parking, but based on this map, I’m not so sure anymore. Four of the eight lots are already sold out and the cheapest is $12/game which is a rip-off considering where it’s located. In case you’re wondering, last season there was a $10 lot located on Figueroa just south of Pico Blvd, just across from the Convention Center. A couple times there was another lot located adjacent to the $10 lot that was only $8. The only time these lots weren’t this cheap was during the LA Marathon weekend when the $8 lot wasn’t open and the $10 lot was either $15 or $20 (I was super pissed!). Even though you do have to walk through Downtown, passing by one homeless person or two or three, it really isn’t that shady if you park on Figueroa near the Convention Center because so many fans are around you. Question: How much do other fans pay for parking??

Regardless of parking costs, season ticket holders do receive other benefits that others do not and I guess it just depends on how much you value those other “incentives”. Now that I know how much season tickets will cost me on a monthly basis, I’ll seriously consider purchasing them once I live and/or work closer to Staples Center. Oooh, I can’t wait for that day to come!

The Tournament

There are very few things that I miss about Versus. One of the things that I dearly missed during the 2007 playoffs and continue to miss is The Tournament, a mockumentary about a youth hockey team that is actually more about the parents. The NY Times has a really good review of the show: "Hockey Is a Lot Like Life, Only Colder".

I came across this show during the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs. One day the BF mentioned that he saw a TV show about hockey and DVR'd it because it thought I might like it. I immediately became addicted to the show and would squeal with glee whenever VS aired a marathon.

I never played ice hockey so I can't exactly directly relate to the kids, parents, or families. However, I did grow up playing soccer and began playing club soccer (i.e., traveled around SoCal) at the age of 12. Knowing how crazy some of the parents and coaches were on my team and others and how apathetic some of the kids were, I can only imagine that youth hockey is like that but 100 times worse, or funnier, however you see it.

The Tournament touches upon the realities of almost any youth sport, such as: waking up at 4am to drive to a game, the devoted mom who keeps her family in line, the other mom who is more than willing to drop her kid(s) off with the devoted mom, the dad who thinks his kid is the star and needs more playing time, or rather, should play the entire game even if that's impossible in hockey, the dad who envisions his kid will be a pro athlete even though the kid is only 8, the ridiculous and completely unnecessary competition among the parents, and the boy who just wants to play hockey...and take jazz dance classes.

The characters in The Tournament may seem far-fetched and ridiculous but they seem so real and I think the actors who play them do a lovley job in bringing the comedy and realness to their characters. I love how the devoted mom always looks so beat down, will do anything for her son while patiently holding her tongue as her crazed hockey husband does one idiotic thing (tells his wife that she has hair like Bobby Clarke) after another. I liked her, felt her love and devotion to her family, and yelled at the TV when she didn't put her husband in his place and didn't stand up for herself when the other mom used her. I even supported her when she contemplated having an affair with an old friend, who is deeply in love with her, not because this man is so dashing and wonderful, but because I wanted her to be happy and could see the giddiness in her whenever she was around him. The other mom is so out of touch with reality that it's comical. Sure, she may have recently become single and is dealing with how to raise a son by herself, but I had to restrain myself from throwing rotten tomatoes at her when she thanked the devoted mom for taking her son to practice because she really had to go to the gym. The devoted mom's husband is so enveloped in the notion that his son will be in the NHL that it made me wonder how far he would go to get his son there.

All the main characters on the show each have their own extreme quirks that come together to make youth hockey seem like one fucked up experience for the kids and parents. Each episode is chock full of hilarious moments and I can't believe The Tournament isn't one anymore (or at least I think so). This is definitely a show I would watch on a regular basis and hope that it does come back for more seasons.

That Was Easy!

Thanks to True Coyote Love for the inspiration. I started writing this post a couple days ago and then realized that it would make a good speech for this public speaking club/organization that I am a part of at work. I was scheduled to give my first speech today and typically the first speech is an icebreaker where you just talk about yourself. Since I hate talking about myself and revealing private aspects to others, especially coworkers, I decided to give my speech on something that I really like: hockey. Of course, right? Well, here is the speech that I wrote last night and I think it's an enjoyable post that many of you can relate to. I made some adjustments to it while I was at work to make sure my speech didn't go over 6 minutes, but this version is pretty much what I said in my speech.

