I'm not a big religion guy. Actually I'm not a religion guy at all.

I have a pal who lost his mom when he was just a young man and I think that informs his feelings about religion and the religious. He's not all that positive about it, lets just say.

I also know some pretty bright folks who have pretty strong faith.

I'm not one to sneer or smirk at religion although I have very little time for the true believers and fanatics. Then again that feeling extends beyond religion to politics and other realms.

But when it comes to the belief in a caring loving God, well, I haven't much time for the idea considering that babies get cancer and families get wiped out in car accidents and planes crash. What is it Van Halen said about God killing dogs? God shouldn't kill dogs.

And one other thing. He certainly doesn't care if you scored a touchdown or make the game winning basket. And He certainly doesn't give a shit if you clip coupons or not, which is what some woman said on a show we saw the other night.

A lot of angst over what has been happening in the finals, especially with the fact that first Raffi Torres and then Alexandre Burrows have played hero for the Canucks.

The Canucks have earned the hearty dislike of the fans of other clubs and even Ryan Whitney tweeted the other night that seeing the Canucks succeed has been a tough pill to swallow. Nobody likes them. They dive and chirp and they have a lot of players who play 'without honour' as Don Cherry would say. They remind me of a rival club in our own league that won it all this year. A bunch of assholes pretty well. Or with enough of them to make playing against them thoroughly unpleasant. Trash talkers, dirty with their sticks, the type of guys who act as if there are scouts in the stands, who don't realize that its a beer league and some of us (most of us?) have real jobs and families.

And they won it all. Fuck me.

That's the thing with the hockey gods. As I noted in a thread at LT's on Saturday night these gods are mischevious, cruel and have twisted senses of humour at best, much like the gods of Greek or Norse mythology who would seduce fair maidens and then turn them into bugs.

There is no justice or karma in hockey or in sports in general. Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe, Rocket Richard, Stan Mikita, Mark Messier, Bob Clarke, Bobby Orr, Scott Stevens, Chris Pronger, Patrick Roy ... the greats of the sport, the heroes, the ones who had great individual and team success, so many of them had vicious tempers and bent the rules and hurt other men with impunity and clear conscience. The Stanley Cup has the names of men like Matt Cooke and Claude Lemieux on it. They walk forever, as they say, despite their black and twisted hearts.

And its most likely that very very soon the names Burrows, Lapierre, Kesler, Luongo, Bieksa and Sedin (X2) are going to be carved on that old mug as well.

You don't have to like it but you had better get used to the idea.

Personally I just try and think about the names Torres, Salo, Malholtra and Higgins, hoping that that may ease the pain.

I also try not to think that Oilers' fans are now paying the karmic price for once having probably the greatest collection of hockey talent ever represent Edmonton. Because if you believe in karma or the hockey gods then things could actually get worse, if that's even possible.
Posted by Black Dog at 5:30 PM Loxy said...

It's excruciating living here.

Even if Chris Higgins has his eye on me. (A guy whom I genuinely do like as a player.)

You also gotta like the Malhotra story.

Otherwise I just watch this city wait to shove this in my face for the rest of time.

6/06/2011 9:23 PM Whoa! Hiya stranger!

Yeah it seems that the closer to ground zero that non Canucks' fans get the greater the horror. Being on the other side of the country I'm not so bothered by the fans.

But wow they really have a lot of guys on the team who are unlikeable.

6/06/2011 10:11 PM Bar Qu said...

And then Tim Thomas throws a hit and it all feels better.

And I hate karma.

6/06/2011 11:16 PM Olivier said...

I can't help like the Canucks. Really. I like their style. Fast and dirty.

They remind me of my habs, only waaaay better at everything. Which means, if I get this right, that the habs are a bunch of you know what. Sounds about right.

I also loathe, loathe the Bruins. Loathe.

What was that you said about Kesler a few years back, Pat? "He plays with nothing but malice in his heart, and I want him on my team." Something like that.

I made peace with the fact that the Habs are that kind of team a few years back, watching Markov spear Sundin in the balls for no good reasons whatsoever. Sundin got his revenge by elbowing Komisarek in the face.

Guess who the habs let walk later?

But I disgress: I don't beleive in god either, but if there is some form of karmic balance in the world, that the Bruins will lose Stanley to the Canucks is part of it. The Canucks is all the yellow and black deserve.

