Skip to main content

Beware the Stench

A quick tip this morning to a fine article over at the New York Times, examining one of hockey's most peculiar tactics: the face wash.  Rubbing your glove in an opponent's face is a time-honored means of goading them into taking a penalty or otherwise reacting foolishly, and when done by a seasoned master, it can turn the tide of a game.
 
I know when I started playing adult rec hockey we had a decent team made up of mostly young 20-somethings who were just full of enthusiasm, and we had a great time, but there was always one team made up of a bunch older guys that gave us fits.  You'd battle along the boards for a puck, and one of them would place his hand on you just briefly enough to cause you to react, and that gave him the space he needed to swipe the puck and make a play.
 
Now, as I zoom through my late-30's, it's time for me to turn the tables and do the same to players younger, faster, and more energetic than myself.  For those of you who've never had the pleasure of playing the game or having a child who plays, trust me when I say that there are few, if any, fouler things in the world then "The Stench", the vile fumes that emanate from a dank, sweaty hockey glove.
 

Popular posts from this blog

Cheer up, it's the holidays...

Why is it that various media outlets continue trying to put their own spin on the "what's wrong with the NHL" story? Our latest example comes from The Hockey News , in a piece by Jay Greenburg entitled, "Excitement Level On The Decline." Take the opening sentence: Attendance is down and yet still up from before the lockout, leaving it arguable whether buildings in New Jersey and Florida are half-full or half empty. It's no surprise that attendance is down from last season, particularly if you compare the first half of 2005-06 to the first half of this year. Coming out of the lockout, there were legions of fans starved to see the on-ice product, particularly in light of the massive rule changes. This year is more indicative of business as usual, so the fact that the league is above pre-lockout levels is a positive. Toss in the projection that overall revenues are increasing despite a 1% decrease in attendance, and I'd say that paying fans have come back ...
Read more

How I'm Trying To Make Money Sports Blogging

To kick off this series of articles general sports-blogging articles here at OTF Classic, I think it's best to start with a comment that Brad left here last week, after I shared my goals for 2012 , which include specific revenue targets: I considered diving into the world of internet marketing myself, but I felt that my friends would hate me for bugging them about stuff. I mean, it's pretty low-risk high-reward, so it's tempting. I wouldn't mind reading about tips on how to maximize impact of blogging in general to make it a legitimate income source. Trying to make money at sports blogging can be a very touchy subject - for the vast majority of us, this is an activity we pursue to both exercise our creativity and share our love of the game, whether it's hockey, football, badminton, whatever, with fellow fans. Mixing that personal conversation with a commercial message can turn people off, especially if it becomes too intrusive for the reader. It's not unrea...
Read more

Social Media, Internet Marketing, and Real, Paying Customers - it really works!

Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.
Read more