Luc Bourdon

Luc Bourdon died last week, after drifting into the opposing lane of a two-lane highway, on what I can only assume to be twisties, given that it's a NB highway. He was killed instantly when hit head-on by an incoming transport. He was 21. He had a potentially rather promising NHL career ahead of him. He was the pride of Shippagan, NB, a relatively tiny town of 3,000. It's tragic, no question.

I've been without internet at home for the last week, so it took me a while to search this out (and I think they didn't release it right off the bat), but I really wanted to know what kind of bike Bourdon was riding. The answer?



A brand-spanking new 2008 Suzuki GSX-R 1000. Or in other words, a ridiculously crazy crotch rocket. Something that, really, under no circumstances a beginner should have been on.

Here's a YouTube video of the acceleration of a GSR-X 1000 (this is in km):


This person shifts into SECOND at 150km/hr. Into third at 200km/hr. This bike is pretty much the equivalent of attaching a rocket to your ass. This is in addition to the fact that they have touchy throttles (as do pretty much all supersport bikes) and just...aren't friendly for learning at all.

The first bike I rode was a 2001 Triumph TT600 (my partner's). I took it around the block a couple times before I took my course (which was done on a 250cc dirtbike). I then rode it around the city after I took my course. It felt okay. Over the winter, I got a great deal on a 2005 Suzuki SV650s, which I purchased as my first bike. After having ridden it for about 600km, I rode the TT again, to fill it with gas. The difference was STAGGERING. It was right then that I finally understood what everyone was talking about, in terms of learning on a friendlier bike. The throttle is so touchy compared to mine, and it just takes off after about 4,000 rpms. And honestly, mine isn't even the best "beginner" bike - it's classified as something you can "get away with" as a beginner, and is better for intermediates. In retrospect, I am curious how it would have made an impact on my development as a rider if I would have purchased a Kawi Ninja 250/500 as my first, and then progressed to my bike a year later. But honestly, I do tell myself that, while I may not have made the absolute perfect/optimal decision, at least I didn't go with something that can just fly on out from under me.

This just goes right along with my general bafflement with regards to riders who ride in shorts, t-shirts, sandals, bare hands, and in the US, no helmet. Yes, motorcycles are dangerous. Why wouldn't you do everything you can do mitigate that potential risk?

I wrote about this in my other blog yesterday, and got this response from a friend:
sorry, i just don't feel the tragedy of it at all. he did something stupid, he paid the price. i feel bad for the team because they lost a good player, but not for the player: he had his priorities, he lived his desires, and he paid his price. he was stupid: he tried to pass on a curve in the notoriously twisty/no-passing-zone roads of new brunswick, and we should be glad that he didn't take anyone else out with him.

In a way, I agree. In another way, I find it tragic that it illustrates how the whole being 21/feeling invincible/wanting to keep up with your friends works. It's the whole "how would you feel, being the guy on the 250 when all your friends have Gixxers" at work. Obviously, if you don't take your life into your own hands and buy a ridiculously overpowered bike as your first, you cannot possibly be a real man.

And honestly, that is what I find most tragic - the social expectations and pressures that, most likely, were the foundation and groundwork for the events that unfolded.

Chris Bruton and the Memorial Cup

It looks like the base just gives way on the guy as he's trying to hand it off. I love the stunned 'oh fuck, what do we do' moment that follows. And trying to put the cup back on the top. I'm curious if the guy that comes over tells him that it's a replica trophy and not the real one. I would hope that he did, as I know if I was Chris Bruton, I would have been feeling just horrible.

Playoffs = Disheartening!

Okay, so my playoff watching has not gone particularly well thus far. Washington put up a great fight after getting themselves down 3-1, and it was a highly entertaining series, but at the end of the day, the fact remains that the hated, hated Flyers have gone through. *sigh* The fact that this was followed up by the Flames' self destruction was kind of the icing on the hockey cake yesterday.

The first round is always my favorite. It's the one that tends to be filled with the most intrigue, the most potential. Honestly, I think I was completely burnt out by the time the Stanley Cup finals hit last year (although the fact that it was the Senators and the Ducks may also have had something to do with it).

