Monday's column

Yes, The Evil SuperFan would most certainly go out of his way to get my goat farm, and now that you have it, hope you enjoy it.

Still I am mad.

Who says they don't give it their best effort? Really?

Colin Chaulk or Linc Schrock would never say it. Nor would Huk, or Mac, or Danko, or Phillips, or Kelly Miller, or Andy Townsend, not the best player, but he gave it all he had, or Kiyaga, same as Townsend, but gave it an effort.

Ryan Jorde......I could see him saying this sort of thing. I would have believed it alot more if you had quoted his sorry butt for saying it.

Did you interview PC Jorde? Most feared underachieving player in all of hockey...........talent and skills, but no heart.

My one and only comment on the player who was cut and any criticism of Al Sims or the Frankes for cutting him....

When was the last time a player cut by the Komets came back to bite them? When was the last time a player cut by the Komets turned out to be vastly better after leaving?
Don't tell me about some guy who got a bunch more playing time on a last place team and managed to score some goals because of it.
Really, when was the last time the Komets "missed" on a guy?

Brad Jones, 1994.

No, mightbite, I just cheer when my team hits the ice, that's all. You do what you want. Be warned, though....Jason does not like "fans" who boo the Komets, and he's getting pretty tough....although you are still bigger than he is, so you might be safe for a while. LOL

And Hit, you and I were basically on the same page as well, startlingly enough, with the "effort given" discussion. And thanks for the honest answer about how you can tell if someone is giving half an effort. No one ever bothered to respond to me with any sort of answer before, so I really appreciate the honesty from you on that one. It makes sense. Of course, you sort of did contradict yourself later when you mentioned the shin splints, credit card debt, ice cream overload that we may not know about....maybe that may be what might be holding a certain guy back on a certain night, or hell, maybe even for a string of games. Of course, they may need professional help for the ice cream addiction. I cannot help them there. I never have been into that, so I don't know what to tell them there. Edy-holics Anonymous?

And yeah, effort does matter....sure does. I see enough of it to make it worth my while, I guess. Others on here must not, but for some reason, they keep going back for something.

I thought the trade deadline was Friday March 12th? Just say today Dayton and Bloomington made a trade Bloomington gets Briggs and Snowden from Dayton for McCauley...That is a pretty good deal for Bloomington

Bloomington acquires John Snowden and Preston Briggs from Dayton

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Bloomington PrairieThunder acquired veteran forward John Snowden and defenseman Preston Briggs from the Dayton Gems in exchange for rookie forward Greg McCauley in an International Hockey League trade Monday.

Snowden ranks among the league leaders in scoring and leads the Gems with 44 points on 21 goals and 23 assists in 59 games. He has eight power play goals; eight power play assists; one short-handed goal; one short-handed assist and one game-winning goal.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Everett (Wash.) native is in his seventh professional season. He has 364 career points on 171 goals and 193 assists in the ECHL, AHL and CHL. The 28-year-old Snowden shoots right.

Briggs also ranks among the league leaders in scoring among defensemen with 15 points on five goals and 10 assists with a minus-5 ranking and 56 penalty minutes in 62 games. The 28-year-old left-handed shooter is in his fifth professional season and has eight goals with 26 assists for 34 points in 228 games.

The 6-4, 200-pound Briggs hails from Colorado Springs, Colo.

McCauley signed with the PrairieThunder on Feb. 1. He played 22 games, scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points.

Edy-holics, HitSomebody....that'll handle their ice cream addictions. They will go much harder into the corners then. Thanks for the straight answer on the half-effort. I really do appreciate it. Hope my other post does not also show up....I said the same thing, basically, I just don't want to double-post and get some sort of blog foul. :)

the trade deadline was extended to this friday...since the season is a week longer...

Thanks Mark

Thanks Blake. I didn't think it was anyone within the last 10 years...

Mike. I know that you are not a "smoocher". I have found your posts informative and interesting. Continue with them. I have no doubt that every player has a bad game every now and again. Sometimes things don't always work out the way we want them to. The difference is did the "bad" game result from bad luck or an indifferent attitude. I didn't criticize P.C. for what he said, I just think the timing of this statement is questionable. Some fans (not me) have questioned his desire in the past. Sometimes there are other reasons for things that must be kept private. ( Blake, I hope you know where I'm coming from.) Last year he was the Komets leading scorer and missed the playoffs with a broken arm, for goodness sake. Each of us are human. No one can go all out all the time, but effort and success are two different things..... to Wendy, there are a lot of politics that go on in hockey. Just because Woodard was let go and Warner is still around doesn't necessarily translate that the better player was kept and not released. I know for a fact some things that I can't make public.......To Chad, I understood your (subtle hint). I think it may be time for me to quit putting other bloggers through the turmoil of my posts. For some reason my messages don't sit well and although I have never tried to alienate anyone in particular, I have seemed to alienate most of you in general...... I think that the Komets this year are well positioned for a very successful conclusion. I believe the Franke's are doing things behind the scenes to continue Fort Wayne Komet hockey and keep minor league hockey successful for years to come.

