June

June 27 – Time for a periodic drop in to reinforce that I still exist.

Gay Pride – not to be homophobic but if the picture below is an indicative sample of “the crowd”, I would be inclined to support Mayor Ford and skip the parade and go to the cottage as well. In fact, I would simply stay home and sort my sock drawer as a better option.

From the Barcelona Spain parade – a charming specimen.

Birthday “1” – On June 28, our Grandson hits his first birthday milestone. On Sunday we celebrated this monumental event with a horde of rug rats (Becky’s Moms group) and a bunch of “kinfolk” and friends. Poor Ben was so tired by the end I don’t know if he knew up from down but he was a trooper – despite all the mugging and mauling he got from other kids at the party and all the “Hey Bens” he got from the horde of photographers, cinematographers and such that were there to seek his attention and to record all these priceless moments for posterity (or to blackmail the kid when he gets older). Of course yours truly was one of the offenders, particularly when I saw that his totally misguided father had him dressed in a “Braves” jersey. What’s with that! Were the Detroit ones all sold out?

As you can see from the “like father / like son” shot it seems to be a hereditary problem.

It also seems that a new custom for little one birthday parties is to have a smoosh or moosh or mush cake specifically for the guest of honour to literally “dig into”. Ben apparently has this concept figured out as he made a valiant effort at several face plants, fist squishes and stuff faces. Here is one action shot – there are a bunch more on my Facebook site.

One has to wonder how table manners are ever taught to recipients of this type of early training. It is probably a lot like “imprinting” with visions of Ben at some formal dinner in the future going face first into the crème brûlée. Good luck with that.

Research! – Or is it procrastination or looking for an out? Back in the time tunnel when I used to do research for a living (chalk up another career), I used to have one hard and fast rule for clients. Identify and agree up front on the “expected use of results (EUR)”. Research at best should be an input to the decision making process, not the be all and end all,  as it has a number of inherent shortcomings. Even so, if you plan to do it, do it right. Unless it is exploratory qualitative it should not come across as a fishing trip.  The EUR should be clearly defined up front saying if I get A i will do B, if I get C I will do D.

The release date of the OHF “no body checking” announcement was May 4. That is almost two months ago. Since then, the issue has been brought up regularly, there have been MOHA elections and an AGM where a point of view, “referendum” and, or discussion could have been tabled. To the best of my knowledge, none of that was done in any meaningful fashion, but now, an undefined survey being sent only to those registered in certain groups with a four day response window “will determine the direction to be taken by the MOHA with regard to bodychecking or no-bodychecking”!!

So folks – what are the EURs or criteria for making the decision? How many people, in what age group(s) must respond for or against to be considered as reasonable and representative for the decision – does it need to be a certain percentage of the members or if you get five back and three say “No” is checking out? Does it apply unilaterally to all age groups or only those voting accordingly?

Theoretically, the Executive and Board are elected to represent the members and make decisions on their behalf. Decisions based on experience, sound judgement, an analysis of the situation, the available “facts” and on what is the right thing to do for the members they represent That should be the process or get new representation. They should be able to demonstrate and explain their decisions on a coherent, reasonable and defensible basis. That decision making, especially on as important an issue as this, should not be literally or ostensibly abdicated to “survey says”!

Piecemeal responses to a half baked survey that is likely completed by a limited number of un or under-informed individuals and swayed by “rabid” proponents of one side or the other is a lousy way to make a decision like this and by its nature, any results that do come in can be interpreted any way someone wants and then let them say “Well this is what our members wanted”.

Remember, there are lies, damn lies and statistics!