Anyways, next round we've got:

(1) MONTREAL vs. (6) PHILADELPHIA
(2) PITTSBURGH vs. (5) NEW YORK RANGERS

(1) DETROIT vs. (6) COLORADO
(2) SAN JOSE vs. (5) DALLAS

Interesting how that worked out. Both 1-2, both 5-6. Fascinating. Anyways, I could see Dallas pulling the upset over San Jose. Actually, I could see Colorado doing it too, especially if the goaltender shakiness continues in Hockeytown. I'm rooting for Montreal and Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh/Philly for the EC final would be ridiculously intense. Montreal/Pittsburgh at least has the "Sid playing his team growing up" angle to it, and as the last remaining Canadian team, I will give them my support. Well that, and I'm a fan of Price.

Let's break it down this way:

Montreal in 6
Pittsburgh in 6
Colorado in 7
Dallas in 7

Other predictions? For one, Avery discovers a wholly new and innovative way to annoy everyone, until Laraque rearranges his face. Crosby grows three whole beard hairs (or "wisps"). Montrealers find a new and innovative way to celebrate victory...and manage not to set fire to it. Detroit and Colorado remember that they absolutely hate each other.

Oh, Mirtle posted this earlier today. Seeing the fans chuck bottles at Carter is pretty disappointing (as is the YouTube video when someone pelts Lupul with a pizza box). I know your team got beat and you're pretty broken up about it, but there's that whole "appropriate way to express your displeasure" thing.

Should be posting more often...been getting distracted by the end of term push, preparing for conference, and getting back into the swing of things now that my knee is healed (YAY!). WIll try to make a point of it. I'll definitely say something about the AO-laden issue of THN that just showed up at my door, particularly because I'm very happy to see him on the cover. :)

Sweeeeeeeeep!

The first team to make a statement: the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sure, they probably didn't have the hardest opponent in the sinking-like-a-stone Senators, but they definitely deserved every win they got. The fact that they're the only team that has managed a 4-0 in this first round says something too.

Also, I'm hoping that with a week off, Crosby might be able to work on growing something that doesn't resemble the mustache of a 14 year old boy...



One Toronto enemy down. Now I wish a similar fate upon Philly.

Avery = Giant Douche

Did you know that you get 164 hits for Googling the search string "Sean Avery is a douche"? The things you learn.

I'm all for intensity. I'm all for ingenuity. But there's this line - and moderately intelligent/sane people seem to be able to see it - between being passionate and innovative, and being an unsportsmanlike jackass.

There's a reason we've never seen anyone else screen the goalie by facing them and waving their stick in their face. It's dumb. It's also incredibly unsafe. Where do shots typically come from on the PP? Oh yeah, the point. At approximately what, 70-85mph (I'm assuming they can't shoot quite as fast in game time situations as the optimal conditions produced in skills competitions). Depending on where you get hit by the puck you cannot see coming (ankles, SPINE) you could really do some damage. There's also the whole high stick part of the deal (though I think the play would be equally ridiculous with Avery dancing in front of Brodeur with his stick on the ice). It's a hockey stick...not a pitchfork.

Honestly, I'm less concerned about Avery injuring himself, or about high sticking, as I am about the fact that it's textbook unsportsmanlike conduct. There are just things you...don't do. Things that end up on the news as "*shakes head* And here's the latest from the NHL...isn't this ridiculous?" tend to be unsportsmanlike. I'm not surprised, nor am I against the fact that the league has amended the unsportsmanlike conduct rule to assert that this type of play is not acceptable.

Again, I think he looked like an absolute idiot doing what he did, but it was within the rules as they were written, and he wasn't penalized for it. The league has reacted, and ensured it doesn't happen again. Good on them.

In other news - my Capitals jersey is now 1-2. I'm not sure if that means I shouldn't wear it for game four, or give it a chance to get back up to .500.

Confused Now...

Being in Toronto until the week-end, I decided I should try to take in a Marlies game. I went to my first one when I was home for Christmas and enjoyed it. Ricoh is a pretty intimate environment, and the tickets are pretty cheap (especially when compared to the Leafs). The Marlies are also enjoying a great season, have clinched their division, and are two points back of Chicago (whom they decimated last night, 8-2) for first overall. When I combine the cheapness and the success factors, I find it pretty irritating that more people don't wander on down to the Exhibition grounds to take it the games, but I think Toronto is rife with professionalism and most "hockey fans" can't be bothered to/don't know anything of teams and leagues that aren't the Leafs.

