Will crime increase if there is no NFL?

The Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis seems to think so. In an interview with ESPN he powerfully stated:

"Do this research if we don't have a season - watch how much evil, which we call crime, watch how much crime picks up, if you take away our game."

Lewis then goes on to explain: 

"There's too many people who live through us, people live through us," he said. "Yeah walk in the streets, the way I walk the streets, and I'm not talking about the people you see all the time."

Lewis does have a couple valid points. There are people who live vicariously through the football players and teams and if you cut off the source it will force them to do something else. Does this mean without football people will commit more crimes? If they wanted to prove that you'd have to show an increase in crimes during the off-season and it was because of the lack of football. This would be next to impossible to do. In fact, with the lack of football, people could be doing more productive things like spending time with family or picking up a new hobby. Most people will replace it with something else. The die-hard fans will watch sports networks like ESPN for the latest news on the lockout. For the first part of when the NFL season is supposed to occur people will probably watch the end of the baseball season to get their sports fix. After baseball is over they'll watch basketball or hockey. People will also focus more on college football to get their football fix.

Crime could pick up because there will be football players with too much time on their hands that could get in trouble with the law. This will be similar to a normal off-season where players get in trouble because they have too much free time. During the season they generally don't get in trouble because the team has a structured environment so they are usually busy practicing, team events, travelling, or actually playing the games. 
Here is the interview with Lewis.

Super hockey fan Zach Bennett

Zach Bennet watching the Charlotte Checkers play.

Last night on the television program E:60, on ESPN, they featured a story about a young hockey fan Zach Bennett. Bennett, 11, was born with a disease called Neurofibromatosis, which causes soft-tissue tumors to grow throughout the body. Because of the disease he has over twenty surgeries including both legs getting amputated. He grew up in Albany, NY and was a huge fan of the local team the Albany River Rats, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. There was no specialist on the disease Zach had in the area, so the family would have to travel up to seven hours each way for treatment. The River Rats brought great joy to him. Around when he had his second leg amputated, his mother contacted the River Rats organization to try and get someone from the team to visit. The River Rats mascot visited and later on so did the players. Over time, Zach and the players became very close. The River Rats got a new owner and decided that the team would move to Charlotte to become the Charlotte Checkers. This news was heartbreaking to Zach. He became depressed with the team gone but watched every game online. Zach had gotten prosthetic legs but quit practicing because he sorely missed the team. The club heard that he wasn't practicing walking, so Checkers forward Brad Herauf made a deal with him that if the team won, Zach would have to practice until the team's next game. The deal worked and Zach even practiced when the club would lose sometimes. The family had an idea to move to Charlotte. This way Zach could be with the team. In Charlotte they have experts in Neurofibromatosis so the family wouldn't have to spend so much time traveling. The organization invited Zach and his family to Charlotte to see the team play for three games. During those games a portion of the ticket sales, a raffle and a jersey auction would help the family move. During the trip Zach got a hockey sled from NASCAR driver Joey Logano, who has a program that makes sleds for the U.S.Paralympic hockey team. The family was having trouble selling their home in Albany. The Checkers organization decided to help the family out even more by, with the help of some donors, giving the Bennett family a fully furnished home. Currently the Checkers have an auction going on for game-worn jerseys to raise money for the Children's Tumor Foundation and Zach. 

Zach Bennett and Checkers goalie Mike Murphy

Here is the very well done E:60 Story.
The Charlotte Checkers documented Zach's visit when he got his sled. Here is Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, all on Youtube.
This is awesome. I thought that I was a big hockey fan. It's nice to see that there are still good people out there. Kudos to the Charlotte Checkers organization for helping Zach be reunited with his team. For the most part throughout the whole thing Zach had high spirits. Zach is an inspiration to everyone. He still had high spirits even though he had an awful disease that caused him to lose his legs. His enthusiasm for the Checkers is infectious. It's awesome how a fan and a team have been able to be so close for so long, over three years. You can tell through the videos that the players truly care about him. This is just amazing that a team and a fan can be this close. The Checkers are currently in the Eastern Conference finals against the Binghamton Senators. If they win this round and the next they'll capture the Calder Cup, the championship. If they do win it we know that Zach cheered them on all the way.