Weekend – In the summer some of us tend to hibernate from the sports scene. This was not true in my sojourn at MOHA as the summer months were typically a blur of preparation for the annual September “launch”. Now that I am a gentleman of leisure (outside of my 24 hour a day real job), I could do a bunch of “sporty” things – but I often don’t. This weekend, was a case in point as I passed on, the NHL draft, golf, The Queen’s Plate, Wimbleton, Blue Jays, FIFA and a whole whack of other options. Instead I did some of those “Honey Do” jar items, resuscitated my old notebook (cumulative updates are a b____h), downloaded some Dexter, did the birthday party thing and got in some lazy reading in the new, freshly constructed and anchored gazebo. Our old 10 X 10 unit had clearly exceeded its best before date and had a not so pleasant encounter with some “extreme” winds, so we replaced it with a 10 X 12 which has a noticeably different footprint on the deck but is much nicer for “inside” space. Nothing better than lounging in the gazebo with the tunes on, a cold beverage and another Clive Cussler novel on the go – I finished Spartan Gold in the  Fargo Adventure Series and have now moved on to The Spy in the Isaac Bell Series. Cussler has a great “scam” going. He has established himself as a great fiction adventure writer with a number of titles in the Dirk Pitt genre but is now writing “with” a number of other writers who take second billing on the jacket. This lets the Cussler name sell books but allows him to come out with more series and more titles aka more books / more money every year. I am not knocking him – they are usually pretty good reads and that is all I worry about. It is sort of like a CC Seal of Approval process.

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June 20 – Post Father’s Day Monday! I was supposed to be jetting off to Halifax this afternoon and was looking forward to snaggeling some of them there red lobster boys, to be supplemented with hot melted garlic butter mussels and washed down with copious quantities of Moorehead Moosehead Ale BUT, the best laid plans do often go awry and I am in both deferred mode and tasked with findind something to eat at home when I was not expected to be there mode.

Fathers Day – was glorious weather but not relaxing. Our old gazebo had seen better days and was carted off to the dump earlier this year. We had picked up a new one and I chose yesterday to assemble it. Remember, with a gazebo, there is no shade until you get the roof on and that takes a while. It was hot.

I also discovered that no self respecting do-it-yourselfer should be without my newest handy tool. The Telescoping Magnet Thing-a-ma-jig. Apparently inventing for fat fingered mechanics who dropped little pieces in car engines, this little gizmo works great to pick up those little items in hard (read impossible) to get at areas.

Let me tell you it also works on custom designed gazebo brackets that some bozo dropped and with uncanny accuracy managed to slide through the deck plank space between the house and board one. While unpacking all the 8,000 pieces Saturday night, I managed to pull off this stunt and then sat looking at it going “Oh S__T” – how do I get this back. I can’t get under the deck, I can’t reach through, Andrew won’t fit either, the cat is not trained on fetch and I don’t want to start tearing up 2” X 6”s!

So after a pensive Guinness, I had a Socratic moment – “Eureka” – one word – “MAGNET”! So Sunday morning off to my favourite Canadian tire Store. Of the many options I grabbed two at $7.99 each – the 24” flexible and the 25” telescoping model. Toddling home, I wandering into the back yard, climbed onto the deck, poked the little probe down where I though it when and WHAMMO – instantly hooked a big one. Pulled it up and out and good to go! How have I managed without these all these years? Now, if they only had one for plastic and other "stuff"!

8-lb. Telescoping Magnet   Product #25-3262-0

Only $7.99 - buy a couple (It doesn't weigh 8 lb - it will lift that much)!

He’s back – Great news for Wings fan as it looks like Lidstrom will be back next year. In a team that is getting older, this type of “aged one” on defence is a good thing. He is one of the most efficient and effective D men around, regardless of age and as captain, a key part of the winged Wheel crowd. The Leafs on the other hand has kayoed a couple of assistant coaches but left Wilson in place. Will that charmed life survive another season like 2010/11? I suspect most Leaf fans hope not.

Controversy Continues – Now a study says there is lower risk of injury in Bantam if body checking is introduced in Peewee. Very sketchy info and shades of my study is better than your study but I don’t like my study anyway because I don’t like body checking!

“Older than Dirt” – Occasionally Regularly, All the time, people send me these things. Sometimes I actually glance at them, very occasionally I really read them. This is one of the “read ‘em” ones:

Read the list and count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about

Ratings at the bottom.