As some of you may well know, I am a huge fan of the LA Kings hockey team. Some may call it an unhealthy obsession but I like to think of it as just part of my life. I've been a Kings fan since I was about 6 years old, when I started watching games with my dad and brother. Back then the Kings played at the Great Western Forum and when I was growing up every now and then my family used to make the trek out to the Forum to see the Kings play. At the time I never really cared where we sat because I was just grateful to be able to see a game in person. Even though neither of my parents drink and they're the nicest most respectful people, we usually sat in the upper section where the beer flowed deep and taunting the opposition was in full force, which I always loved to take part in!

In the fall of my senior year of high school, the Staples Center opened for '99-'00 season which meant that I had only one season to enjoy Staples Center before I ventured off to college in St. Louis, Missouri. While the opening of the arena was a huge deal, I honestly can't even remember if I went to a game that season. But during my four years at college, about once a year, right before Christmas vacation, my mom would call asking me if I would like to go to a Kings game while I was at home. I'm not quite sure why she would even bother to ask if I wanted to go, but she always did and I always said yes. The NHL lockout occurred during my first full year back as a Southern Californian, which was pretty good timing since I was living in Irvine at the time. The following season I moved back to LA County but yet managed to only attend one game. This past season I went to six games and probably would have gone to more if the team had actually performed better. After having gone to several Kings games at Staples Center and sitting in various spots around the arena I think I've finally figured out which section is my favorite.

At Staples Center there are three levels: 300 is the highest tier, which is followed by two rows of box suites, then the 200 level section and the 100 section is the tier closest to the ice. I've been to several games in the 300 level. Naturally, the seats closest to the redline, or the center of the ice, are slightly more expensive than the ones off in the corner, but I think the extra cost is worth it. While some may prefer to be able to see the entire ice at an angle, I feel that you get a somewhat distorted view of the ice. I would rather sit closer to the redline so that you can view each end of the ice equally. The jumbotron is directly in front of you giving you a great view of the replay video. The best part of sitting in this section is being able to look down and see everything.

I highly doubt that I've ever sat in the same seat or row twice. I may have sat in the same section twice and if so, it was one of the 200 level sections either directly behind the net or just off to the right. These sections are great because (a) you're up just high enough and (b) when the play is right around the net on your end it's a ton of fun watching the action up close. The drawback, which you may have guessed, is that when the puck is on the opposite end of the ice, you can barely see what's happening and then you feel compelled to sneak a peek at the jumbotron and the next thing you know the lamp is lit, the crowd is on their feet, and everyone is cheering because the Kings scored! I've never managed to get my hands on tickets in the 200 section at the middle of the ice because I think they're special tickets that aren't readily available to the public. I could probably find tickets on ebay or stubhub.com but have yet to do so.

I also have never been to a Kings game while sitting in a box suite. My brother's friend's company has a box suite where you can pay $50 for a ticket and have access to free food and drinks for most of the night. While it would be nice to be in the confines of a suite, I can imagine that you would probably miss out on the real atmosphere of a hockey game. For once in a blue moon, Los Angeles residents are actually friendly to strangers, we strike up conversations with each other about how the team should be coached, and what's the fun of attending a hockey game if you can't witness food being spilled on someone or a fight breaking out in the stands or having the opportunity to catch a puck or even better, the risk of getting hit by the puck. The netting that is placed behing the goal starting from the top of the glass to a certain height takes away most of the fun but it's still common to see pucks shooting out into the stands.

Last season I went to two games where I sat in the 100 level. The only reason my boyfriend and I sat in those sections was because we got the tickets for well below face value. At one of the games we sat behind the team benches about 9 rows up from the glass. Even though I was really looking forward to sitting in those seats, after the game I decided that it really wasn't all that great. It was fun being able to see the players upclose but being that close to the bench and glass really impeded our view of the ice. The other time we sat in the 100 level was behind the penalty box about 17 rows up from the glass. This was the. perfect. seat. Our seats were right at the redline and at row 17 we had unobstructed views of the ice. Sure, the puck would get lost when it came around the near boards but every seat in the house deals with that problem. We were still close enough to the ice where the action seemed more intense than it normally does and we actually had to turn our head in order to follow the play up and down the ice. If we wanted to see a replay on the Jumbotron, we had to tilt our heads up because we were so far down.

For attending any ordinary game, my first choice seat would be in the 300 level in the section as close to the redline as possible, seated in one of the first few rows. For special games, if someone is about to break a record or a team I'm interested in seeing play comes to visit, then I would search for good deals in the 100 level, once again close to the redline, but in a row towards the back of the level so that I won't be distracted by not being able to see everything. While any seat at Staples Center is worth the money it really depends on what view and atmosphere you desire. After several seasons of venturing to Staples Center sitting in a variety of sections, I've finally found my favorite seats.

