The Ducks recently held their Power Player auditions (i.e. the girls with the snow shovels three times a period). A lot of other teams are doing the same and recently I’ve noticed a big opinion rift concerning the idea of female bare midriffs skating around during commercial breaks.
The Ducks were one of the first teams to introduce ice girls and I (like many strongly opinionated females) was initially appalled by the idea. I even remember reading a Ducks employee writing in his blog something along the lines of “…aah, bare midriffs cleaning the ice. Now I know I’m home.”
**eeeewwwwww!!!**
Now, I’m not some feminist whack-job who burned her bra in the ‘60s, doesn’t shave her armpits or has a girlfriend named “Steve”. I simply believe women should be respected for who they are and not be objectified.
However, once I came to my senses, I remembered that the male brain is not wired that way.
(And by the way, neither is the female brain – we check out the hot dudes too!)
Everyone responds to eyecandy. Plus other sports utilize chicks in more pointless fashion. Football cheerleaders just jump around a bunch, at least ice girls are actually doing something useful!
The Ducks Adam Brady’s coverage can be found here (complete with cool photos).
The average ice girl job is part time and the pay rate (last time I checked) is around $13 an hour. Not exactly a get rich quick scheme.
Most of the girls I have met are in college, love hockey and are definitely not bimbos. I say, if you’re pretty, in good shape and can work it, use what you’ve got while you have it. The window of opportunity for us females is a lot shorter than for guys and we need to use it while we can. Remember the old saying; women get older, men become more distinguished.
There’s also a little thing called “free will”. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. If you go in with your eyes open and know what you are getting into, then I say knock yourself out! More power to you and if you manage to leverage a bit of celebrity for yourself, then you’ve accomplished more than the average person.
The blogs where women are complaining about the objectification of ice girls are – as far as I can tell – being spearheaded by women who have self-esteem issues and are the same type of person who takes offense when a male coworker complements them on their new haircut.
I need to stop. If I go on like this, it’s going to turn into a huge rant about how unattractive women just love to bag on attractive women instead of trying to improve themselves and that would be stupid, petty and just plain pointless.
Gotta give a shout out to Debbie over at the Kings who was the first lady to prove to me the girls are smart, sassy and definitely a force to be reckoned with!
I now have to relinquish my bragging rights. I was so proud of my Ducks for eschewing the practice of trotting out retro, throwback, alternate, third, whathaveyou jerseys and sticking to their primary design.
**SIGH** Recently, the Ducks announced they will be unveiling an alternate jersey this upcoming season. The official press release said that the organization had held off because the current design hadn’t been in place long enough and they wanted fans to get used to it before offering an alternative. They also assure the fans that we are going love the new design.
Now, let’s think about this for a moment. Let’s have a look at the Ducks jersey history.
In 1992, a mildly amusing film (apologies to Cam Fowler) that was basically a watered down Bad News Bears on ice was released. One year later, Disney decided the L.A. Kings deserved some competition and we were introduced to Wild Wing, duck calls, The Pond and a duck mask jersey.
In fact, the Ducks original jersey was named the “most fashionable” uniform in all of sports at the inaugural ESPY awards in 1997.
Chew on that for a moment. Not just in hockey, but ALL OF SPORTS. The mind reels at the concept.
Then things took a turn for the worse. The “Anaheim” baseball-style jersey was bad enough, but words cannot convey the horror of the cartoon monstrosity.
So, what exactly do we have to look forward to? The team isn’t old enough to justify a throwback jersey and the previous two alts do not bode well for the future.
I pray they don’t go the way of the Kings with their “blackout” jerseys or (even worse) the hideous designs of the Tampa Bay Lightning (BOLTS) or the Ottowa Senators (SENS). Oh, and one cannot discuss bad jerseys without throwing in the barber poles on acid as displayed by the Montreal Canadiens.
Going back to bashing the Kings for a moment, at a game shortly after their turd jersey had been unveiled, I wondered aloud to my companion why so many people were wearing the ugly monstrosities. A season ticket holder – sporting a stylish 99 throwback sweater – piped up; “because they’re on sale”.
To me, the best and most iconic alternate jerseys currently are the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks.
I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my Ducks don’t screw it up this time. But then again, what could possibly be more awful than the cartoon Wild Wing?
Wait, how does the old saying go? Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it will.
**shudder**
Ooh! I almost forgot! I stumbled across the Habs look for next season:
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t it been two week since the Finnish Flash’s manager said he would make a decision? At least Scotty had the good graces to let us know prior to the draft in order to loosen up the cap, but Selanne dragging his skates is going to really begin to screw things up pretty soon.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…
Shit or get off the pot!
So, where exactly are we right now as Cam Fowler, Emerson Etem, Nick Bonino and Dan Sexton stand around looking at each other saying “uhhhhhhh…”
Okay, this is Rumour Control. Here are the facts.
Teemu has expressed an interest in returning to the Ducks if they did not go into “rebuilding” mode.