1. Candy cigarettes

2. Coffee shops with tableside juke boxes

3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles

4. Party lines on the telephone

5. Newsreels before the movie

6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels [if you were fortunate])

7. Peashooters

8. Howdy Doody

9. 45 RPM records

10. Hi-fi's

11. Metal ice trays with lever

12. Blue flashbulb

13. Cork popguns

14. Studebakers

15. Wash tub wringers

If you remembered 0 - 3 = You're still young

If you remembered 3 - 6 = You are getting older

If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age,

If you remembered 11-15 =You're older than dirt!

FYI – I scored a “Perfect 15” and am clearly “Older than Dirt”.

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June 16 – Thumbs Up! -  to Boston and Tim Thomas! Although outshot almost two to one, they looked like they were in control throughout the game and wanted to win. Vancouver – not so much. They also beat the “home ice” bugaboo they had going and did it convincing.

Thumbs Down! - to the so called Vancouver fans both inside and outside the rink. Inside the level of post game award time “booing” just was not at all sportsmanlike and even if it was as some suggest directed at The tiny Perfect Commish and not Boston it still came across as bush.

As far as the hooligans and vandals outside the arena are concerned, I have no intention of dignifying their behaviour by giving it any air time. I hope they ID, charge and prosecute anyone involved in the vandalism, looting or destruction of property.

Great triple play to promote our wonderful country for the tourism trade – sport riots, airlines strikes and no mail. It does not get any better than this.

Kingston - I unfortunately missed the first period as I did not get back from my Eastern swing until after 9:00 PM Later than I intended. While I tried to suggest that I was visiting Kingston, not Millhaven, it turns out that at 5:00 PM instead of being halfway home, I was sitting in the beautiful Kingston Division Street Police Station!

Turns out that while checking out one of our location, a woman decided to back into the side of my colleagues vehicle. We were parked in a well marked parking spot with nobody near us but (insert female driver comment here). . .  Anyway, the police don’t come for these “minor” dings. You have to go to them, and do the paperwork, get a number, get a sticker and get pictures . . .  No wonder we were late. Then on the way home on 401, there was a major pile-up on the 401 Eastbound as it was literally stopped for miles with traffic diverted off at a prior exit after at least one transport and car had a close encounter of the worst kind, including a fire. Have not seen any info on that but it did not look good.

Crass Merchandisers – In my emails from last night I received my offer  from www.shop.canada.nhl.com offering my the opportunity to purchase Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Championship Gear.

The breadth and depth of the assortment, available 12.5 seconds after the final buzzer was just astounding. A couple of personal favourites:

Great American Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions Trailer Hitch (Pretty cheap at just $21.99 CAD)

If you don't happen to have a trailer hitch that needs a cap:

Forever Collectibles Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 2011 Stanley Cup Champions Bobblehead

 (A “Must have” at only $29.99 CAD

Finally, my personal favourite and must have for all who take the game seriously -

Mustang Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions Drinking Tube Beverage Tower - 100 ounces! (A steal for only $339.99 CAD)

And these are just three of probably hundreds of items being flogged on this site alone. A good indication of the “Businee of Sport” Sorry Toto – You're not in a game any more!

Just think of the throwaway costs on all the dies, moulds, screens, samples etc., the were also setup preparing for the outcome of Vancouver Canucks – 2011 Champs – NOT! All of which are quickly and ruthlessly destroyed.

Interesting that the only items not on the list are authentic or replica sweaters as there are different licensing agreements in place for that type of merchandising - all of these feature the "NHL" Stanley Cup crest, not just a true Bruins logo!.

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June 14 – Two days in a row! Holy Hot Darn!

Stanley's Mug - Vancouver and especially Luongo must be thanking their lucky stars that they have home ice advantage as it is clear that they have an issue in Boston. The Bruins have owned them in their building. Vancouver on the other hand has three “one” goal wins in their barn and have to be wondering if their luck has run out.

I am not the only one looking at these numbers but when a team has been outscored 19 – 8 over six games they have to be thankful that there even is a seventh game. It also points out how important that Thomas’ play has been to the Bruins and regardless of the outcome of game 7, he will win the Conn Smythe and he absolutely deserves it.