Go Bolts Security v. Home owners association

Steven Paul, a Tampa Bay Lightning season ticket holder, wanted to display his support for the local team by putting a sign he received from the Lightning of "Go Bolts." His home owners association gave him a violation notice saying that the only signs that can be displayed are security signs. Well Paul wasn't going to let some silly rule get in the way of him supporting the Lightning during the playoffs. Paul then proceeded to write on his sign and make it say this: "Protected by: Go Bolts security." So far he hasn't gotten a notice and was told it would be discussed at the next meeting. He then proceed to display his large, blue Tampa Bay Lightning flag on the house. He checked to see if there was any rules about hanging flags on homes and there was nothing about it. As of right now, Paul hasn't gotten anything from the home owners association. This started before the beginning of the playoffs.

As a passionate hockey fan, good for Steven Paul. He wasn't able to show his support for his team and came up with some creative ways to thwart the absurd rules of the home owners association. Changing it to as if it is a security company is genius. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, the teams the Bolts eliminated from the playoffs, could of used some security from the Bolts. There are many home owners associations that have bizarre rules. They probably feel that others will want to display signs of other things that could be more offensive. Or that it will depreciate the value of the home and/or neighborhood. But this is just a sign supporting the local hockey club. It is also not offending anyone, unless they are a disgruntled Pens or Caps fan that can't get over the loss. Apparently the person who reported on his sign must have nothing better to do.

"If this was the Rays or if this was the Bucs, would this even be an issue?" said Paul in his story with the Reddit Community.
Odds are it would still be an issue. People who would complain over a little yard sign supporting the Lightning would complain if it promoted the Bucs, Rays or anything else. They just like telling others what they should do.
If the Lightning win the Stanley Cup, Paul will have to find even more creative ways to display his support for the Bolts.

How Sweep It Is

Wednesday night the Tampa Bay Lightning moved into the Eastern Conference Finals with a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals and won the series four games to none. Before the game Capitals' star Alex Ovechkin guaranteed a win for the Caps. Apparently the Lightning had other plans. This is the first time a number one seed, the Capitals, has been swept in the first or second round of the playoffs since conference play started in 1994. Ryan Malone scored the first goal of the game to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead. Sean Bergenheim lead the way for the Bolts in scoring by putting two goals on the board for the Lightning. Martin St. Louis sealed the deal for the Bolts putting them ahead 5-2 with 3:08 left in the third. John Carlson scored for the Caps but it was too little, too late for the Capitals. The Lightning picked up the win and awaits the winner of the Flyers-Bruins series. Currently the Bruins are leading three games to none.

The Lightning's Sean Bergenheim after scoring the first of his two goals.

It has been a storybook season for the Bolts. They have had many doubters since the beginning of the year with rookie GM Steve Yzerman and rookie coach Guy Boucher. Many questioned how well Boucher's 1-3-1 defensive system would work. It has worked well as the Lightning took the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning then faced the fourth seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. At one point the Bolts were down three games to one. They then fought hard and won three straight, including two in Pittsburgh. The Lightning then had to face the number one seeded Caps. Few hockey "experts" picked the Bolts to win the series, let alone sweep the Capitals. Personally, I felt that they could beat the Caps, although I didn't actually think it'd be a sweep, because they had been playing well and the Capitals are a better team in the regular season than the playoffs. The Lightning's Dwayne Roloson played well throughout the series and made key saves when needed. The real hero for the Bolts has been Sean Bergenheim. Bergenheim is tied for the league lead in playoff goals with seven. Also their stars have been playing like stars. Hart trophy, MVP award, nominee Martin St. Louis has been a force for the Lightning. Vinny Lecavalier has return to form by scoring five goals, including the winner in overtime in game two against the Caps, and has 12 points. The Bolts' next game will be sometime after the Flyers-Bruins series is figured out and when the Western Conference gets out its' two finalists. If the Lightning win the next series they will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals and play for the Stanley Cup.

Longoria returns but Upton wins it for the Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman made his return to the lineup Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Things have certainly changed since Evan Longoria was last in the lineup. Longoria has been out since the second game of the season against the Orioles when he left after straining his oblique. The Rays then proceeded to go 1-7 in the first eight games. In most of the games the Rays struggled to put runs on the board. Things are much better now for the Rays as their hitting has improved, Sam Fuld has become a force and the Rays pitching has been good. In his return, Longoira made a great throw in the second inning to get out J.P. Arencibia. But the real story of the game was B.J.  Upton's walk-off two-run homer to give the Rays a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays. Three out of four walk-off hits by Upton has been against the Blue Jays. In a post game interview Upton was greeted with a chocolate pudding pie in the face by teammate Longoria. I'm sure the pudding to the face is more enjoyable than the traditional shaving cream pie to the face. At least it tastes better.

