I attended the Wild season opener with my son (The Graminator) and once again had a great time. It is true that I tend to give this franchise a "free pass" compared to the other three in town, but they make it easy for me to do so. It starts with coaching. Here are some quotes from Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire after the opening game:"We made mistakes. My God, it's like their first time in the NHL," he said. "We were not good tonight."
"I'm 62," Lemaire said. "I'll be 75 soon."
"I'm smiling because I went to get my eyes fixed yesterday. I think I'm going to go back and get the old ones because now I see too much. Ugh, that was awful tonight."
And, folks, that was after a victory. The Wild beat the hated Chicago Goonhawks 1-0, mostly because of excellent goaltending. Those quotes are refreshing to hear compared to the spin and crap that you get from our local football coaches. Tim Brewster sounded like he wanted a parade thrown for the Gophers after they recently lost at home to Ohio State 30 - 7. And with Brad (Chilly) Childress, you never really know what he really thinks other than his offense is "kick ass" even thought they never really score. Lemaire and Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire are the two individuals in the Twin Cities that will "tell it like it is." Granted, Lemaire can be a strange one. He tends to criticize after victories and praise after close losses. It's kind of his gig.
The Wild also know who to thank for their success - the fans. I am only half-kidding when I say that the Vikings should contact (and pay) the Wild to be their consultants. Every time a Vikings representative is going to say something publicly, they should contact the Wild marketing staff first to get "the OK." The Vikes would probably hear a lot of "ahhhh.....I wouldn't say that."
Lastly, the Wild did an outstanding job with their pre-game ceremony by honoring "heroes." Who were these heroes they were honoring? Athletes? No. The Wild featured 5 Minnesota veterans of the Iraq war and also individuals who survived the 35W bridge collapse and those that helped rescue victims on that day. The Wild also brought in 7 Navy Seals from Virginia who were involved in the search for victims in the Mississippi river after the collapse to lead the "Let's Play Hockey" call. Lastly, a Minnesota man who lost both legs in combat in Iraq dropped the ceremonial first puck. All of these people are heroes, not hockey players. And that point came across loud and clear on opening night.
I'm sure the day will come when I hammer the Wild. I will admit that I get a little joy when I rip the Twins, Gophers, Wolves and especially the Vikes on this blog. The day will come when the Wild organization does something stupid and rippable. That day has not come yet, however.
Peace,
Jeff
2 comments:
that booger fella finally lost a fight....
tony8489... I talked with Bob A. about the golf trip to Brainerd. Sounds like you guys had a good time. I'll have to get the details.
Speaking of Boogaard, yes, he did lose a fight. The guy he went up against actually took his helmet off with a punch. I read that Boogaard does not like the new jerseys when it comes to fighting. Here's the quote from the Pioneer Press:
Add Derek Boogaard to the list of NHL enforcers criticizing the league's new, streamlined jerseys. They're no good for fighting, or for playing, the Wild winger said.
They tear too easily in a fight, he said, making it too easy for an opponent to get one over your head. And because they don't absorb sweat, they're making everything else, well, disgusting.
"Everything is soaked," Boogaard said after practice Monday. "Yeah, the jersey looks great, and it's not wet, but everything else ...
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