Thrashers vs. Capitals

I was at the Atlanta Thrasher's game Sunday afternoon. What an exciting time. Hockey is just a blast in person. I would rather be at a hockey game than a baseball or football game. It is just fast entertainment with very little down time.

Exciting stuff?! The girl behind me got nailed in the throat with a puck in the first period. Although scared and shaken up, like I would be if I had been hit with a puck traveling almost 100 miles an hour, she was okay. To make matters worse, in the confusion she sat in her nachos making a big mess. Her dad almost caught the puck before it hit her, but he had to come over from three seats away. I didn't even get to reach for it. I saw it come off the stick, just over the glass headed straight for me, and was pulling my girlfriend back when it sliced up and by us. (Yes, I was pulling her out of the way, not in front of me.) Like most hockey fans, the injured girl was tough and managed to get back in her seat for the second period. Oh yeah!

Later in the game, 6' 6" Thrasher Andy Sutton on a fast break not only scored, but he also laid out the defenseman and goalie, and then landed on top of them. What a way to add insult to injury! For a big guy, he managed to be in on a few fast breaks. He is a great young player.

Did I mention Sumo Hockey between periods?

I do have one serious complaint. Who are the wussies sitting in front of the glass? At the old Atlanta Night games people were on the glass beating the hell out of it. At all the games I have seen this season, nobody is on the glass. Okay two girls were slapping at it like President Bush slapping at multi-syllable word, but nobody was beating it hard when a Thrasher had an opponent pinned up against it. We need people on the glass who are vicious and have major mental problems. How about pulling people out of the cheap seats every game and putting them on the glass? How about letting the Atlanta police bring some state prisoners there instead of to the Fulton County lockup?

Well, the Thrashers won. The new free agent goalie Dafoe was not spectacular in any sense of the word, but neither was Atlanta's defense. Still the game was exciting and great family fun.

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Warren Sapp does not like being called a cheap shot artist.

Man, by the way this clown talks you think football matters in the real world.

"This is a man that (has) never taken a snap in this league, right?" he said. "How would he know anything about respect or what goes on within the game? Don't talk to me unless you been in the trenches, please."

Respect? For somebody who plays a game for a living? Trenches? Big boy has not been in the trenches. Trenches are not in the middle of a football field.

"(Sherman) violated me. He crossed my field, on my day, after our win and violated us and violated me personally. He called me outside my name in a vicious way, as I looked at it, and I said it and I had to let him know I didn't appreciate that."

Violated you? Please.

This man has been violated!

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Lane Ranger points out how motorcyclists in the mountains endanger bicyclists.

Nothing new here. Nothing new at all.

Some, and probably the vast minority of, motorcyclists ride too aggressively in the mountains. They speed, cross the yellow line, ride too fast, and endanger themselves and others. They also unfairly hurt the reputation of most other motorcyclists. Jason Morris is not he first cyclist to be hurt by a motorcyclist and will not be the last. Reckless motorcyclists in the "six gap" area are notoriously dangerous.

The motorcyclists complaints about cyclists may be correct. Some ride two or more abreast; state law allows two abreast as far to the right as safely possible. I have even gone as far to pass autos coming down the mountains. Seriously though, how many times have you heard about a bicyclist hitting a car or motorcycle and injuring somebody other than himself?

Motorcyclist who speed and cross the yellow line endanger many people. This happens frequently in the mountains of North Georgia. It would be nice if a concerted effort could make the mountains a safer place for all.

On a side note, while in Puerto Rico during October, I got to see a motorcyclist wreck up-close-and-personal. While my girlfriend and I were walking down a road in the El Yunque rainforest, some guy came roaring down the road on a Harley waving his hands in the air, showing off to his buddies. The road was very curvy, and at the next curve he miss the bars as he tried to grab the grips again. Luckily he was okay after cart wheeling the bike, because if he had been hurt, it would not have been nearly as freaking hilarious as it was.

"Wave your hands in the air like you don't care"

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