6/07/2011 12:27 AM Also, I think I forgot how to write in english. Oy. Crappy result tonight, nuck fans expecting a sweep after 2 tight games in van are panicking. Me though, not so much. What was your take on the Horton hit? I played for years, and always was taught to not watch my passes, Rome was a bit late, but it wasn't malicious or dirty in my mind. I think my take would remain the same even if it was a Canuck gettin rolled off the ice.
It's funny though, Vancouver is pretty hated it seems.I like it myself, shows that we are relevant :)
As for the comment by Loxy, ridiculously overdramatic or then he/she has an Oilers tattoo on the forehead?

- Billy -
Ps- I believe in God, my faith has brought me from unhappiness to living a meaningful life. It's a tough topic though and the questions never end :)

6/07/2011 1:29 AM uni said...

You post this and last night happens. By the laws of sports superstition you must post something along these line every game night until the series ends.

Help us 'black dog hates skunks', you're our only hope.

6/07/2011 8:17 AM lol Olivier, Terry Jones tweeted yesterday that there was one other city in Canada cheering for the Canucks, or at least against the Bruins.

I don't mind the rough stuff, even the borderline vicious stuff, that is the way the game is played, the hacks and whacks and stickwork.

The headshots I can pretty well do without.

The diving and yapping make me crazy though. If Kesler would just keep his mouth shut and skates on the ice (and he is better than he was) then to me he owuld be ten times the player.

But that's what makes me mental. That's just me though. But Julien tearing a strip off his players last night for their antics, well I'd like to see Vigneault do that too. There's no place for it.

6/07/2011 11:17 AM Bar Qu - that Thomas hit was the best thing I've seen in years.

uni - I know, pretty funny shit eh?

billy - good for you on the faith thing, like I said its not for me but I won't slag those who have it that's for sure

Loxy is old school Oilers my friend, old school, one of the all time greats she is.

As for the hit, not a fan of it, it was late and I think Rome kind of exploded up and into him. If he had hit him at the moment he had passed it I would not mind it so much but it was way too late.

Works out ok for the Canucks thats for sure, Horton is done. Even if Rome is out for the series that's a good trade. Heck Ballard or Tanev are better than Rome I think.

6/07/2011 11:24 AM Horton for Rome obviously is a win for Vancouver. It sucks for both guys, makin the final doesnt happen to every player, and both guys are probably upset. That said, Horton got the worst deal, and I dont think that ANY Vancouver fans are happy to have him miss the rest of the finals cause of this.
I'm a little confused though about the ruling, it was late, but it didnt look vicious to me. How Mcginn was able to ram Romes head into the boards in the San Jose series, cut his face and concuss him and get no suspension shows that really no one knows what the criteria is for these types of plays.
Yesterday Julien said it was a clear rule 48. Bob Mackenzie wrote today that it is clearly not a rule 48. Both guys know there stuff, so to me when hockey coachs and minds even differ on what is and what isnt, we have problems.
As for my Canucks, I expect a solid effort tomorrow.
One final note, somehow Sami Salo played 23 mins last night and ended up a +1 in an 8-1 loss. Makes me proud to have my finn roots.

6/07/2011 4:56 PM TOI 18min

If the B's can keep that up (down) they have a chance.

6/07/2011 5:44 PM Swabbubba said...

Hmm this blog is covering it all.. ok where is that Quantum Physic's book? About religion, organized religion is not mybag. But be good to your fellow man is always good place to start.
The Nucks are a bunch douche-bags that most Oiler fans would despise. Looks like Timmy Thomas must played some football back in the day the greatest thing I have every seen by a goalie. The taunting by Bruins crossed the line but pay back is a bitch.
The suspension of Rome is to long. If they were going to suspend him give him 1 this series and 3 at the start of next year. Cause as far as I know he is not going to lose any money. If the Nucks win he will still get his name etched on the Cup. it was late hit but I was actually surprised by the 4 games.
Was an odd game but maybe the Bruins are busting out they were in the games in Van but can Van say anything about last night that was positive. If it is about momentum well then the Bruins have it right now can they keep it.
One word for this series Entertaining.
Hope Horton makes a full recovery... Go bruins

6/07/2011 7:19 PM Woodguy said...

Finns win.

Oilers need more Finns.

The longer a player is out of the game, the more their legacy gets romanticized.