Now, this isn't what confusing me at the moment. What confuses me is what purpose the Marlies' dancers (or whatever their official title is) serve. We were sitting behind the net in the end the Marlies' attacked twice, so we got to see a lot of the ladies. The short skirts and hiked up Toronto FC jerseys annoy me enough, but then I noticed how many young boys get the women to sign their hats, jerseys, and other paraphenelia. I don't get it. How is this any different than getting attractive women on the street to sign things for you? I can at least understand the people who get their picture taken; if nothing else you have one of those 'hey hey! I'm with hot chicks!' conversation starters, but autographs? Yeah, don't get it.

It also makes me wonder about what we're teaching these young boys. I always find it fascinating that the Marlies - a team marketed towards families - employ dancers. To me, this shows these children from a young age that women should act as cheerleaders for men. This imagery conflicts with stuff like the Timbits hockey held in the first intermission, which is probably half little girls. If I was those little girls, I think I'd be confused. Here I am, being told I can play, and yet the only "grown up" role models that I have in the arena are the dancers, not players.

There was a set of young boys, probably 13 or so, who came down from their seats to sit in front of us (and closer to the dancers). They were half making fun of the women, and half sitting there "to be closer to the girls" (I heard one say this). This was another one of those things that made me raise an eyebrow. If I had been born a boy, and my mom saw me doing something like that, she would have killed me. I just feel like it really serves to reinforce stereotypical behaviours that we're supposedly moving further away from in a more equal society. Of course, I think that equality is largely a fallacy regardless, but examples like this that punctuate this belief for me do make me sad.

On another note, Jiri Tlusty had four points last night for the Marlies. I really wish the Leafs would have let him play the whole season (or at least a good chunk of it) in the AHL this year. I can't see how play 2:00-5:00 minutes per game in the NHL helped his progress like playing time might have.

The only time of year I *sort of* wish I was American

...Because I'd love to get tickets to a playoff game.

We are in the Calgary Flames ticket draw. There are 600 tickets available this way. Between me, my partner, and my parents, we have four chances. How many people do you think are signed up? I actually wish they would release that data as I would truly like to know. I'd estimate at least, I dunno, 10,000?

Anyways, I decided to see what playoff games I could get a hold of.

The first place I checked was the Flames' first round rivals, San Jose. I pretty much had my pick of tickets for game two, which goes tomorrow.

I then went through the Western conference.

Detroit - Tonight, Section 116, Row 17, Seats 1-2, $105. Since I'm more of an upper level person, I checked that, too - Section 210, Row 11, Seats 1-2, $75.
Minnesota - SOLD OUT
Anaheim - ...first, why is there a note saying that a large block of tickets has been released in sets of one and three? All this time, I thought two and four were more popular. Anyways, I specifically looked in the $55 range for tonight's game - Section 411, Row S, Seats 1-2. There's also a building charge in Anaheim, and convenience and building come out to $9.60 (or 17% of the cost of a ticket). Damn. But still, ticket's to tonight's game...available.
Dallas - Apparently sells through their own website. Went there. Next Tuesday, 327, K, 8-9, $44 apiece.
Colorado - Next Monday, 322, 9, 19-20, $49. At 20 hours away, I believe Denver is the second-closest playoff hockey city to us, beating Minnesota by an hour.
Nashville - Next Monday, 307, C, 10-11, $49.

So essentially, the only place in West (not in Canada) that I can't find tickets is Minnesota. Glove tap to them.

EASTERN:

Montreal - SOLD OUT. I don't even know why I bothered to check, really. That was a given. Apparently they were sold on TM only by auction? There's a minimum bid, but I can't seem to find a maximum. Was it a sky's the limit kind of thing? Crazy. I guess the others were sold through the French equivalent of TM. Regardless, so very, very, SOLD OUT.
Pittsburgh - Friday, C5, G, 8-7. $125. This surprised me, actually. I think this is the only price point available, though...I tried others with no success.
Washington - SOLD OUT? Seriously? Cool.
New Jersey - SOLD OUT.
New York - SOLD OUT.
Philadelphia - SOLD OUT. (I think...)
Ottawa - SOLD OUT.
Boston - Couldn't find $50 ones, but $176.50 showed up (CLB137, D, 15-14).

So, six of eight in the East are sold out, compared to two of eight in the West. Interesting. The West is the "better" conference...but at least people in the East are there to watch the game...