Upton after the pie in the face.

The win gets the Rays back on track and improves their record to 16-13 and only 2 games back from the division leading New York Yankees. They are currently tied with the Kansas City Royals for the wild card spot. Longoria coming back is good news for the Rays because he is a force to be reckoned with at the plate and is stellar defensively at the hot corner. Right now the Rays are playing good baseball. if they keep this up and don't go through too many bad slumps they have a good shot at winning the division or at least the wild card. It also currently seems a lot like 2008 for the Rays. They are getting the breaks needed to win games and potentially championships. In sports you have to be lucky to be good but you also have to be good to get the breaks needed. The Rays are getting the breaks necessary now like the Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Strangely enough Tropicana Field showed the final score of the Lightning game (Lightning 4, Capitals 3) in the bottom of the ninth before Upton sent the fans home happy.

Other MLB News:

Minnesota Twins Francisco Liriano gave the MLB season it's first no-hitter. Liriano no-hit the Chicago White Sox in a 1-0 win. Oddly enough previously Liriano had never pitched a complete game in his six year MLB career and his ERA before the game was a 9.13. Liriano had two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 6.61.

Who are these WInnipeg Jets?

Hockey fans who know the history of the sport know that the NHL team the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona to become the Phoenix Coyotes. Over the past few years the Coyotes have had attendance, ownership and stadium problems. The Coyotes want a new barn and there have been many rumors about what will happen to the franchise. The ad above was run in the Winnipeg Free Press. It seems a little arrogant that the Coyotes will move back to Winnipeg. The main rumor is that the Coyotes will return to Winnipeg. The company did say that "we will welcome you back" as in if they come back, they'll be happy. It still seems a bit like counting your chickens before they hatch. Relocation is never fun and is always sad when a team packs up and leaves. The league grants cities teams, not necessarily owners. As always it's about the dollar at the end of the day. If they can go somewhere else and make more, they will. I remember when there was talk about the Pittsburgh Penguins moving elsewhere because they couldn't get a new arena. Luckily in March 2007, owner Mario Lemieux announced that they had a new arena deal. The Coyotes were 29th in the league in attendance, averaging 12,208 fans a game. Even though not everyone in the city of Phoenix will be heartbroken, the die-hard fans will be. It is like getting your heart ripped out from you. It would be kind of ironic for the Coyotes to return to Winnipeg. Now for the fans in Phoenix, if they move, to see NHL hockey live, the closest place to travel would probably be to Anaheim to see the Ducks. Or it could be in LA to see the Kings. I hope for the die-hard Coyotes fans sake that they don't move. Especially after they got swept out of the first round by the Detroit Red Wings. The Coyotes have been playing good hockey the last couple years, it would be sad if they move. Though the rumors make it seem as if it's inevitable. But the key word is rumor. It is all speculation at this point. None of it is true at this point. The media just wants to say they were the first to announce it.

Stay strong Coyotes fans. If they do move, odds are the NHL will put another team there because they like visiting warm weather sites.

Rays return to .500, the legend of Sam Fuld

The 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox last night improved the Tampa Bay Ray's record to 9-9, good enough for second place in the American League East. Being .500 is a major improvement compared to the 1-8 start the Rays had. The biggest difference has been their improved hitting and the legend of Sam Fuld began. 

