Barb by Proxy

Background Noise:Pictures of You
Random Thought:Flying to St. Louis and back in a day is tiring.
Mood:Happy that Nook is doing much better.

So I watched the ESPYs on Sunday, and was highly entertained. JT did a grand job of emceeing, Will Ferrell accepting for Tiger Woods was all things hilarious, and the winner of Best Moment, Great Sportsmanship, brought tears to my eyes.

However. There was a glaring hole where some hockey noms should have been. I get that the fans vote, and that makes it nifty, if also a little bit dependant on the fans proclivity to vote. Now, I have lots of love for a lot of the winners, and wouldn’t necessarily have voted hockey across the board, but it would have been nice if ESPN had raised the visibility of the sport a little by at least including them in the nominations. Three nominations? Out of 18 categories (Ignoring of course the Best of the NHL/MLB/NBA, etc categories)? Hockey didn’t even get a spoof during Justin’s animated “I love sports” song. By my calculations, this was the nomination breakdown:

Basketball—22
Football—13
Baseball—10
Tennis—5
Car Racing--5
Golf—4
Soccer—4
HOCKEY—3
Swimming—2
Track & Field—2
Wrestling—1
Horse Racing—1
Skiing—1
Field Hockey—1

Honestly? You couldn’t find a single hockey player to nominate in any of the following:

Best Male Athlete--How about Alexander Ovechkin, who in his 3rd season led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points to capture the Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Art Ross Trophies, the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by the NHLPA and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. The first player to win all 4 in a year, ever.

Best Moment--Really? Nothing to be nominated against Danica Patrick actually winning? Maybe the Winter Classic, or Richard Zednik’s recovery.

Best Coach--Gee, Mike Babcock, anyone? They managed to nominate the head coach of the Championship team from the NBA, MLB and NFL.

Best Game--I nominate the 5th longest playoff game in playoff history that sent the Stanley cup finals into a game 6.

Best Breakthrough Athlete Would it be a stretch to nominate the Calder winner for best rookie of the year? Patrick Kane helped the Hawks get thisclose to the playoffs.

Best Male College Athlet--No BC Player? Eleven of their starters for next year were drafted by the NHL. Ben Smith scored 50 points in 50 games enroute to BC’s repeat championship.

Best Male International Athlete--Dude—half the sport is international, you couldn't pick one? What about Nicklas Lidstrom, the first European to captain a Stanley Cup team?


These are just my suggestions, and even if you thought they wouldn't win, couldn't you at least put some nominations up there?

Background Noise:
Random Thought:All those times I was re-routed around something or couldn't go somewhere and was kept awake by lights and bangs was totally worth it.
Mood:In love

It should come as a suprise to no one that I was one of those crazies in line 2 hours early to get a good seat to a midnight IMAX showing of The Dark Knight.
And it was so incredibly worth it. If you can, get yourself to a huge screen and see it. The Dark Knight is big and shiny, and meant to be see in IMAX. Give Chris Nolan some credit for taking the whole thing so seriously and go, because not only was it visually fantastic, but the story was so rich that had you never heard of Batman you probably wouldn't think "Gee, a comic book movie."

Also, Heath Ledger was phenomenal. He makes Jack's Joker look like a birthday party clown.

And, incase you have zero interest in a fantastic storyline, awesome stunts and effects (actually performed on the streets of Chicago) or the fact that Maggie Gyllenhaal makes you forget that there was ever a woody, line-lumbering Katie Holmes, you can go for this:



Except in the movie it manages to be even hotter, as it is ridden by Christian Bale in sexy-ass jeans and a motorcycle jacket. Which I looked for a picture of, but couldn't find. You'll just need to see for yourself.

Background Noise:
Random Thought:Going home. Also, in love with Christian Bale as John Conner in the new Terminator movie.
Mood:See above.

Just a photo update on the needy child:

Background Noise:Mamma Mia
Random Thought:Actually, I love all parades
Mood:Tired

Here's a quick summary of my 4th of July, in case you missed it:



Yes, my weekend consisted mostly of patriotically decorated pontoon boats making a slow processional around Higgins Lake and drinking. Also, a fairly uninteresting family reunion and a fantastically entertaining marathon game of Scene It for Xbox (which rules--although it would rule harder if made by Wii) and super good times with my cousins.

Background Noise:
Random Thought:I haven't been to an outdoor hockey game in a very long time...
Mood:Yeay!

There have been many things I've been meaning to post over the past few days, and have actually been trying to remember to do so. But most of them are me ranting or randomness. So here's some really great news:

The Red Wings and the Blackhawks, New Years Day, at Wrigley.
Outdoor Classic 2009.



