B/R face time

A while back, I started writing for a site called Bleacher Report just for fun. Bleacher Report is an open-source sports network, meaning anyone could write about whatever they wanted and it would be "published" on the site. The point is to encourage constructive dialog about sports and for writers to improve their writing skills through the advice of B/R's excellent editors (thanks, Jay!)

I wrote mostly about hockey (shocking, I know) but also threw in some random articles from time to time just to keep things interesting. I wrote under the same name that I use here, and as a result, most of my readers thought I was a guy. For a while, though, I got some really good feedback about my writing style and content. I attained "Syndicated Writer" status after penning just 10 articles (B/R has a deal with CBS Sports Online to re-post the best B/R articles). All was well.

But then, around the time of the Olympics, I started to notice that there were people writing VERY opinionated pieces in very rude voices. They knew they were intentionally pissing people off and they didn't care. Flame wars took place in the comments section. Nearly all constructive conversation ceased in favor of comments like, "Dude, your [sic] a fucking retard. You should be shot for...X, Y and Z". I became extremely discouraged and pretty much gave up on writing for Bleacher Report.

It's not Bleacher Report's fault. The same thing happens with every open board or site that's not mediated. People think its cool to say whatever they want to say because they're hiding behind a computer screen. But for those who wrote to improve our skills and were in it for the right reasons like myself, it became something I no longer wanted to be a part of. And I'm exaggerating a little...that kind of behavior didn't happen all the time or on every article. But it still left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't want to take the chance of one of those people finding one of my articles. I'm kinda sensitive and tend to take things personally...or so I'm told. ;)

Regardless of the fact that I wasn't writing anymore, I kept in touch with a few of the guys that worked for B/R who knew that The Enforcer and myself are one in the same. Recently, they had their first annual Bleacher Report meet-up in San Francisco. I went to meet the people face to face that I had been communicating with online and whose articles I had read. I'm so glad I did. Zander, Max, and Jay were SO friendly. Zander, in particular, seemed to enjoy introducing me to everyone, stating that I wrote "as The Enforcer" (and I admit, it was kinda fun to see the reactions on the faces of my readers to see that The Enforcer is actually a chick that writes about hockey).

I'm not sure if I'll start writing there again, but it was really great to meet up with the people behind the site. I don't visit it as frequently as I used to, so I don't know if the same characters are still up to their old antics, but aside from the bull, Zander and company have a pretty good thing going over at B/R. They continue to grow in readers and contributors and I wish them all the best. They honestly couldn't have been nicer.

Sorry for the super late notice...

...but if you all are interested in sports dynamics with a special emphasis on development and youth sports, I highly recommend that you tune in to hear my wonderful internet friend Kirk Mango's interview on The Sports Doctor on February 19th at 6:30pm CST on 90.9 WDCB FM Radio (if you click the link, you'll be connected to the live stream).

Kirk has recently written a book called Becoming a True Champion and his talk will cover the book, his daughters and youth sports training in general. He and I met through Bleacher Report and have shared many interesting conversations regarding all aspects of youth sports, including psychological and physical development.

If you're at all interested, please tune in and check him out. Kirk is a great guy with some very astute observations and viewpoints on striving to be the best athlete and person that you or those you coach can be.

San Jose Sharks: It's all over...

Hear that? That's the fat lady and she is singin' the blues for the Sharks.

Team Teal's post season was cut short last night in QUADRUPLE overtime against a Dallas Stars team that wasn't any better than the Sharks, but that had luck on their side. The game ended well after 1am, CST. DJC and I were too beat down to shave his playoff beard last night. Tonight, we'll handle that. And I'll take pictures of the various stages of beard-dom...the fu-manchu, the chops, the handlebars.

I feel let down. I feel sad. I want to hug all of the Sharks one by one and tell them how much I enjoyed watching them all season. I want to tell them that I will still be a fan and that I'll be rooting them on next season and every season after that.

It's obvious that I am a rabid hockey fan, but this year's Sharks squad really made me fall in love with the game all over again. Their energy and enthusiasm was contagious. Youngsters like Torrey Mitchell and Devin Setoguchi made the game *fun* again. I feel like the guys are part of my circle of friends. I followed their ups and downs and really felt for them when things weren't going their way. It's like we're breaking up! NOOOOOOOOO!

My last hockey-related Bleacher Report article can be found here. And thus ends my hockey ramblings for another few months.

Here's to looking forward to October!

And in other sports/ political news, I give you this. Just. Amazing. (although I feel bad for the horse!)

Latest hockey ramblings

My most recent Bleacher Report article is up. The Sharks will face off against the Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals tonight. They need to win every single remaining game in this seven game series to stay alive in the playoffs. One loss earns the Sharks nothing more than an early tee time on Monday morning.

It's do-or-die time, kids. This is what playoff hockey is all about. I freaking love it.

On another note, some of the guys that write for Bleacher Report are very funny. I offer you all this as proof of one guy's clever idea for an "article". Awesome. I totally laughed out loud.

Happy Sunday to ya! =)

Next up: Dallas Stars

Let's see...where to start?

Game 7 last night...Sharks vs. Flames for all the marbles (well, all of the first-round marbles). AMAZING. I swear, DJC and I yelled SO loudly that I'm sure our neighbors hate us.

Here's my latest Bleacher Report article.

When the Sharks acquired Jeremy Roenick, I was quick to jump all over the old guy. He did come out of retirement, after all. Its not like he was some youngster with speed and agility...

