Sportsmanship and Hitler

Wow, the Chicago Blackhawks game was a good game last night. I think the people of Detroit would have to agree even though the great majority of them probably didn't like the outcome. I was gonna type "final outcome" but I think that may be repeatedly redundant. The last four teams left in the NHL play-offs are the last four Stanley Cup winners; how cool is that? I bet the Lord Stanley of Preston would be very proud. Some people bash sports sometimes but who knows history better than sports fans? Would I know who Queen Victoria made the General Governor of Canada in 1888 if it weren't for sports? NO! Incidentally, June 11th is the anniversary of his being appointed to that position.

I never really thought about it but Fabio pointed-out last night how great it was that the players from the two teams shook hands (robot gloves) at the end of the game. One of the most violent games of all and they have sportsmanship. I coached many different sports for my kids over the years and we always had them shake hands at the ends of their games. I never really thought about hockey players being one of the only sports that does that. I guess they do it in golf. Tennis does it, volleyball, I think, does it. Boxers even do it. Quarterbacks do it. Maybe it's just a couple of sports that don't do it. Sportsmanship - catch it! I guess you don't have to shake hands to practice good sportsmanship. The best sportsmanship story I think I ever heard was from a women's softball game between Western Oregon and Central Washington. The player on WO hit her first career home run. While she was rounding the bases she missed first and went back to touch the base and her knee buckled and she tore a ligament. She was in too much agony to round the bases. Softball rules say that a player has to round the bases without the assistance of teammates for the runs to count. The first baseman from CW asked the umpire if the player would get credit for the home run if she and one of her teammates (the opponents) assisted her. The umpire said she would and they carried her around the bases stopping so she could touch each base and home plate. The game was not as important as integrity and kindness. It still chokes me up five years later.

What's the deal with that Taylor Swift song 22? "Dress up like Hitlers?" Is it a Halloween song? I actually did dress up like Hitler one Halloween; I could not think of anything scarier. Cha Cha was Cleopatra that year. I was probably around 22 years old. No, I was more like 19 or 20 so maybe the song 22 isn't about me after all. I guess I will have to keep working and forget about my royalty checks from Taylor. I have to get over that thinking everything is about me thing.

My three-day weekend comes to an end tonight. It is odd how that one extra day off makes such a big difference. Now I have to turn back into a vampire again. Today's blog sure does have a Halloween theme today doesn't it?

It took me longer than usual into the blog to mention Dirty Laundry Podcast. I hope Cha Cha remembered to upload it from iTunes because she left on the train this morning (I dropped her at the station at 07:11) and she still has not reached Evanston (Illinois) at 10:53. We heard all of the reports on the radio about some train delays and she has had to stop at several stations and wait for different trains... It's times like this when people need a little Dirty Laundry Podcast - be prepared! By the time she gets to the Evanston office it will be time for her to come home. Also, check out the Dirty Laundry Podcast Facebook page to see the short cartoon of our show produced by The Lost Sock. It makes me laugh every time I watch it - which is a lot.

Poker in the rain (good combo)

I am really in a mood to play some poker. I know that is random but so is the blog so, in that, it is not random.

Thanks a lot for stopping by the blog and listening to the podcast. I really appreciate you. Have a great day and night and another weekend is just around the corner for you. Hopefully you are not where there is going to be constant rain and storms like there is supposed be here in the MIDDLEwest. I have to spend about six or seven hours outside tonight in the chance of storms; it won't be the first time or the last. I like the rain so I don't mind too much. Thanks again. TTTT...MITM (out)