Sam Fuld makes a catch

Fuld was acquired in a deal that sent the Ray's ace Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs. Fuld has been great for the Rays. His average is .344 and have been stellar in left field. Fuld has been so good that he is making Rays fans forget about their former all-star left fielder Carl Crawford. Crawford left the Rays to go for a better payday with division rivals the Boston Red Sox. Crawford has not been an all-star with the Sox. He has a .149 average which is not the value the Red Sox expected for seven years, $142 million. The Sam Fuld legacy began April 9th against the White Sox. Fuld made an amazing catch to rob Juan Pierre of an extra base hit. Fuld then had an amazing performance against the Red Sox. Fuld went 5 for 10 in the series. In mid-April Fuld became a starter in left field. St. Petersburg Times writer Marc Topkin has compiled a list of Fuld jokes, from Twitter, ala Chuck Norris style. Here are a few of the best:
USF is changing it's name to Univ. of Sam Fuld.
He gets Chick-Fil-A on Sundays.
They will rename the movie to Fuld of Dreams.
Some other funny ones were:
Sam Fuld was once intentionally walked while in the on deck circle.
The Red Sox check under their bed for Sam Fuld.
Fuld was also asked once by reporters why he couldn't stop the rain.
"It's just me washing my planet," he joked.
With Manny Ramirez retiring and the Rays already planned a Ramirez bobblehead give away, the Rays needed to find something else to give to their loyal fans. What better than a Super Sam cape to all kids 14 and under on May 29th.
The legend of Sam Fuld will continue to grow as long as he keeps playing relatively well. If he does then that should mean success for the Rays and more Fuld "facts" to the list.

Astros fan doesn't feel very appreciated

Most people when they go to an event such as fan appreciation day, do not win anything. Astros fan Bob Choate was lucky enough to win 315 coupons for coffee and a donut at Shipley Do-Nuts. He later on received a 1099 form from the IRS saying that he owed $237 for the donuts. It is because the donuts and coffee were valued at $927.61 which is over the $600 limit. Choate appealed to the Astros and donut company. Lawrence Shipley, the owner, agreed to cover the taxes for Choate. Choate then decided to donate $237 to any charity Shipley wanted him to. Choate only used eight of the coupons for the coffee and donuts.

That was very nice of Shipley to cover the tax for the donuts. He didn't have to but did anyways. It was also great that Choate donated the money that would have gone for the taxes to a charity. Who knew that 315 coupons for donuts and coffee would be worth that much. It would have been especially bad for Choate because he only used eight of them. I kind of agree with Choate on this. He didn't know going into it that he would have to pay tax on the donuts. It's different if you go on a game show such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy or Let's Make a Deal. There you expect to pay taxes on whatever you win. It also is depressing that if you win an amazing prize, like a car, that you have to pay tax on it. Some people if they won a car couldn't afford it and would have to sell it. That why for game shows, cash is king. You just get less money and don't have to worry about selling something. I'm glad that they came to an agreement.
   

Game one: Penguins 3, Lightning 0

The Consol Energy Center's first playoff game was a good one for Penguins fans. If game one is how the rest of the series will be then the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to make an early postseason exit. The Pittsburgh Penguins basically just physically manhandled the Lightning. It wasn't until the third period the first goal was scored by Alexei Kovalev. Aaron Asham scored 18 seconds later after Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson got out of position. Chris Kunitz added an empty net goal to make it 3-0 Pens.

Penguins Alexei Kovalev (Right) and teammates
James Neal (Left) and Mark Letestu (Center)
celebrate Kovalev's goal.  

The story of the game was how well Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury played. Anytime there is a shutout one can assume the goalie played well. However, Fleury has been playing the same as he has since about November, insanely good. He, along with their upgraded defense, is the reason the Penguins were able to pile up 106 points in the regular season and earn the fourth seed in the east. If the Penguins were going to do well it almost had to be because of him. The Pens have missed their captain, Sidney Crosby, since early January and all-star center Evgeni Malkin since early February. The Lightning's best opportunity was probably when Fleury stopped Brett Clark's initial shot and Dominic Moore's rebound attempt. It was so good that Moore thought that the puck had gone in. The Bolts Vincent Lecavalier had a golden opportunity early in the second period but Fleury stopped him then also. The Penguins set a physical tone. It was first seen when Brooks Orpik crushed the Lightning's Steven Stamkos into the boards early in the first period. The Lightning's Martin St. Louis got an accidental stick to the mouth from the Pens' Zbynek Michalek as St. Louis was falling. St. Louis was outraged because he felt there should of been a penalty. Afterwards St. Louis would have to get a double root canal after the game to fix his teeth. Dwayne Roloson played pretty good for the Lightning in net, except for the Asham mishap. The Lightning are going to have to play better in game two if they want to advance to the next round. Game two is tonight in Pittsburgh at seven.  

