“The Contest”. Issuing Myself A Challenge.

Today’s music video is Hoop Of Love by Dominant Legs.  Just heard this on Sirius XMU  Saturday.

To help get through what seems to be a summer of eternity, I’ve issued myself a week long ultimatum of sorts and am calling it The Contest.  Now let me preface this by saying, don’t go getting the wrong idea, but I’m sure you remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and the gang all made a bet to see who could hold out the longest?  Here’s the link to refresh your memory. (This may not be suitable for younger viewers.  You have been warned).  As you know each morning, Monday to Friday I do a link post of newsworthy items from around the NHL.  Stories that I think are important and don’t want you to miss.  While that may have been a good idea for you, it’s actually backfired for me as I’ve inadvertently stopped writing anything of substance. Any knucklehead can post some links and call it a column.  That only works if you also write something else which I wasn’t doing.   I had to ask myself if I have lost my creative flow?  Was I just bored?  Who knows, but I’m looking to erase that this week.  My goal is to make it through the next five days without doing my Redlines link post and actually write.  My reward if I make it to Friday?  Things go back to normal next week and the daily column REDlines returns.  My punishment should I fail?  I have to do it all over again until I survive five articles in a row.  Wish me luck. 

By the way, anyone want to make it interesting?

I’m starting off with random thoughts as a way to ease into this, and as each day progresses I hope to be writing with more substance.  Hey, I have to start somewhere.

*  Again with the shameless plug.  And you thought I was shy.

* Usually baseball can occupy my time during the summer months and keep me from missing hockey too much.  With my two favourite teams, the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Cubs a combined 47 games out of first place, is it any wonder why I can’t watch?

* Question:  Cal Ripken Jr. or Derek Jeter?  By the way, I hate the Yankees so you already know my answer.

* Question:  Tom Brady or Payton Manning?  I can’t stand all the gyrations that Manning does on the line of scrimmage.  Plus I think Tom is pretty cool.  Simple answer for me.

* I hope Mike Modano doesn’t become the Brett Favre of hockey.  I think he can retire now as he’s had a great career and he’s got nothing else to prove.

* So Florida Panther fans, how mad will you be if Erik Gudbranson isn’t on the teams’ roster this season?  I don’t think there’s any way he goes back to juniors.  However there must be a reason why I’m calling the shots from behind a laptop instead of a bench.

*  Hard to believe that former Florida Panther defenceman and captain Bryan McCabe is still unsigned.  Even at 36 and his career on a downslide, he’s got to be able to help somebody.  Have you seen the defensive unit of Colorado?

* Little Miss Rat Trick informed me that rookie camp begins in 12 days.  She has countdown widget on her cell phone.  What have I created?

*  Speaking of guys not signed, I had mentioned yesterday that I wasn’t sure if the Panthers would be tough enough this season.  Tough guy Aaron Voros is available.  Should we extend an invite to him for the enforcer role, or roll the dice with what we have?

*  Is there really such a thing as a  “Stanley Cup Hangover”?  If you ask the Chicago Blackhawks, you’d have to think they would answer yes.  What happens to the Boston Bruins this season?  I’m thinking, hangover  kicks in and some guys can’t repeat the year that they had last season.  This is why it’s so hard to win two cups in a row.

* I’m not sure which game interests me the most of these three:  Calgary on December 16th so I can boo Jay Bouwmeester, Vancouver on January 9th so I can taunt Roberto Luongo, or Monday December 5th so I can respectfully cheer Tomas Vokoun in his first game as a Washington Capital in our building.

* This contest is a good thing.  I can feel my angst building.  Let’s hope it will last the week.  I’d hate for my headline some morning in the next few days to be “I’m Out”!

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