It also speaks to changing values and being more informed about head injuries.

I remember cheering at the top of my lungs when Messier elbowed Savard in the head in the CF in 1990 and he dropped like a bag of cement.

I remember laughing when Savard was shown floating in and out of consciousness on the bench and the trainer bringing him around with smelling salts.

Now I see Horton get freight-trained and lying like a corpse on the ice and I want to vomit.

Things change.

6/07/2011 10:24 PM Krafty said...

So with your last sentance, are you saying that since we have 5 Cup banners, we are going to spend 5 years in last place to pay for it?? Ugh.

6/08/2011 12:31 AM It's game day. There needs to be a doom and gloom post here about the Dys finally getting something to 'justify' their and their fans' swagger.

The laws of hockey superstition have spoken. Jinxes within jinxes within jinxes.

shotmigo: that guy that used to be your drinking buddy back in the day, who you thought might have been dead for a few years

6/08/2011 9:23 AM Krafty - I'm saying its going to be worse than that my friend, I'm thinking Cubs ugly.

Think about it. Five Cups in seven years. If it had been the old days the club would never have been broken up, we're talking ten, twelve Cups. The greatest team of all time.

We're talking a hundred year drought I think.

uni - I'll see what I can do

Alice - we'll see if this is Chicago redux tonight

scruisms - truisms that are nto really true?

6/08/2011 10:02 AM woodguy - and we've changed too, remember that. When you're younger you tend not to think about ramifications too much. I used to find a guy getting knocked out and crawling back to the bench entertaining and I think a lot of the folks roaring about how its a man's game probably are kids. Video games you know.

I have friends who are close to an exNHLer whose career ended with a concussion. Hearing about his struggles to recover from the last of many concussions opened my eyes.

6/08/2011 10:16 AM I still read all your posts! I just am too depressed to respond usually. ;)

6/08/2011 8:13 PM Yay, I'm glad you are still coming around.

As for being an Oilers' fan, well, er, at least summer is here. ;)
[null, {"document_url": "http://blackdoghatesskunks.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-em-gee.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fE8kVbXbhYE/Te1ERcLrbLI/AAAAAAAACIs/ii6ik9MKCnM/s320/Loki___God_of_Mischief_by_studioscarab.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fE8kVbXbhYE/Te1ERcLrbLI/AAAAAAAACIs/ii6ik9MKCnM/s320/Loki___God_of_Mischief_by_studioscarab.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Loki God of Mischief by studioscarab"}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://blackdoghatesskunks.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-em-gee.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbhEsRfbfrs/TmwsobbFrDI/AAAAAAAACNE/NSvyNRz65CM/s320/5716784833_659655f947.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mbhEsRfbfrs/TmwsobbFrDI/AAAAAAAACNE/NSvyNRz65CM/s320/5716784833_659655f947.jpg", "alt_text": "Our Sponsor", "rendered_width": 311, "rendered_height": 320}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://blackdoghatesskunks.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-em-gee.html", "unformatted_src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2umyYwHMVE/TmwryMsoZUI/AAAAAAAACM0/SMfmivNySvU/s320/n516622176_726766_6035.jpg", "src": "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2umyYwHMVE/TmwryMsoZUI/AAAAAAAACM0/SMfmivNySvU/s320/n516622176_726766_6035.jpg", "alt_text": "Your Handsome Host", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 239}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://blackdoghatesskunks.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-em-gee.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T7ebr5tIaRg/TmwsLQU-H2I/AAAAAAAACM8/dYGQUye9Ry4/s320/Oct08%252349-600.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T7ebr5tIaRg/TmwsLQU-H2I/AAAAAAAACM8/dYGQUye9Ry4/s320/Oct08%252349-600.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Oct", "alt_text": "Ye Olde Dog", "rendered_width": 320, "rendered_height": 240}, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://blackdoghatesskunks.blogspot.com/2011/06/oh-em-gee.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0Wkbl4m2Ck/TmwrFMvvm5I/AAAAAAAACMk/ilI9j_m3JIs/s320/smyth250.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0Wkbl4m2Ck/TmwrFMvvm5I/AAAAAAAACMk/ilI9j_m3JIs/s320/smyth250.jpg", "formatted_filename": "smyth", "alt_text": "Your Man Smytty", "rendered_width": 250, "rendered_height": 185}, null, null, null]