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury makes a save on
the Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier.

    

March Madness

So of the millions who filled out their brackets, who had Virginia Commonwealth, Butler, Kentucky and Connecticut in the Final Four. Yeah, me neither. Pretty much anyone who had these schools in their final four at the beginning of the tournament would of been ridiculed. It also goes to show you that no matter how much we think that we or the so-called experts know about sports these tournaments prove to us how little we really know. Perhaps the most surprising team to make it this far is Virginia Commenwealth (VCU). Many of the "experts" felt that Colorado or Virginia Tech was more worthy to be in the tournament and ripped the commitee for putting VCU in there. VCU didn't even make it into the regular bracket. They had to win a play in game against USC to make the field of 64. Butler, although it is a smaller school, isn't even really a cinderella in this scenario. Butler came oh so close last year to beating Duke in the finals. Now they must face VCU to try to get an opportunity to close the deal this time on a national championship.

In the other match up is Connecticut (UConn) and Kentucky. These schools are college basketball powerhouses with storied traditions. So in the final it's guaranteed to have a David against a Goliath. That is the beauty of this tournament, any team can get on a hot streak and possibly win it all. Especially since there are more talented basketball players than ever and the talent is spread out more evenly instead of all the best players going to a few programs. Now does this necessarily mean the winner of the tournament is the best team in college basketball? No, but they won when it counted the most. This is why it is called March Madness. In some aspects being wrong isn't so bad because the people who get paid to make predictions are usually completely wrong also and beforehand emphasize how so-and-so is going to crush somebody. The saying misery loves company would definitely apply here. I have Butler striking midnight for VCU. UConn beating Kentucky. I think that Butler is going to win the whole thing. I just can't pick against them given their experience, track record and the way the tournament has gone.

New Guidelines for Children in Cars

The American Academy of Pediactrics (AAP) has come out with some new suggestions for parents with children in the car. The first new recommendation is that children aged two and younger should be facing the rear of the car in their car seats. They feel that this will keep the children safer by that the children are 75 percent less likely to die in the car crash when facing the rear. The AAP also suggests that children remain in a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. Most children aren't this tall until they are between the ages of eight and 12. The AAP recommends that children should sit in the back seat until they are 13. It is expected that the federal government will change the guidelines to echo the AAP's suggestions.
I feel that if they are going to force parents to have their child in a booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, they better make bigger booster seats. I remember my mom trying to be a law abiding citizen and keeping me into a booster seat until I didn't have to be. It was kind of hard near the end because I had grown out of it. At least it's not an age requirement. If they force parents until the children were 12 that would be ridiculous because children grow at different rates. I think there should also be a weight factor added to the height because that should be included into it also.
As far as the children facing the rear it makes me wonder if this is safer then why aren't all back seats facing the rear. Just turn them around and have them backed up to the driver seats.Of course you can't have the front seats turned around because the driver needs to see but as far as the back seats couldn't you do that or would it be more unsafe? It is hard though to have an age guideline because each child grows differently. One two-year-old could be a lot bigger than another two-year-old. According to Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency room physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, children in Sweden are usually in rear facing seats until they are four. I don't think this is as big of a deal as the booster seat guideline.
For more information click here: http://www.dallasnews.com/health/family-health/20110321-pediatrics-organization-changes-car-seat-recommendations-.ece

Dave Duerson takes his own life to possibly save others someday

Former NFL player Dave Duerson commited suicide near the end of Febraury. Before he had signed up so that when he died his brain would be used to study the effect concussions had on athletes and the seriousness of them. Duerson thought that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy which is a disease brought about due to multiple concussions. There could be other underlying reasons to why Duerson committed suicide. He had filed for bankruptcy recently before his death which probably didn't help.
Overall this is a very sad situation that a man decided to take his own life so his brain could be used to possibly help others. Now football is a violent game and that is one of the reasons it is popular. The violence has been somewhat romaticized in it. The NFL had put out a greatest hits tape earilier. ESPN used to do a segement called "Jacked Up" to show some of the biggest hits from that week in the NFL. People like seeing the violence. Something must be done to protect the players from suffering from concussions. They can try to make the helmets better so the head will be better protected. Also maybe improve the rest of the equipment. They have already put rules in place to try and eliminate hits to the head. The talk of the 18 game season sort of contradicts the concern the league has for the players. The need to wake up before it's too late.
To find out more on the story here: http://www.wired.com/playbook/2011/02/duerson-suicide-brain-study/ 

