Dear Chas and Smitty,
Many thanks for your modest show of appreciation. As the owner and manager of this small website it is not often that I receive gifts. Not to mention that you guys thought of me while enjoying dinner at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaraunt during your recent attending of the World Baseball Classic.
It touches my heart to know that I was thought of during an international event of such prominence.
The T-shirt you bought for me will be worn with pride. Come to think of it the light brown shade is rather unique – a color that I lack in my extensive wardrobe of t-shirts. Of course the classic Canadian maple leaf with its red hue is like a beacon in the night – always glad to show some love for our brothers …and sisters north of the border.
Yes, I’ll happily don the shirt you have purchased for me. Given Gretzky’s popularity it will allow me to extol the virtues of the frozen pond. Hockey kinda falls off the radar of American sports.
Don’t you agree?
Heck even on this site it has been noted that hockey only receives regular coverage on the Versus Network, and some have wondered if that station will cease to exist at any moment.
Hockey has fallen into such a niche that most of the sports world doesn’t even realize some of the great moments in its history.
I mean can you imagine a guy winning the defensive player of the year and leading the league in scoring during the same season? Of course someone with that dominance would win the MVP of the regular season. But then to consider that player would prove the regular season to not be a fluke and win the MVP of the playoffs, AND score the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime.
Wow! Great stuff huh? And to think most people don’t realize that. Maybe popularity isn’t all its cracked up to be.
Okay – I gotta go throw my new shirt in the laundry – I always wash clothes before wearing. It’s one of my idiosyncrasies.
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Casey
Casey,
You are more then welcome. It was a mere token of appreciation of all the hard work you do on a daily basis so that we are able to talk sports all day, 24/7.
Enjoy and wear with pride. After all – not many people south of the border wear a t-shirts with the name of the guy who owns forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and six All-Star records.
Enjoy..
What is this ‘hockey’ you speak of?
Six all-star records? Wow! I never knew. I mean I never knew the NHL or any league kept track of all-star records. That’s great to know. Now that I know that I might actually watch those games.
Hey! That gives me an idea. Maybe we should do some articles on all-star records in all of the leagues. You can do one on the NFL. Chas can cover MLB. Hey Rey! Does MLS keep track of all-star records? As part of the post you can discuss how any of those records correlate to a player’s greatness.
40 regular season records – man that is awesome. Especially that year with 163 assists and 215 points. Wow! That is stunning. And to think his plus / minus for that year (71) is tied for 25th all-time. That must be another record. Right? Ya know the whole being on the ice for the most goals by both teams and all. I tried to figure it out, but my Casio doesn’t have that function for a key. I read the instructions and all, but the calculator does not have a way to compute a player’s points and his plus / minus and all and how many goals the other teams must have scored. Is it a good thing when your plus / minus is 140 less than the total points you scored that year?
Ah what the heck. Doesn’t matter right?
They must have won the Cup that year right? What with all those points and everything?
All those points – it’s nothing like that guy who hit 54 home runs and drove in 154 runs, and batted …what was it? .314? Who was that guy? Did he win the AL MVP or something?
Aw shoot – nothing like that at all. Gretz won the Cup that year right?
Now that you mention it. I couldn’t find anything in the record book for players who have won the most Cups. Gretz has gotta be on the top of that list right? I mean with all those records and everything.
Yeah – you’re right. Besides, plus / minus? That stat means nothing.
If it is any consolation – the 2 biggest displays at the Hockey Hall of Fame were for two players – Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky. Not only were they the biggest, but there were right up front. Although the fact that they displayed Bobby’s knee brace and I thought that was a little too much.
The Hockey Hall of Fame holds them in the same light – as the 2 most important players in the game of hockey..
This gets my vote for quote/insight of the day/week/month (whatever it is):
“And to think his plus / minus for that year (71) is tied for 25th all-time. That must be another record. Right? Ya know the whole being on the ice for the most goals by both teams and all.”
Although, this is a close second:
“Maybe we should do some articles on all-star records in all of the leagues. You can do one on the NFL. Chas can cover MLB. Hey Rey! Does MLS keep track of all-star records?”
You’re welcome Casey.