When I retired from hockey, I was PUMPED to not have to work out. I knew I would want to, someday, but I needed some time where I didn’t have to shower three goddamn times a day.
I had always envied that about people not playing hockey – for the most part, you wake up, shower, and that’s it for the day. You’re done. Hockey players never get to do that. Minimum two a day, and on game days, three (post-morning skate, post-nap wake-up shower, post-game). You’re day has too many starts and stops.
So for my first summer out of the gym, I just enjoyed getting up, showering, and having a full day. That formula, for those of us who consume like gluttons, equals gaining a bit of mass. So, I’ve been making a committment to working out the past month or two - and by working out, I mean cardio, because I could care less about being jacked…. I just don’t want to have to buy all new clothes.
It is time, friends.
That said, it’s probably time I try to get some muscle tone again. So, at the recommendation of Deadspin’s Drew Magary, I’m going to take up the program from 100 Push-ups (assuming my sterno-clavicular joint doesn’t get too angry – it doesn’t like when I lift too often, after the abuses it suffered.) The goal being, obviously, to be able to do 100 consecutive pushups after seven weeks.
I’ll be doing the push-ups Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and will be reporting progress the following days . I took the first test yesterday (as many as you can, to fatigue) to see which program I’d be on, and busted out 38 (a far cry from the 80 I once did at an Islanders camp). So here we go!
Day 1: 38
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Any other Isles fans out there as worried as me about them becoming the Montreal Expos? Y’know, drafting well, developing talent, then trading those guys for picks once they’re ”ready”? What’s the status of the Lighthouse project out there? I haven’t kept up on progress — lord knows Wang ain’t gonna pay to keep all these kids if the team’s future isn’t the one he envisioned.
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It's no fun showing up to the rink everyday to workout and watch practice.
Can you imagine the mental anguish of being injured so badly you may never get to prove you’re worth the big contract you signed? I know lots of you will joke that you’d take the big contract, but it must be a horrible feeling to be Rick DiPietro or Greg Oden, and to think – “If I got the chance to be a bust, and was one, I could handle this – but being called a bust after never physically getting the chance to play feels horrible.” I definitely have sympathy for those guys.
I think Garth Snow has done a great job with the Islanders. He’s in an Obama-like situation - digging the Islanders out of the mess made by the previous administration. But still, there’s just too many uncertainties in life to ever sign an employee to 15 years. Too much can happen to think you wouldn’t need a review after say, five, where you can say ”hey, nice work, let’s re-up your deal.” It’s like my Arizona drivers license that expires in 2047. Really? I don’t have to take a single eye test between now and when I’m 65? That seems safe.
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The NHL’s Presidents Trophy has an offensive bias.
Already seven 20-goal players (Green has 17)
Lets face it – if two teams come into a game lethargic, you can play smart defense and work less hard. If your team scores mucker-style playoff goals, you need to have the throttle down to be effective (and you need some bounces). So when you can’t be at that 100%, teams that have dangly skill guys (who are dangerous at half-speed) can still put enough pucks in the net to win.
And over the course of an 82 game season, plenty of games are played by two worn down teams. Which is why, when you have the natural firepower of a Washington, you can score that extra goal or two without the extra effort, and collect your two points. In the past, it hasn’t been that the Presidents Trophy winning team has the best team, they’ve just had the best skill guys.
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Tampa Bay has the 8th best powerplay in the NHL, the leagues 5th, 6th, and 26th leading scorer, the number two overall draft pick from last year, and what should be good goaltending. They’re currently three points ahead of Toronto, who hold the title “dead last in the Eastern Conference”. Ooo, idea for who to replace Rick Tocchet with: Amazingly, he’s still available — Barry. Melrose.