What a four minutes in the first period of game 6. Vancouver looked like they were shell shocked as in “how can this happen”? The rest of the game was mostly going through the motions even though Boston did not get too casual until the third when nothing short of a “Leaf” like collapse was going to hurt them.

OMHA – The OMHA AGM was typically uneventful with essentially the OMHA forwarded motions passed and most of the third party ones defeated. You can check the list on the OMHA site if you are interested. The big exception was that the Zebras will be getting a pay raise. In most cases it works out to $2 a head for each game at each level in the two man system. For the 3 man system, the lower levels remain unchanged but the older age groups get a bump. The special red armed guys pick up an extra $4 a game and the no bands get $2.

The motion was “Carried as Amended “, but the amended detail was not listed and I was not there, so we will have to see what the “amended” was. It would have had to have been accepted as a “friendly” amendment or it could not have carried. The $4 a games may not seems like much but it adds up. An Atom 10/10/10 game currently at $20 per official goes to $22 – a nice 10% increase (I could use one of those). Look at it another way the 10/10/10 fits in a 50 minute ice hour which translates into a pretty decent hourly rate.

Body Checking – such a fun topic these days. Just a quick note today to add to yesterday's rant and to continue to stir the pot. (By the way, the “check with Legal” line of thought from my erstwhile colleague was both brilliant and to the point – I wish I had mentioned it first based on my own activity with the shysters). Anyway, the Brampton site says in their regs that players must be residents of Brampton to play on their Intra City teams! If that is correct, they are not local league and are in the same pail of worms as MOHA. Do I hear shotgun wedding bells. Problem is, shotgun weddings tend to lead to messy divorces! (I will no doubt catch it for that 20 so politically incorrect comment). Besides, based on my own experience coaching against Brampton teams in Exhibition and Tournament games, they would not be high on my candidate list for best buddy.

Links – reminds me why I am not big on Links pages. People change their URLs and then they don’t work. Some 10 year old programming genius should quit working on viruses and hacking and invent a Link Crawling Validator / Fixer-Upper to keep web sites current. He could make a gazillion dollars. I just tried two on mine and they were both broke so I fixed them. If you find more, let me know and I might fix them to (or not).

Gotta go – Sport Oakville meeting tonight and I’m on the road to Kingston tomorrow – Kingston I said – not Millhaven!!

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June 13 – Welcome to the June "Monday" Blog. Two weeks into June and I have hit two days - both Mondays!

Catan - the Land of - Once again the Moorehead family is way out there ahead of the curve. I was listening to Q107 this AM (it is FM but it was in the AM) and in one of the segments Maureen Holloway was raving about this new board game that is apparently all the rage – "the New Monopoly" according to Mo – and she was talking about a big article in today’s Globe & Mail. The Game? You guessed it – “Settlers of Catan” as talked about by me here – months ago.

Mo was only clued in on the basic game. Wait until she finds out about all the Extension versions (like Cities and Knights) that really make it fun (and frustrating) to play. We have them all – or I should say Andrew does as he was the true discoverer. He also seems to have been boning up on all of the “secret” strategies since he whops us regularly. BUT, his nadir approaches as one of the secrets was “outed” in the article – one word – WHEAT!

For those of you wanting to dig into this gaming environment, here is a link to the official web site of The Settlers of Catan Board Game or just click on the box image above..

Stanley Cup – fever is again at a peak in Vancouver as they can snag Lord Stanley’s Mug with a win tonight. When last I wrote, Vancouver had just stolen two one goal games from the Beaners and it did not look good. That was a week ago and since then, the Canucks got handed their heads, twice. In Boston and then got the old 1 – 0 win on home ice to go up 3 – 2. If the Stanley Park boys want the Stanley Cup, they had better either figure out how to win in Boston or pray for another horseshoe infested game on the left coast.

Regardless, my vote for the Conn Smythe goes to Tim Thomas who has been nothing short of incredible so far in this series and has played well through the entire playoff “season”. If he gets the nod (as he should), he will bring to six the number of non-winning team recipients since the award was instituted in 1965. Four of the five non-winners have been goalies – the most recent a Leaf – but not at the time – with J. S. Giguere with the Ducks in 2003.