Japan Disaster

On Friday Japan was rocked, literally and figuratively, by a 8.9 level earthquake which caused a tsunami. This is an awful thing to happen to anyone. As of Tuesday morning 2,414 people were confirmed dead with an estimated 10,000 deaths due to the earthquake. The country is now in shambles, struggling to recover. The worst news out of all of this involves Japan's nuclear reactors. If the nuclear plants melt down it would be catastrophic. The problem is that under normal conditions if a nuclear power plant was to shut down then cooling systems and pumps would control the temperatures until the energy finished cooking off. The tsunami disrupted these cooling systems which causes the rods to heat up. If things go badly, it could infect numerous people with health problems and ravage current and future crops in Japan and surrounding countries. This is some scary stuff. It would be devastating to Japan's economy. Reprecussions would be felt around the world. Rising costs are likely. The silver lining from this horrible tragedy could be that other countries, such as the U.S., could produce more crops and possibly get out of their slumping economy and put more people to work. It could also temporarily lower gas prices. With a lot less people driving in Japan due to the damage, they won't need as much oil. How much or if it will at all is unknown. In theory though, it should go down some. The most important thing is to try and help get Japan back on their feet. Even without the worst possible scenarios it still is going to hurt Japan's economy for a while. It will take some time for them to produce goods like cars, electronics, food, etc. This will affect countries around the world that import products from Japan, which could cause shortages and lead to rising costs. 

Currently there have been three explosions from the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant. Officials are urging anyone withing 19 miles of the plant to stay inside or else get radiation sickness because the levels are "very high."
Tragedies like this bring out the best in the world overall. People from all over the world are donating money and supplies to help out Japan. It goes to show you that even with all of the disagreements in the world we can still all agree on something and join together to help the victims of a tragedy like this. But be sure if you want to donate that it is a reputable organization to donate to. There are many scammers who use catastrophes like this to pounce on people's sympathies. Organizations like the Red Cross are good places to start.

You can go to http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html to see before and after pictures of Japan.

NHL Headshots

On Tuesday night during a matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara sent Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty head first into the space where the glass starts again after a break from the boards. Pacioretty left the game on a stretcher and suffered a severe concussion and a fractured fourth cervical vertebrate. Chara received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The NHL further reviewed the hit and deemed that Chara should receive no further punishment because they didn't feel it was intentional. To anyone watching they could see that the hit was wrong. Personally, I feel that it was intentional. The way Chara shoved his arm into Pacioretty's head it was like he made sure to finish him off. One of the excuses was that Chara didn't exactly know that he was that close to that area. Chara is a 12 year NHL veteran and has been playing hockey numerous years before the NHL, he should know the rink and see not to hit Pacioretty like that in that area. He should also take responsibility for it. Chara expressed in the postgame that the hit was"unfortunate" and that Pacioretty "jumped a lttle bit." The irony in this hit was that it was on the anniversary of the infamous Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore incident. That was where Bertuzzi sucker punched Moore in the neck which ended Moore's career. 

Chara's hit on Pacioretty

The bigger question is not whether the hit is right or wrong but the NHL's policy on head shots. It seems that they don't really care about their players. They do have a rule that punishes players for intentional head shots but unless you are in the offender's head, how do you know whether it's intentional or not. In a season where numerous players have suffered concussions, including star players Sidney Crosby (missed 27 games and counting) and Brad Richards (missed 10 games), it is time for the NHL to have a rule banning all head shots. What will it take for them to change it? Will someone have to die before they do something? Penguins GM Ray Shero in an interview with the USA Today said this:


"We are a league where you can accidentally hit a guy in the head with your shoulder and not be penalized. But if you clear a puck out of your zone and it accidentally goes into the stands, they give you two minutes. Does that make sense?"


 That does not make sense which is why the NHL needs to change the rule. Now Chara is an all-star player who doesn't have a history of cheap shots but what about the goons some NHL teams employ who specialize in harming others. A classic example is the New York Islanders Trevor Gillies. Gillies, 32, has played 48 NHL games with one goal and one assist. In February in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Gillies elbowed penguins forward Eric Tangradi and then proceeded to punch him multiple times while Tangradi was on the ice. Afterwards Gillies taunted Tangradi before leaving to the locker room. Tangradi suffered a concussion from the hit and is currently still out of action. The NHL suspended Gillies for nine games. The game that Gillies came back he checked and punched Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck from behind. Gillies was suspended ten games for that incident. 