Via Twitter, Adam Brady of the Ducks organization, poo-poohed the idea that the team are “rebuilding”.
Teammate and fellow Finn, Saku Koivu reported that Teemu has been working out as intensely as a player who intends to stay on the roster.
All indicators are pointing at Teemu’s decision hinging on how the Ducks defense will shape up. Steve Eminger was dealt (thank goodness!) to the New York Rangers for left wing Aaron Voros and prospect Ryan Hillier. Could his decision also be hinging on what the Ducks decide to do about James Wisniewski?
Hopefully we will find out soon.
And now, it’s time to get ready for the ever-boring MLB All Star Game!
In addition to being a goaltender, Jiggy is also The Last Ice Bender
It’s been reported this morning that Rob Niedermayer has signed with the Buffalo Sabres for one year. Boy, talk about a guy who can’t sit still! I guess New Jersey wasn’t cold enough for him. Let’s hear it for “lake effect” snow which – as one of my colleagues described it – “sucks”.
After a breakout rookie debut last season, Dan Sexton (aka Big Sexy) couldn’t take the pressure and got busted back down to the ECHL. But despite the setback, Danny’s attending conditioning camp, still maintains a positive attitude and is looking forward to proving himself once again.
With regard to the fans, Sexton said, “For a rookie to come up for 28 games, he could easily be forgotten. That happens to plenty of guys. But to look up in the stands and see people wearing my jersey was just surreal.”
So I raise a glass to the little guy (who is neither big nor sexy), the man who wears the Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything {42} and I wish him the best of luck and hope to see him wingin’ it next season.
The full interview with the Ducks Adam Brady can be found here.
There was a time when the Ducks were not known for delicacy or finesse, but rather for their ability to turn a game into a street brawl of epic proportions.
The following video takes the notion of “don’t mess with our goaltender” to a whole other plane of existence.
It’s also a reminder of just how influential Jean-Sébastien Giguère could be on the ice. With one little bump and a liberal trapper facewash, he manages to singlehandedly turn both the Ducks and the Calgary Flames into a couple of packs of ravening hyenas. It’s totally nuts. It’s more ridiculous than anything in “Slap Shot”.
At one point, the game’s three on three and there are only two guys on the Calgary bench. If you listen carefully, you can hear the arena announcer attempting to relate all the penalties just as the next brawl breaks out.
The vid is a teensie bit long, but totally worth it. Especially when everything escalates to the point of no return after a Duck blatantly slams the Flames goaltender in the mask with his stick. So, would that be a cross check or a face check?
Another fun aspect of watching this is checking out the names on the jerseys as well as trying to tally up all the penalties, ejections and suspensions.
If only Jiggy had been micked up. It would have been fun hearing him spewing French Canadian obscenities at the Flamers.
International inline hockey action for the next few days is being hosted by The Rinks in Anaheim and iFan Sports Network is carrying the games live online (although the broadcast image I’m getting is really, really tiny).
Opening day saw the newest Duckling Emerson Etem always hard at work, dropping the puck, talking to the media and encouraging the kids.
More excitement at The Rinks this week running through Saturday, Conditioning Camp where all us nobodies can get up close and personal with the likes of Cam Fowler, Emerson Etem, Peter Holland, Kyle Palmieri, Jake Gardiner and Mark Mitera, Dan Sexton, Nick Bonino and MacGregor Sharp.
Still no word on Teemu Selanne. I swear, I’m running out of finger nails!
And has Bobby Ryan turned into a money hog? **sigh** more wait and see!!!
“So waddaya think? Buy you a soda after the game?”
After I posted yesterday, the Ducks signed Sabres D-Man Toni Lydman to a 3-year deal. Now, the guy’s got talent, knows how to integrate himself well and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a Finn, but, is anyone but me a little uncomfortable with the idea of three years for a guy who is 37-years-old? Do we need a specialized penalty killer that badly?
Hmmm, I just perplexed myself. We just might. Have to meditate on that one a little more.
Bob Murray had previously intimated there was no way the Ducks were going to let Bobby Ryan go. To date, Bobby has turned down two (in my mind) generous offers. It sounds to me like someone’s agent is pulling a Boras and their client is being swayed by the smell of crisp greenbacks.
Will the Wonderfinns Reunite?
With the resigning of Saku Koivu to a 2-year deal, the likelihood of one more year with Teemu Selanne seems more likely. What surprised me was that Murray flat-out said that Koivu would not be considered for the captaincy. What the eff, man? Maybe he’s thinking in terms of longevity. If that’s the case, it’s looking more and more likely the guy wearing the big “C” will be Getzlaf.
What’s up with Wiz?
Once again I appear to bucking a trend. Why is everyone so interested in retaining James Wisniewski? He’s been branded a “repeat offender” and the Ducks don’t need any more brute force on the ice.
Teemu Update!
According to recently resigned Saku Koivu, Selanne has been working out on a regular basis – something players usually don’t do if they’re not planning on returning.