Picture that, but in the friendly confines of Wrigley Stadium. With a possiblity of snow. I can't wait.

Background Noise:New Slang
Random Thought:Thanks reddit
Mood:Worried about Nook

I stumbled upon Wonkette this morning by way to a link to a link to a link. Following the story of yet another closeted raging homophobic politician, I couldn't help but me amused byAnyway, her commentary is pretty spot on, if a little harsh. Then again, it's sometimes what my brain thinks before I remember that I'm working on my tact.

I esecially like the Top Ten signs of the apocolypse,



thanks to this attention-grabbing headline: Foreclosed Country of Violent Dope-Addict Fatsos Also On Fire (Or Under Water).

Background Noise:
Random Thought:
Mood:Worried like an anxious pet parent

Now these are just cool.

Background Noise:
Random Thought:Wow, cat's get really yellow
Mood:Sad

In fairly sad news, I took my cat to the vet yesterday because he's been acting lethargic for the past two days.




It turns out that Nook has liver disease, and he has to stay at the vet's for 5 days. It was a heartbreaking to leave him there, looking so sad and small, but my vet team is very nice and said that he should recover after a few days of B vitamins, kitty-peptid and lots of fluids. But they are keeping him so that they can run tests and rule out any other problems that he might have that are eithe causing the liver disease or being masked by it. Floyd seems very confused as to where his buddy went, and I'm a little taken aback by how much a vet stay costs ($1600), but I just cuold look at poor Nook with his yellow skin (when the liver stops functionining correctly it doesn't process all of the amino acids in his body and causes jaundice) and say no.

In other sad news, the old Tiger Stadium is being demolished. Not that it was one of the classiest of stadiums, or that it was in a great area to go and hang out, but Tiger Stadium was a mainstay of the Detroit area and one of the last old ballparks. Here's a fond farewell to you, Tiger Stadium.

Background Noise:Banging from the construction in the office next to me.
Random Thought:June, May, it's all the same, right?
Mood:Elated

Could the long-awaited warm weather UK get-away actually be right around the corner? Assuming that by right around the corner, you mean 10 months away, the answer is yes! Thanks to the fabulous talent of Al Silber, A and I have a bona fide reason to pack up the ol' suitcases and head across the pond.

Carousel is coming!

So, by way of knowing someone who knows someone who does such amazing things, there is a real necessity to hop on a plane, frequent the St. Paul Club Quarters, and head out to the midlands for a few days. A little bit of Bath, a gorge or two, some Chatsworth, and some actual leisure time when it is warm out. I like this plan.

Background Noise: Pat Benatar, True Love
Random Thought: Does this diminish the Fight, if you can't preface it by standing up and sitting down?
Mood:Almost on vacay!

Let's talk football. The joys of football are many, from the arc of a perfect spiral to a bone-crushing flying tackle. It can be poetry in motion, or the ugliest, knock-down, drag-out you've ever seen. But is quinessentially American, played only sporadically around the rest of the world, and never with the zeal we exhibit here. And it's a sport just to our liking--we can have a beer in one hand, a foam finger in the other, and we can scream at the top of our lungs while we stand and cheer with the other thousands of fans.

Unless you happen to be in Kansas City, where standing is now against the rules. As are 12 other actions that will get you ejected.

• Foul, obscene, offensive or abusive language or actions
• Standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans
• Intoxication or other signs of impairment
• Smoking except in designated areas
• Fighting and unruly or inconsiderate behavior
• Obscene or indecent clothing or signs
• Conduct that endangers spectators or participants
• Harassment of visiting team fans
• Interfering with the progress of the game, going onto the field or throwing any object onto the field
• Failing to follow instructions of stadium personnel
• Selling items or tickets in the stadium or on sports complex grounds
• Attempting to sit in a location other than the guest’s ticketed seat
• Destroying property

Now, I'm all about not destroying property, throwing shit on the field, and generally creating a dangerous environment for players and other fans. But no harrassing the other teams fans? No foul language? No standing? No Intoxication? WTF?

Your team actually scored? Tough, you're ejected for standing!

That call against the Bears was wacked? Take it up in the parking lot, you're ejected for foul language!

It's freezing at Lambeau, and you're shirtless? Sorry, you're ejected for intoxication!



Honstly. If you want pleasant, quite, docile entertainment, perhaps you should find a different pasttime. Because I'm surely not spending my scant weeks before preseason to practice my golf clap.