Look! It’s Real Hockey(ish) Played By Real Hockey Players

I went to Puck Drop today, and this wordy, photo filled post summarizes my day. Carry on at your own risk.

Hahaha

Two funny bits out of the first rookie-only day of training camp:

- Lindy saying he keeps his skates on around Tyler Myers to avoid being intimidated. While I doubt the tall little Baby Sabre could intimidate Lindy, Tyler has to be gargantuan on skates.

- I was watching the Channel 2 News, and the sportscast featured some footage shot by Adam Begnini. Well, Zach Kassian was making like the hard charging player he is, and next thing you know, DOWN GOES BEGNINI! Both Begnini and the camera were alright, but I like that Kassian is showing fire and brimstone right away.

- It’s not Sabres related, but the NHL Twitter feed was sharing updates from player interviews being conducted for their new social networking site. In case anyone cares, Sidney Crosby’s favorite Mighty Duck is Charlie Conway. Aww, Charlie. He grew up into quite a nice little mallard…if you know what I mean.

That’s Not Something You Read In Rocks for Jocks

Perusing the Buffalo News this morning, I cam across this little tidbit about Paul Posluszny. He apparently does not have a television in his dorm room at camp, and the story picks up from there:

“I didn’t bring one last year,” Posluszny said. “Last year I was just so nervous about everything I didn’t have time to watch TV. So this year I said that’s fine, I don’t need one. I’ll catch the news in the morning, and I can keep myself busy without it.”

Posluszny owns a computer but he doesn’t have a laptop, so he doesn’t have that for a diversion at camp, either. He’s resorting to old-fashioned media to get away from football; he’s reading a book.

“I’m in the middle of a pretty good book right now, ‘Guns, Germs and Steel.’ It’s about why certain cultures, particularly the Europeans,developed the way they did,” he said.

The book, by Jared Diamond, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1998.

That’s not something you read – or even gain an interest in – in the simple classes that most collegiate athletes are shunted into. Seriously though, how many collegiate athletes are involved in athletic training / physical education / exercise science / general studies programs? I realize that those programs are the ones that usually co-exist the most peacefully with an athlete’s schedule, but what happens when they enter the real world (either instead of or after a professional career)? A physical education degree will only get you so far.

I like that Poz has a finance degree and that he graduated a semester early. I like that Crunchy appears to have gone back to school to finish his business degree (An internet search shows him with a 2005 graduation date. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. I just like that he’s older than me, but graduated two years after me.)

And that’s not where I thought this entry would go at all.

Campy Goodness

Through next Tuesday, Sabres youngins will be participating in prospect camp (Camp Junior Morningwood) at Dwyer Arena on the Niagara University campus. Judging from some of the comments made in the media by the prospects, this is a hard core camp.

Tim Kennedy reports on Sabres.com that some days they’re even starting sessions at 6 or 7am. I realize that these guys are (reasonably) grown adults, but I would love, love, love if Lindy and JP were responsible for waking these guys up in the morning. They would completely be my new heroes if they woke up the littlest Sabres the same way the Canisius ‘01 and ‘02 Orientation Staffs used to wake up their darling freshmen charges. (That would be a wiffle ball bat / lacrosse stick to the door, and loud music blaring in the hallways. It was great fun. Heh heh heh.)

Why do I find it really amusing that Sabretooth is attending Camp Junior Morningwood?

I guess this just shows you that even mascots need some reinforcement of their techniques.

- I’m really glad that the Sabres extended qualifying offers to all of their RFAs. Although this is just a formality, its just one step closer to getting C-Mac, Paille and Goose under contract. I personally expect Goose to be the hardest negotiation, since he is the RFA with the most experience and really stepped up to the plate this past season. But on the other hand, I do remember the story of his last negotiation, where he called his agent on a Friday to get the deal done, and he was signed by Monday.

- Also, I’ve been reading a very interesting thread on Sabresfans.com, regarding Darcy Tucker’s agent’s appearance on WGR this morning. While Tucker has been bought out by the Leafs, he would prefer not to move his family far from the GTA. His agent admitted that Tucker has considered Buffalo as a destination (whether Buffalo has considered Tucker, is of course, another story). What’s interesting to note is that Tucker and Gaustad share an agent. The agent noted that it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities for Gaustad to call Tucker and discuss the organization. Veeeery interesting. I wonder if this will develop into anything?

- And for all of the Sabres PR gaffes, at least they haven’t thrown any former players as far under the bus as the Florida Panthers did to Olli Jokinen. What they did was way harsh.