The five non-winner winners are Roger Crozier, Glenn Hall, Reggie Leach, Ron Hextall, and the aforementioned Jean-Sebastien Giguere).

Note: four of the five are goalies which supports my “you need a hot goalie to win” theory as well as the “build from the net out” truism.

Parallel universe – since no one has anything much to talk/write about and since we are all too busy to write anyway, I will throw a quick caveat in on the House League Body Checking conversations that are floating around everywhere with the usual level of complete misinformation or misunderstanding sprinkled in.

“You” (read Association) can’t just decide what “You” are going to do. At minimum as the saying goes it takes “Two to Tango” (or more), requires planning, and a number of approvals / agreements / schedules need to be in place.

While it may make no difference to anyone, it is also fair to say that the local association Playing Rules (updated a number of years ago for House League only) speak only to rules around House League play and are “silent” on the topic of either Select or Local League level play since that was not considered as appropriate or necessary for the association at that time.

Regardless of the drama in any of the above (which I suspect has not even been considered),  I will use the “bullet” method of sequential point building (sort of like Boolean logic) to outline some of the “facts” around what needs to happen for MOHA House League teams to be able to  participate in games with body checking.

Here we go – follow the bouncing puck to the tune of Final Jeopardy. You will likely have to play it several times as it is only 30 seconds long (that is why they use it as “time-out” music).

See what conclusion YOU come up to when you get to the end.

• Body checking is OUT for House League

• Body checking is OUT for Select

• Body checking is still IN (optional to the league) for Local League play

• To allow body checking, you MUST be Local League

• Select is NOT Local League

• House League, Select and Local League are NOT Representative hockey (just a reminder)

• MOHA is NOT a Local League

• Calling yourself Inter or Intra City does NOT make you Local League

• Playing teams only within your own centre is NOT Local League

• Local League play MUST include teams from other centre(s)

• Local League teams MUST regularly play games against other centre(s) (as their league)

• To have body checking MOHA MUST qualify as Local League

• To qualify as Local League MOHA MUST play other centre(s)

• The other centre(s) MUST want to have body checking

• The other centre(s) MUST qualify as Local League

• The teams MUST be registered as Local League teams

• The OMHA MUST approve the teams as Local League teams

• Parents / Players NEED to know the rules (travel!)

I think I have included it before, but just for fun, here it is again:

From the 2010-2011 OHF Handbook:

“Local League: A House League team, which competes regularly in a local league comprised of a number of centres which must affiliate with their Member Partner.”

And for clarity, two definitions from the 2010-2011 OMHA Manual of Operations:

“”Local League” refers to a group of House League teams from a number of Centres which compete regularly in a recreational league”.

“”Local League Team” is a House League team which competes regularly in a Local League.”

Sounds Reads pretty clear to me.

Whether you agree or disagree with the philosophy of what could be considered as circumventing the ban, it does not happen by magic, the clock is running and it is 5 minutes to midnight!

I have heard all the GTHL teams are going no body checking. That leaves Brampton (yetch), Burlington and Milton as potential dance partners. While I would favour Burlington, they are a member of the Alliance, not OMHA which brings in another set of wrinkles.

BTW – You can still have Red, White and Blue. In the definition of things, those names mean nothing other than internal descriptors (except the Playing Rules say that Red will be contact from MPW up).

Blue Jokes Jays – Do the numbers 35 – 6 mean anything to anyone. At first glance it looks like a Detroit Lions football score (you know who has the 6), but not so. It is the three game weekend run total for the series between our supposedly World Championship contending Blue Jays and one of their arch rivals – the Boston Red Sox.  Yes, the Blue Jokes got the six, and if they had scored all of them in Boston’s lowest scoring game they would have won by one! But they did not and got the broom treatment – convincingly.