Cammy (my dear) is BACK!!!

A great day just got better after I received an email from Let's Go Kings announcing the return of Michael Cammalleri. I figured that the LA Times (LAT) must have reported this wonderful news and I was correct: Kings' Cammalleri Loses Arbitration. "Cammalleri loses arbitration?" I asked myself. "Why, what did he ask for? And what did the Kings offer?" I continued to wonder. According to the LAT, Cammalleri, get this, are you ready? allegedly asked for $6 million per year!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!!!?!?!?!

I called it, I f'ing called: Cammalleri is really a greedy little bastard at heart! After signing him last offseason to a one-year $1.6 million contract, apparently this offseason the Kings originally offered him $2.6 million, which was rejected by Cammalleri and his agent.

So what did Cammalleri receive from the arbitrator? Well, first, let's go back to what I predicted he would be awarded:

According to my July 6th post titled "Somewhat Nervous" I predicted that DL should have offered Cammalleri a "3-year contract paying him $3 million this coming season , $3.5 million the next season, and $4 million the year after that", to which of course Cammalleri would have gladly accepted. But, seeing that DL is far from Slats, Cammalleri had to embarrass himself and ask for Gomer money. Instead of the $6 million he originally requested, Cammalleri will now be playing the next two seasons with the Kings while making $3.1 million this season and $3.6 million next season. Oh, what is that? I was off by $0.1 million per season????? Oh, that's right, I was so f'ing close because I am so f'ing awesome!! After I told the BF why I am so amazing he asked me when the Kings were going to recognize me as an official team blogger and give me press passes, to which I said, "NEVER!" because I can't seem to stray from the shit talking of a certain Kings player named John Zeiler (stay tuned later in the week for more shit talking).

Can I just proclaim my short-term love for DL? He sealed the deal when he was quoted as saying,

"The challenge for [Cammalleri] and the team is to go to another level. He had a good year last year, but it's one year and the team still has not had success."

Oh my goodness, I'm drunk and DL just won my heart. Also, like I told the BF, now that Cammy (my dear) will be with the Kings for at least the next two seasons, I can continue my stalking efforts in Hermosa Beach. That's right Cammy, I know where you live! (I think....) so be prepared for the signs outside your house that say, "WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN GREEDY?!"

Numbers, Schnumbers

I know that salaries depend on numerous factors, but for simplicity, let's compare the play and salaries of Sean Avery and Dustin Penner during the 2006-2007 season.

Player	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
Sean Avery	84	18	30	48	+1	174
Dustin Penner	82	29	16	45	-2	58

And what will the baby and man make this upcoming season?

27-year old Avery (can you believe he's 27?) was recently awarded a one-year $1.9 million salary and the Ranger promptly signed him. Apparently he's not that detrimental to the team, yet.

24-year old Penner (soon to be 25 next month) was recently offered and signed to a five-year $21.25 million contract, which averages out to $4.25 million per season. During the '07-'08 season, Penner will be making $2.35 million more than Avery. The season after that? Probably about the same or just slightly less because I doubt that Avery will be able to garner much more than $1.9 million, but with inflation he could get a similar contract.

So is Penner really worth $2.35 million more than Avery? 2 years, 6 inches, 60 pounds, and years of maturity separate these two players. But how effective will each player be on his respective team?

As of right now Penner won't have much to work with and I think it'll be an amazing feat if he can match the numbers from last season. I mean seriously, who is on the Oilers? Unless KLo can bribe another player or two to play in the tundra I highly doubt Penner will produce 45 or more points next season. I'm not saying he's without a doubt the next Lupul, but he might be.

On the other hand, Avery has the potential to be on a line with some big names. While some (or all) of those names are well overpaid, being on a line with some of them will only help his career. Will Avery match or better the 48 points he had last season? Yes. Will he match or better the 174 PIM he had last season? No. Playing alongside the likes of Jagr, Shanny, Gomer, Drury, and the dark, dark shadow of "Mr. Detrimental" will improve his stats and lower his PIM. Don't worry, I still think Avery will take his unhealthy dose of jackass before every game, which will undoubtedly lead me to fall off the "Avery Fanclub" bandwagon, or rather the two person club car, but I think he will be better this upcoming season than he has ever been before.

If you're a GM, how in the world do you decide what number to throw at a player? When should one player be given a moderate, rational amount while another player can be given almost any amount at all, while still others are expected to take a discount? The numbers game is weird.