Goaltender Jean-Philippe Levasseur has been signed to a 1-year extension. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets called up to play more than one game this year or if he’ll be able to nab the number 2 spot. I’m hoping that now that he’s been resigned, he will be more inclined to submit to an interview!
The other two free agents who have resigned are defenseman Sheldon Brookbank (2-year extension) and center Kyle Chipchura (1-year extension).
Unrestricted players are Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Aaron Ward, Brian Salcido, Joey MacDonald, Kyle Calder, Brennan Evans and Ryan Donally. Of course, we still haven’t heard a decision from Teemu yet which has everything to do with what direction the team will take when approaching final decisions regarding the likes of Koivu, Calder, Ryan and Wisniewski.
Qualifying offers have been made to Bobby Ryan, James Wisniewski and Brendan Mikkelson. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens!
The Ducks did not make a qualifying offer to left winger Bobby Bolt, which leaves him twisting in the wind while hanging out with family in his home town of Thunder Bay, Ont. Anaheim picked up Bobby back in the 2005 Entry Draft, but as far as I can tell, he didn’t develop as they thought he would and he spent much of last season displeased with the organization (yes, another player who declined to be interviewed).
Speaking of wings, we also acquired left wing/center Jason Jaffray from the Calgary Flames in exchange for left wing Logan MacMillan. Jaffray made his NHL debut Decemeber 12, 2007 with Vancouver, scoring his first goal against J.S. Giguere.
In case anyone in the NHL hasn’t noticed, according to SI.com, Scott Niedermayer is still an unrestricted free agent, so Florida, ya might wanna jump on that one!
Now, before I start gushing about Cam Fowler, I have to set the record straight about the booing. Every source I have been to has reported that most of the 11,000+ people at Staples Center were booing Cam. If you were in attendance last Friday afternoon, you know that’s not true. The booing began as soon as the word “Anaheim” began emerging from the announcer’s mouth.
It didn’t come over very well on VERSUS. On TV, it sounded mild and petty. Live it was raccous, throaty and really, really loud. And it wasn’t just Kings fans. Everyone not wearing a Ducks jersey – from Blackhawks to Redwingers – joined in as well.
I just about fell out of my seat laughing my ass off. Fortunately I didn’t spill my plastic cup of $15 Stella Artois.
Okay, back to business.
The Anaheim Ducks first draft pick (12th overall) was Cam Fowler, the 18-year-old Windsor Spitfire defenseman who has patterned his style of play on a man he may very well be replacing, Scott Niedermayer.
That’s drama enough, but on top of that, Fowler (btw, how’s that for a perfect duckling name?) agreed to be micked up and filmed during the Draft, since pretty much everyone expected him to go within the first five or so.
Ah life, where would we be without pain?
When I first saw the video, I thought oh, ha-ha, let’s watch the kid squirm a bit. But after the eighth pick went by, I started feeling like the schoolyard bully who shouts “Hah! Two for flinching!”
Oh sure, we can be jerks and get sarcastic and say poor baby, he’s only getting drafted by the NHL! But that’s forgetting his youth and inexperience with the world in general. Think about it this way, what were YOU doing when you were 18? Probably not travelling to a city you’d never been to with family and friends to attend an event that might very well decide your fate for the rest of your life.
Okay, so Fowler has been to L.A. before, but you know what I’m getting at!
To his credit, Cam proved himself a man and sucked it up as best he could, but when his name was finally called, the relief that washed over him was absolutely palpable. The other super-cool thing that happened was the fact that the Ducks hierarchy were just as excited, pelting up to the podium and practically pinching themselves to make sure they’d actually landed such a promising prospect.
And it wasn’t just the Ducks who were shocked how far Cam fell. Said now-Dallas Star Jack Campbell, “I don’t know how Cam Fowler got to 12. Anaheim got, in my opinion, the best player in the Draft. Cam is going to have an unbelievable career in the NHL.”
Of course, as Campbell is a goaltender, we all know that’ll turn into “goddmmitsonuvabitch!!!” the first time Fowler scores on him.
I can already tell his new teammates are going to have a lot of fun with this guy. He comes across as honest, genuine and just disingenuious enough to open himself up to teasing.
When asked about having his jersey handed to him by Niedermayer and shaking hands with everyone, Fowler said the experience was unreal and everything else just sort of blacked out after that.
He also was quoted saying, “I was a huge fan when they were making the Mighty Ducks movies. I was actually sad to see those purple jerseys go…”
Wow.
I don’t know anyone – and I mean ANYONE – who liked the Ducks movies. So does that statement fall under bravery, innocence, or ‘other’?
Hmmm, makes me wonder what he though about the cartoon programme…
The Ducks recently held their Power Player auditions (i.e. the girls with the snow shovels three times a period). A lot of other teams are doing the same and recently I’ve noticed a big opinion rift concerning the idea of female bare midriffs skating around during commercial breaks.
Gotta give a shout out to Debbie over at the Kings who was the first lady to prove to me the girls are smart, sassy and definitely a force to be reckoned with!
FanSided
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