Eric Tangradi after being attacked by Trevor Gillies

The Chara hit has raised questions about change for the NHL. Montreal Canadiens fans tried to take it into their own hands by calling the police to file a criminal complaint against Zdeno Chara. Well no one can say that Canadiens fans aren't passionate. Although that is extreme for fans to do something must be done to stop this. Lets face it, people pay big money to see star players work their magic. If the star players aren't there due to concussions people won't come and thus there will be fewer fans of hockey. Critics worry that it will make the game less tough. This almost seems eerily similar to football. Safety for the players needs to be the number one thing. Players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever before. Shouldn't we better protect them? Anyways, players will adjust to the rules just like they did after the lockout when there was a crackdown on holding and hooking other players. 
To see the video for yourself you can click here:http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Max-Pacioretty-stretchered-off-after-devastating?urn=nhl-331549

Vending machines are more dangerous than sharks

In the March issue of The Prowl, there was an article by Zoe Arnold about how to survive a shark attack and how to properly get a snack out of the vending machine. Who knew that vending machines killed four times more people than a shark? Part of the reason is people think sharks are extremely dangerous, which they are, but generally don't want humans for dinner. It's also due to the commercialization of sharks being dangerous. Lets face it, if there was a movie about a killer vending machine it wouldn't be a blockbuster classic. Whereas a killer shark movie, such as Jaws, would scare many people into not going into the ocean again. Anyways, the article does offer good advice with a sense of humor. For example, it suggests hitting the shark in the nose, eyes or gills. It will be advice I rememer should I encounter a killer shark.

 Now the killer vending machines. Seriously, who dies from a vending machine? I can see from some of the products from the vending machine, but the machine itself? The snack is not that good. The article suggests to shake or kick the machine if your product is stuck. A personal piece of advice, that is not in the article, is to try and purchase the same product again to try and dislodge it so you can at least get one if not two. Although in the article it suggests that someone could come and give you a refund, I have never seen anyone offer someone a refund for a stuck product. It would be nice though and hopefully I can find one the next time I can find one. Luckilly whenever I've used vending machines I haven't sustained any injuries. I've also had others try to help me get the snack out. So be careful around those dangerous vending machines.

Girl Scouts unable to sell cookies in front of founder's home

In Savannah, Georgia, a troop of Girl Scouts were unable to sell their famous cookies on the sidewalk in front of their founder's childhood home. This was due to a law which prohibits sales on public property. It was brought to the city's attention by someone complaining about them selling the cookies there. Jan McKinney, who heads product sales for the Girl Scouts in Georgia, says they sell about 250 boxes in three hours in front of the house. The city says that they can't allow them to sell because then other businesses will want to sell on sidewalks also. The girls decided to sell at the Springtime Made in the South Festival at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center over the past weekend. Luckilly for the girls the sales were still good, but they preferred selling in front of the home. There is talk about allowing them to sell the cookies during the Girl Scout cookie season.

                                                            The girls selling at their new spot.

This is really sad that society has come to not allow the Girl Scouts to sell their cookies in front of their founder's home. I understand that it is against the law but it only lasts about a month. They should allow them to sell their cookies. The Low home, the childhood house of their founder, brings in many tourists to Savannah. It's obvious that the Girl Scouts organization helps the city out so why can't the city help them. I also understand that other businesses might want to sell but this is only a temporary thing. The better question is who complained to the city about them? Either they are a part of the businesses that want to sell on public property or they don't like any of the Girl Scouts' cookies. The organization helps to teach young girls a lot of good qualities. Good for McKinney in taking the high road where she says that it is just a "real world experience" for the girls and to follow the law. Hopefully the city and the organization can resolve this thing. Maybe they could have the girls sell at the Low house so they would be off of public property but be able to sell at the home. The city did try to see if there was some space between the property line and the sidewalk but there wasn't. I think that they will resolve this to make both parties happy because it seems that the city is willing to work with them because right now it doesn't make them look too good.

