X. Benedict

This remarkable man, whose voice painted vivid pictures of triumphs and defeats, became more than just a commentator to me, he probably had an outsized influence on my life . He became the companion of our autumns, winters, and springs, narrating the stories of personal journeys with passion and fervor. His crackle and rasp, were my second interior monologue in my head. When I say he has inspired me. I really mean I could hear his voice daily in my head. I remember nights spent with my transistor under the blanket, and the white single earpiece cord. It was usually Ted Darling in the first and the third. RJ in the second. Then over time, it just became RJ. First Period. For as long as I can remember. I win the Stanley Cup every morning. This may sound silly, but its what I do. I lift the Stanley Cup. Sometimes I even press the imaginary weigh of it over my head as I make my coffee. The voice was always the same. It was Rick - but always a little different. RJ would announce the captain handing me the cup for me to lift. - “And look at this, he’s one of US……there won’t be a dry eye in Western New York now…….X. Benedict is lifting the cup!!!” I am crying as I write this. For me RJ has always been the soundtrack of what is possible in my life. He has called every degree graduation, he has called every promotion, he has called my wedding. But it started much earlier, he called every goal of mine on the pond, every goal in the driveway, and every goal in life. He was my adopted inspiration voice. Perhaps he was yours too. Second Period. One thing that made RJ unique, is that he always called the game in front of him. He wasn’t telling long stories. He wasn’t telling history. He always focused on the game and the detials in front of him. He always knew who was on the ice. He always let you know who was in the face-off circle, who had the puck, how much time was left. There were great calls, but for me that was never the lesson. RJ was a Hall of Famer because he called the game he was at. He was in the moment. Calling the detials of a 6-1 blowout were just as important to him as the details of a the 6-5 overtime thriller. He knew the history, but he avoided the temptation to narrate the what belonged to the players. Any locker room disfunction, any heartwarming stories, any gossip. He avoided this. Everything he called was in service of the world the game in front of him created. - I guess this has always inspired me. His discipline was to keep the players lives private, and to focus on the 20 minutes in front of him. Everyone can get distracted. RJ always focused on the call. The call was colorful enough. He let others add color. In the weirdest way - he was always the most colorful straight man. The emotion came from the game. I always thought I would be a better person by focusing on what was in front of me. Third Period. I write this to you, friends. Because even though I left this forum and social media a few years back - RJ was some of the glue that made us a better community. I write this to you, simply because I know you will understand, and I have no one better in the world to communicate it to. I know you guys love the team, and I stopped by when I heard the news. There will be a disconnect with me. The voice I have stolen for my interior soundtrack, will now belong to a star in heaven, a voice in history, and not a living man. At least as long as I live, his voice will live in me. Perhaps you too. Be well friends. And my condolences. I’m sorry for OUR loss, and will miss him. We were blessed to have him. Rest in peace, old friend. Rest in peace.

Seriously, World Juniors to this in 48 hrs? The triumph of narcissistic personality disorder over content. Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism. I'll be back I'm sure. I'm just going to take a break. maybe finish the porn novel started for me. I'm too old for this schlock. Happy Holidays folks. Enjoy the hockey. Peace all.

Elbows? hmmmm?.....it's got to be a Rocky Horror Picture Show tranny thing for sure.

Let's see, yes, right here on the stock ticker, yes, TBGED stock is down 34 pts in heavy trading since 1 o'clock today. Wow. I wished I would have shorted that one. :lol:

:lol:

It seems they were not formally connected to ISIS, but they self- identified with ISIS. \ That's is an important difference, I think.

Nicely put.

Simply, I think you have the player GMTM wanted this year. Solid guy that is able to play within himself, carries his lunch-pail, and doesn't need accolades. He's more comfortable taking a quieter role this year. He can block a shot when you need one blocked. He's not going to light up the offensive zone. At 20 min a game we aren't noticing him much. That's because he's doing his job.

Not a huge fan of the daily news, but..... http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2454804.1449198985!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/article-frontpage-1204.jpg?enlarged

Me neither. But the demands are different.

I think it is more a matter of the style of play than the pairing. Last year Gorges was asked to turtle in and catch bullets.....he did, and his body paid the price. This year, the Sabres are getting the puck out of the zone quickly, and they are spending a lot more time up ice. Better for Gorges.

I've long been curious about people who have purchased modular homes. Do they maintain value?

MSG is running this one all the time. Are they actually trying to sell beer in Buffalo using Aikmen? I scratch my head every time I see it and think of the 90s.

I know Ted Cruz thinks that a gun ownership is the ultimate check on government tyranny. I happen to think it is a free press and the ballot box.

Okay, thanks. I misunderstood.