They are now two games under .500 and at that rate will chalk up another no playoff year for another of Toronto’s “Pro” sports franchises. If you take the “Big” Three – Leafs – Raptors – Jays, when did Toronto play its last post season game. I think it was the Raptors in 2007-08, The Leafs in 2003-04 and the BJs when they won their second World series in 93? How bad do you have to be to make the Raptors look good?

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June 6 – It is already well into June and I have not come up with anything brilliant even mediocre yet. This past weekend was Milton’s big annual Beer Slo Pitch tournament and the Moorehead boys men (excluding moi) had their co-ed team entered.

I was pleased to see that “sand bagging” is not restricted to hockey, that politics are everywhere, that everybody knows everybody else, and that some folks are universally disliked. Our guys made it yo the semi-finals, surviving monsoon cloudburst Saturday, “almost” unplayable fields and extended delays. They got smacked, so I heard in the semis by a team of ringers who apparently feel that they just had to make sure they won by putting together a ringer “pro” team for a rec slo pitch tournament. I heard as compared to saw even though we were at the game, as Grandpa got tasked with keeping youn Mr. Benjamin amused which translated to walk, and walk and walk. . . .

But it was fun. He definitely has a “personality” and it is hard to believe he will be a year old in just three weeks.

Stanley Cup – looks like it has been the Canucks turn for the breaks, or at least that is what I am calling them since I m cheering for the Bruins or probably more accurately against Vancouver. Two bad losses on critical turnovers one in the last 20 seconds of play and one in the first 11 seconds of OT. Neither should have happened and the OT one especially. Big #33 can’t play soft like I think he has almost since the “big hit” and plays like allowing that wrap around should never happen. I have basically lost interest and the only reason I might watch tonight is in hopes that the “green men” act up and the Boston crowd gives them a taste of Beantown’s Best.

Hockey News- Uhh none! Tis the season of the AGM with lots of exciting news, glowing reports, pitched battles, dark horse candidates, bitterly fought motions, suitcases full of doxies proxies, distraught demonstrators, unruly crowds, yelling and screaming, pitched battles, meaningful discussions – NOT! Those were the good old days. I would comment on the MOHS’s meeting but there is nothing to say except – same-o – same-o! Go read there site if you want the details.

Incumbents re-elected, some empty chairs filled and motions passed, game over, adjourn, go for wings and beer. At least they did not beat our record for the fastest AGM on record which I think was about 17 minutes.

Hockey Canada has had their AGM (head shot rules coming), the OHF has held theirs (no body checking coming), the MOHA has held theirs (nothing coming) and this weekend is the OMHA’s (with ? coming).

The OMHA meeting is always entertaining as there are usually a number of motions being brought forward. These typically fall into two camps. Those brought forward by the OMHA themselves which are often simply housekeeping as they propose amendments to the Manual of Operations so that it really says what they really meant to say but somehow did not.  These are heavily into rubber stamping unless some local association tries to take exception and argue it.

Then there are the motions put forward by “local” associations who often have run afoul of a rule the way it was written – so – let’s bring in a motion to change it – typically soundly defeated. Or, motions put forward by a “local” association who want their “unique” circumstances or fervent desires to be codified for the world – also typically soundly defeated.

The split of the two types is generally about 50/50 although it can swing heavily in favour of the OMHA initiated and supported motions.

The regular “wildcard” motion making its appearance again, relates to giving referees a raise. Typically not brought forward by the OMHA (who likely don’t want to be seen as punching up costs), these motions generally bring out hot debate with two general sides. The smaller centres not adjacent to the GTHL who cry wolf poor and suggest their referees feel they are being adequately compensated and they can’t afford to pay more.  They are usually up against the larger / GTHL adjacent centres who plead that they have to pay more to keep their referees as they are up against much higher rates (GTHL & Beer Leagues) and OMHA capped rates are not competitive.

This year there are at last count 18 motions on the floor for the OMHA AGM.  Nine (50%) from the OMHA. Interestingly, no less than four (4) motions are proposing different flavours of referee rate increases – none of them put forward by the OMHA. Wonder where the locals sit on this topic? If you are an AGM junkie and want to see what wild and wonderful propositions are being put forward, you can down load a copy here.

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