                                                                          The Low house.

Student arrested in St. Petersburg police officer shooting

It was recently announced that 16 year old Nicholas Lindsay was the one who shot and killed Officer David Crawford. I don' feel that it is completely the parent's fault. He is 16 years old, two years away from being an adult. At this point he should know that shooting an officer is wrong. Anyways from the information that is coming out it sounds like he was raised to know right from wrong and that his parents were there for him. They could of watched him more and know exactly where he is but he could still disobey them. From reports that are out it sounds like the parents are doing the right thing and when Lindsay was questioned they encouraged him to tell the truth about what happened. This is refreshing considering that some parents wouldn't want them to talk, get a lawyer and have it last forever in a trial.

In preventing this it is currently unknown whether a bulletproof vest would of helped. Considering he was shot in the chest, it probably would of helped. As I stated before the parents probably should of watched over him more but sometimes you can't do anything. It is pretty much Lindsay's fault. He shot the officer about four times, so it is hard to say it is an accident or self defense. Overall I don't feel that there is much else that could of been done.

I feel that it is sad that there have been nine police officers killed in Florida in the past year. It makes you wonder whether it is a coincidence or a trend? Also whether law enforcement can do more to protect their people and prevent these things. But partly because of events like these the Bradenton Police department is going to require officers to wear bulletproof vests. Maybe other departments will do so also as St. Petersburg does not require their officers to wear a bulletproof vest. Hopefully tragedies like these will make departments do more to protect their officers.  

Pizza delivery driver saves customer's life

In Memphis, Tennessee a Dominoes delivery woman saved her customer's life. How so you might ask? The driver, Susan Guy, thought that it was odd how her customer, Jean Wilson, hadn't order a pizza in the past three days. Every day for the past three years, Wilson has ordered a pizza. Guy went out to her home and nobody answered. He asked a neighbor about her and called 911. The police broke into her home and found Wilson on the floor because she couldn't get up and call for help. Wilson is currently in a local hospital in non-critical condition. 
Now that is customer service. This is nice to see that a company is concerned about their customers. Especially since we live in age where if you want technical support you have to call a 1-800 number to someone in India. I am also glad to see that the reason she couldn't order her pizza was from the pizza itself. I remember less than a year ago, in Denver, a delivery person saved a customer's life when the man went into cardiac arrest. Wonder if they will deliver to the hospital?     

St. Petersburg officer shooting

On Monday night at about 10:30 p.m., Officer David S. Crawford was fatally shot near Eight Street and Third Avenue S. Officer Crawford was with the Police Department for 25 years. Officer Crawford was responding to a call to investigate a suspicious person. Officer Donald J. Ziglar also was called to check out the suspicious person. Ziglar found Crawford shot multiple times at close range near his car. At Bayfront Medical Center Officer Crawford was pronounced dead. Currently they are searching for the person who did this.

It is just another reminder of the risks these men and women go through every day. They risk their lives just to try and protect ours. I have the utmost respect for the people who do this especially since I have a family member that works in law enforcement. This is especially saddening considering that this is the third St. Petersburg officer killed in the line of duty in the past 30 days. No department should have go go through something like that. It is kind of scary for those around the Tampa Bay area considering less than a year ago two Tampa police officers were shot at a traffic stop. 

Possible 18 game NFL season

With labor negotiations underway between the NFL and NFLPA, one of the propsed changes talked about is an 18 game NFL scheedule. Most NFL owners are for the 18 game schedule which would eliminate two preseason games and add two more to the current 16 game schedule. The owners also would be excited about the added revenue an 18 game season would bring in. They could charge more for season tickets, get more revenue from concession and merchandise sales, and get a bigger TV contract from the networks. The players however, are against the proposed schedule. They feel it will add more risk to an already violent game. This could increase concussions and serious health risk while players are currently playing or afterwards. Expanded rosters would have to come into place if they the added two games.
The NFL should just stick with the 16 game schedule. Although expanded rosters would help with a longer season, the people who start the games will have more wear and tear on them and could shorten their careers. Instead of playing 16 years they could play 12. As the season goes on their quality of play will decrease also. A defensive lineman will be able get after the quarterback a lot easier at the beginning of the year than at the end. The star players, who put people in the seats, have a greater chance of getting hurt. The quality of the game will just be watered down.