...or so I thought.

After last night's superhuman efforts, I am a Roenick loving FOOL! GO #27! And remember this?

Not only is he a great hockey player, but he seems to have (*gulp*) rhythm. Who knew! And I gotta love a guy who just doesn't take himself seriously at all. (love the spotlight in the vid! Hilarious!)

JR, call me! We'll go cut a rug! =)

Bleacher Report

My latest article for Bleacher Report is up, although I have to take back some of the nasty things I said, as the Sharks really seemed to turn things around last night, beating Calgary 3-2. It was quite a game!

The awesomest thing about Bleacher Report is that I've chosen to write anonymously, and while you all might know my writing style, most of the people there who read my articles do not. With the exception of the admins, who I've communicated with via e-mail and have seen my real name, most people at B/R think I am a guy. And even though I have no problem with being a hockey-loving female, I almost like that my writing is perceived to be male. It's kinda funny to me...

Anyways, go out and have a great day! I'll catch you all back here soon! =)

Passing the torch on politics

On a sunny California day, amid controversy and protests, the Olympic torch made its way along some of the lesser known streets of San Francisco. Today's stop in the City by the Bay was to be the one and only torch relay stop in North America. After what happened in Paris earlier in the week, San Francisco officials did their best to keep protesters, spectators and even torch runners confused and on their toes to avoid the same sort of situation. The route was changed a multitude of times and the closing ceremony, scheduled to happen at Justin Herman Plaza, was canceled. Torch runners had to share their time with another person to ensure that all 70+ people would get a chance to hold the Olympic flame after the course distance was cut in half.

Local news channels provided nearly four hours of agonizing play-by-play coverage, even when nothing was happening. The media sensationalism might have seemed like overkill to some. But all the protesting and the torch relay actually happening was a big deal and people needed to hear about it.
My thoughts on the whole thing? I fully agree with Tibetan protesters who feel China's human rights policies need a serious overhaul. Hillary Clinton recently called on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, stating,"The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for presidential leadership." While this statement cannot be argued in my eyes, Bush's decision to boycott the ceremonies, if he chooses to do so, will have little or no political ramifications. Since his Iraq war blunders and foreign policy oddities, no one listens to, or takes the advice of our fearless Commander in Chief. Certainly no one in China. But still, I can see her point.

Now, if Senator Clinton called for a U.S. boycott of the entire games, THEN I'd have something to say. To bar Olympic caliber athletes from competing in the world's most prestigious games because of political reasons seems silly to me. I understand that by abstaining from participating, countries make a VERY clear statement about whatever their leaders feel strongly about, but for the athletes, that opportunity may only come around once. To take that away from those who have dedicated their lives to perfecting their sport in hopes of competing on the world's biggest stage seems crazy to me. Did those athletes have any sort of say in shaping their country's foreign policy? No, you say? Then why punish them by taking away the one thing they've worked so hard for? Aren't there better ways of making a political statement?

In a strange way, I almost feel like the recent attempts to halt the Olympic torch relay follow the same lines of crazy. I understand that the protesters want their message out there and thanks to the media coverage, they've succeeded. But to block something as pure as the Olympic flame, which symbolizes a time when politics were put on the back burner for the duration of the games, goes against the Olympic spirit. Make no mistake, I am not pro China. I'm just pro athlete. I'm pro fair competition. I'm all for an Olympic games free of political grievances.

I call for a separation of sports and state! Who's with me?

The most wonderful time of the year

That's right kids. It's PLAYOFFS time again in the NHL, which means the hockey season will last another 3 months, at the very least! YAY! And since the Sharks have been kicking ass lately, you can bet I'm totally thrilled about their chances to take it all this year. DJC has already started growing his playoff beard.

I've been busy writing over at Bleacher Report. Here's a link to my profile, which also has all of my articles listed. If you're really that into hockey, check 'em out. I'll try my best to keep my hockey ramblings confined to that site and to not bore you all with them here anymore. I know no one loves the silly sport as much as I do...

I'll probably be writing lots more both here and there in the future. As of today, I have 0 interviews lined up and lots of free time. Ugh.

Happy Monday! =)

Adjusting

So, here I sit at 10:10am on a Thursday, in my pajamas and slippers, wearing my glasses, hair a mess, zero makeup. SO glamorous is the life of the recently unemployed! Glamorous and weird. Not having to get up when DJC does (or before him!) is strange. And although I miss the little things, like the free perks, I'm realizing there are a few positives here as well:

1. I can totally drive like an asshole now that I am not driving a vehicle with the company's phone number plastered all over it.
2. I got really used to checking e-mails from my PDA at all hours. I was so connected and attached. I could reach out and connect with anyone at any time of day no matter where I was and more annoyingly, my coworkers could do the same. And they did. At like 1am. It's nice to not have a data plan with my new cell phone. I kinda like being unplugged.
3. I can do pretty much anything now for a paycheck. Although my skills are geared towards one particular industry, I don't need to stay in that industry. Its fun to look at random jobs.
4. I have time to write for Bleacher Report. Here's my first article. Some of you who read my stuff religiously might recognize this old post. I thought it was relevant and I didn't want it to get lost in the internet void. I think I'll be writing another article soon. It's pretty intimidating, though...

It's also nice to be able to meet up with friends for lunch and only have to worry about their schedule. Time, although still very much a factor in terms of money, isn't really a concern of mine. I just look at the clock every now and then to see how long until DJ comes home...

So very glamorous, no? ;)