To excuse or not to excuse......

To eat the mint chocolate chip or not to eat it....who's the fan who eats ice cream at the games while he drinks a beer? I met you once, but it was when I was a wee bit hammered, so I don't recall anything about meeting him. He seemed sweet and very tall, that's really all I can recall. And I was with Deuce, so that would explain the hammering....I'm sure I lost a bet. Again. :)

Blueline: After reading all the stats you put on here about your kid playing hockey, can you tell me that you wouldn't care if he goes out there, plays a game, and comes back to you afterwards and says "Mom, I just didn't really feel like playing my hardest today. That's ok, right?" Are you really going to tell him "Ya, that's fine, you don't always have to give it 100%. Life isn't about giving it 100% of your best effort all the time, just try to do it when you feel like it and you'll get by just fine."

Thankfully (and I thank each of them every time I see them) my parents never had that approach with anything when it came to my brother and I. School: 100%. Sports: 100%. Family: 100% Life: 100%. If I didn't give 100%, I heard about it, and I'll be honest, all that effort has taken me to great heights because I use that work ethic I learned to get ahead of all of those 75% people out there.

I guess my point is, all of you out there who like, and can justify mediocre efforts to yourselves, no matter what your reasoning (AKA excuses) to make it acceptable, keep it up. Just makes it all the more satisfying when those of us who don't settle for less pass you by.

Wendy will appreciate this I think: "Do, or do not. There is no try."

Alan, I like your extended posts. You spell everything out so we know exactly where you are coming from and normally there's no confusion to what you are trying to say...

I guess we have to look at it this way... I think we all watch the game a lil differently based on the reasons we go to the games. Some go strictly for entertainment, some go to follow the local team, some go for a place to meet to kickstart the evenings festivities or to be with friends and some go to watch the greatest game invented live... (Just to name a few reasons, I am sure there are more). Keep that in mind when you cant understand how your opinion could differ so drastcally from anothers.

100%, 110%, etc... is a cliche because for a myriad of reasons everyday/night we are unable to give that amount; but what makes all the difference in the world is the person who is willing to do anything to get as close to that number as he can each and every day... That shows! It also shows when that will is not there to reach that goal.

Burgee--I just read all of these "great' posts. No Joke here, dead serious. I need some green ones and a couple of blue ones. That way I can phone myself in tomorrow. I am just the boss, think anyone will miss me? They will not even miss me!

Hang in there Alan, this has been a good debate from all sides. Hope the team gets through it. Got ya loud and clear FW, thanks.

Here's my biggest issue with what P.C. said. He says that he can't give 100% every night. That is fine and dandy, but this isn't like somebody at Applebee's doing a crappy job waitressing me. I won't tip them as much or at all if the don't give 100%. I have to pay the same $15 bucks every night regardless if he gives 2 poops about the game or not.

It's absolute crap that somebody that gets paid to play a game(and lets call a spade a spade, regardless of how physical it is, its a game) professionally can't give 100% for the 20 minutes he is on the ice a night. You don't think even if I don't feel like it, I don't at least try to give 100% everyday at work. I do, and why? Because if I don't, my boss will give my job to one of the 327,000 people in this state that are without employment. Just because he is a professional athlete doesn't give him a pass.

And just to clear the air, I don't boo, I yell at the player to pick it up.

What a bunch of nonsense. PC said what we all knew already. I give about 75% at my job... and guess what.. it's better than my co-workers at 99%. If you can get away with it so be it.

The difference is.... nobody pays to watch me work. They don't invest thousands of dollars to sit in my office and see me work my magic. Nobody has a "JungleMonkey" Mechanical Engineer Jersey that I get to autograph on my way out the door.

There is a reason that Schrock has become one of the most popular Komets this season. The fans reward him for his hard work.

Schebig, we are way past the pill stage, hook up the IV.

I agree JM. Schrock is a favorite. As is Mac. As is Chewy. As is Phillips. As is Danko. As is Rodger. As is Chaulk still. As is Leo. As is OC. I hope I didn't leave anyone out. I think Shaf and Guy give their best effort for guys that are senior citizens. LOL....no, I think they do.