I understand that the Oilers need players, but is it really worth it to (potentially) overpay for a player and give up three draft picks in a highly touted draft? For what? To field a team in this season? Penner isn't going to guarantee a playoff spot. His presence isn't even going to guarantee that the Oilers won't be embarrassing this season. Instead of bribing players to come to Edmonton, why not deal with a couple bad seasons but keep the draft picks and develop your franchise by starting with the farm team and prospects? But what do I know? I'm just a fan of a team that's been bad for seasons; a team that has slowly developed their prospects and could potentially be a threat in the near future.

Boredom Enduced Post No. 2

Hockey Facts:

1. As 99.99% of the hockey fanbase predicted, Dustin Pennersquee is now an Oiler since Burke decided to take the draft picks and run towards another Cup run in the near future. Three draft picks from the Oilers in the 2008 Draft? That is just sick.
2. As I predicted in yesterday's post (see below), all day today I perused various sports websites and blogs and came across exactly zero articles concerning Cammalleri's arbitration hearing. The lack of news means that (a) the Kings and Cammy (my dear) did not come to a contract agreement before the hearing and (b) as I had easily predicted, DL did not come out guns ablazing at Cammy.
3. At 8:25 pm (PDT), the LA Times finally posted an article about the arbitration hearing. Nothing too earth shattering was mentioned in the article. A couple key notes are (a) DL said that an offer was made to Cammy pre-arbitration but was not accepted and (b) DL said that he made a point to try to talk to Cammy post-arbitration explaining to the LAT, "You're trying to say to Mike, 'This isn't about trying to stick it to Mike Cammalleri.' It's about trying to manage payroll." The Kings are well under the cap this season but potential hefty raises loom in the near future for the likes of Kopi, JMFJ, and Frolo. I don't blame DL for trying to be conservative right now because it's comforting as a fan to know that he is planning for the future.

(Not so) Fun Non-Hockey Fact of the Day:

I've been to three different Ralphs, all within a 3 mile radius from where I live, frantically searching for a pint of Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream. None of the three Ralphs carry the new flavor, although really, is it still considered 'new'? Today I stopped by a fourth Ralphs, this one about 5 miles from my apartment, and as I was walking along the back of the store, near the dairy and meat sections, I saw a Ben & Jerry's ice cream bin with a sign that was advertising "Americone Dream: NEW FLAVOR". I ran over to the bin and preceded to knock over pint after pint as I dug through the bin. As I finally realized that Americone Dream was not in the B&J bin, my sadness turned into rage: "Fuck You, Ice Cream Bin! Yeah, that's right, Fuck You, Cherry Garcia!" (No, seriously, this was going on in my head.) I stormed down the ice cream aisle, almost knocking over a 5-year old girl who was picking out a no-name brand of ice-cream, and found the regularly stocked shelves of B&J's. I carefully read every single B&J label only to discover that this Ralphs does not carry Americone Dream. Why does my local store hate me? My local Wild Oats doesn't carry the flavor either. Trader Joe's doesn't carry B&J at all. The only stores left for me to scavenge are ghetto Albertsons, nicer Albertsons, Pavilions (too pricey for me), Bristol Farms (way too pricey for me), and Vons (although I'm not quite sure where exactly it's located). Basically, life sucks right now.

Boredom Enduced Post No. 1

The off-season is killing me. The new series "Boredom Enduced Posts" will include one fun hockey fact (hopefully from something that occured during the off-season) and one or more non-hockey items.

Hockey (not so) Fun Fact:

Avery was awarded $1.9 million by the arbitrator, which is almost exactly smack dab in the middle of Avery's request and the Rangers' previous offer. The arbitrator probably had no idea what to do and after coming to terms with the fact neither party is the lesser evil, finally decided to just pick a number in the middle but a number that was less than $2 million, because we all know Aves isn't worth the 2.

Fun Non-Hockey Item of the Day:

From which TV show is the following quote:

"Mr. Broadway has to go tinkle? That has to be the gayest sentence ever uttered."

Update!

I almost completely forgot that tomorrow, August 2nd, is the date of Cammalleri's arbitration hearing.

What I expect to read in the papers tomorrow: No news at all.

Things I don't expect to read: DL and the rest of the Kings management stabbing Cammy in the back with a rusted, dull knife, claiming that he was completely useless and an utter embarrassment to the organization.

My prediction of the results: Arbitrator awards Cammy (my dear) a $4 million one-year contract and the Kings immediately sign him.