And for what I just said, I think that is why part of the team will look at what PC said and part of them will be not as mad a me, but maybe close. I would guess Chaulker doesn't want to go to battle with a half massed effort. I think there might be some guys on the team that have the balls to tell PC that too. Just a hunch.

And that would be why I like this team. Because even though some guys can mail it in and be fine with that, there are some killers on this team that will fight you to the hockey death out there. Guys that are PO'd when they lose or when they don't feel they played the greatest. Guys that battle every night every shift. Whatever they have in the tank, they will leave it on the ice that night.

I think there are some people that might understand what I am saying.

No offense to PC, I guess. I just don't get that attitude. No worries though, he will still have a line to skate on.....no matter what effort he chooses to give his teammates.

I agree with Jungle Monkey's and Hit's last posts. All the way. Except JM, I do get people coming in to watch me work....it's called finesse, making 75% look 100%.

Frozen Water, what I tell my son is that he can and will play to his full potential that day. I ask him how many goals he thinks he has in himself that day. Some days he tell me none. I tell him that's ok....then how many assists do you think you can get for your mom today. I always get some number there. And then comes that hated plus/minus stat, and he always answers high in that one. He is usually dead on about the goals and assists, and within 1 on that plus/minus number. And when he leaves that ice, he better not be able to take those skates off, and I better see some sparks 'cause if I don't then I know you are doggin' it child, and we do NOT get donuts for doggers. That'll motivate him every time. He loves bragging about his team to the ladies behind the counter now. They have no clue what an assist is, but coming from his little sweet (and sweaty) face, they don't care. :)

So yeah, I think I got it covered. I tell him he needs to work. I told him the story that I believe I read in here that Fletcher was one of those "untalented" kids out that the rinks who was always shoved aside so the more talented kids could practice. We also got a juniors hockey guy who helps with our team who tells the kids that it's not your talent. It's your work. The other kids will be more talented than you. They will. You just have to outwork them, and you will get a spot on the team. He sees it happen day in and day out up there in Canada. My Jason already has a good work ethic because he wants this. Only not quite one whole season under his belt now, and we are doing ok on not losing steam. Guess I better get some coaching books and be reading those at bedtime, though, :)

Alan, I'm not jumping your back, dude. I think your posts are always well written, and I even agree with some of them. I'm just saying help me and everyone else read them by breaking them up a bit instead of a great big block of text, that's all. Those are just hard to read after the first few lines. Keep plugging away.

Cha Ching, 100 more posts and we ad Laud and Luther just after a brief stop in Dunn Mill to the spring break 2010 chillin with Superfan trip.

Who am I to judge, all I care about is the "W" and for the past few years I don't have a thing to complain about.

So pick your teeth wash someones face I don't care, I just want 3 times as many W's as L's with a championship here and there.

I get why some players can't be traded, but I'm just not sure what would be keeping anyone -- veteran, local, or whomever -- from being released if Sims honestly felt that their presence was causing the team more harm than good. I mean, does someone here have mafia connections or something? I thought that was just the Habs.

Try trading one of the vets to Flint.

They simply won't report, they'll retire and sell insurance, fight fires, or do whatever it is that they do. Management looks like idiots, the fans get mad.... its simply not worth it.

Retirement is the only way to address an aging roster of guys that don't want to go 100% because of aches, pains, and general age..

Blueline: From reading that, I think we agree in a round-about way. In other words, you don't want or expect anything but the best for your son, and it sounds like you're instilling that in him and his work ethic. Kudos to you, parents like you are a dying breed.

JM: When are your jerseys coming out?!? Are they going to be 10% off at Komet Kuarters after the game Saturday until midnight? ;)

Burgee--I got the IV hooked up. Now I need some duct tape to keep my head from exploding. Wow! You guys went way over the top. (I do not mean bad) I have the feather pillow which one of you has the tar?

Geeeze--Whine, Whine, Whine--Dschebig--can I have some of that IV juice?? Let's put the 100% in perspective--is it the fan's expectations or the reality of the players--that's why it's a team sport--they all have to play together and cover each other--they did that very well last week. This week is going to be tough so lets support their efforts. Go Komets!

That explains why a player like 5-8 eric boguniecki played 178 games in the National Hockey league and P.C only 3. You cant put it on cruise control at the higher levels or they will flush you out in a hurry. Drouin can cruise at 75% in the IHL and get away with it, well at least with some people.