Thwomp!

That may be, but he saw Ovechkin there all alone and very casually skated towards him. O'Reilly was far from the main problem on that play. Risto or Gorges should have covered Ovechkin to begin with, but O'Reilly's very casual demeanor once he saw Ovechkin set up in prime position caught my eye. Ovechkin should have been far more of a concern than a possible breakout pass at that point.

I don't hear much about it (OSU hockey), but I'm sure it's fairly cheap entertainment. Columbus is basically Buckeyes football and everything else. Buckeyes basketball is probably next on that list, but a distant 2nd as far as sports go. The Blue Jackets are pretty much ignored here, so if OSU hockey does well I think it could surpass the Jackets in popularity. Plus there's the Cavaliers, Bengals, and even the Browns, Indians, and Reds are more popular. There's so much to do in Columbus, the surrounding suburbs, Cleveland, Cincinnati, etc. that it is tough for something as historically poorly run and performing as the Blue Jackets to gain any momentum. The 2 times they've made the playoffs have been fairly quick exits and a horrible start to the next year that kills any possible momentum. Plus the shady way that they've been propped up has not endeared them to the general public and it's not exactly cheap entertainment to attend a game. My prediction is that someday sooner or later there will be no NHL in Columbus once the public can achieve a chance at a judgment in the political shenanigans that have taken place.

Lather, rinse, repeat for the last 16 years. No wonder no one in Columbus cares about them. They are stuck in no man's land. They can never compete and they can't afford to do a huge rebuild. If the voters ever get a rightful chance to vote on whether the Jackets should be bailed out with public funds, the team's existence in Columbus will be in serious jeopardy.

I finished the book this morning. I really liked the last story "Summer Thunder". I'd also have to give an honorable mention to "The Bone Church", since it was a 21 page (on my phone at least) poem. King's short stories are usually quite good. This one was definitely a bit different because I got the impression he was putting his spin on different styles of writing. There were some hits and misses imo. Now on to Firestarter after my short break from the oldies.

Woo! That's a quick read. Better get #2 ready! The books do get progressively longer for the most part, but that first book is quite short.

Sabrepede may have been a little harsh, but that play was reminiscent of Sabrepede for sure. Maybe a close cousin? http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/25429858/look-alex-ovechkin-was-ridiculously-wide-open-for-career-goal-no-493 O'Reilly really lazy on that play, but there were still 3 Sabres (vs. 1.5 Capitals) in the corner with Ovechkin wide open in front of Ullmark.

Trevor Cooney's stats from ESPN: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/56997/trevor-cooney Has there ever been a more mediocre player? He even a mediocre free throw shooter, which is something he should excel at.

Pretty much what I was saying, but in many more words. :P I'm not sure I agree completely on the "smart" aspect. I haven't been convinced of that yet from what I've seen and heard. I'm not denigrating Trump supporters at all, they are a formidable group. My impression is that "smart" people are part of who they're rallying against, so smart is not considered a positive trait. And I'm sure to certain salesmen, Trump is the pinnacle of the profession in their view.

Yeah, they always seem to have that one guy who is supposed to be good and never quite gets there. But then he's there for 4 years, and it seems like forever. Triche is kind of a good example too, but I liked him better than Cooney. He was at least better defensively as I recall and a better leader. Cooney somehow always has the green light to shoot even when he's 1-12 or something atrocious like that. Then all you hear is how he hits everything from everywhere in practice :wallbash: Scoop another good example and Christmas was a perfect example until he had a great senior year.

Pretty spot on. My impression is that there's a pretty big desire for "outsiders" across the political spectrum. New ideas and voices. Not the cookie cutter candidates of the past. On the right, that idea manifests itself as Trump. On the left, Bernie is that manifestation. They are reality-challenged. Not policy driven, more approach driven. These are the people who like to not only defeat others, but humiliate them in the process. Anger at the system manifests itself as anger against other politicians, the media, and anyone who is negative towards Trump. He conducts politics in the way that they yearn for. Insulting, telling "the truth", and no holds barred.

Bingo! Very strange Syracuse team this year with very little around the rim scoring/defensive presence. They rely on the perimeter game, which they do seem more suited to, but they've been off in a couple games this year and it's been ugly. I didn't expect much this year, so at least they're a bit better and more interesting than I was expecting. Looking forward, Cooney and Coleman can't leave soon enough, but Gbinije will be missed next year. If everyone else sticks around, could be very good next year.

I'm on the 2nd to last story of the book at the moment. I liked "A Death". A few twists and turns in that one. Was a little disappointed that 3 of the stories are "recycled". "Ur" previously was a Kindle exclusive. "Blockade Billy" was already issued as a standalone book with "Morality" included as well. Enjoyed reading them again regardless. My favorites so far are "Bad Little Kid", "The Dune", "The Little Green God of Agony", and "Obits", with an honorable mention to "Batman and Robin Have an Altercation". Good story and title.

Well hold on to your career and you'll still be ahead of where Zack's heading.

You already commented on Ink's reply to news of that trade! :P

Yep, Trump, Bernie supporters just love you! :rolleyes: What world does that man live in? How can literally nothing he says be true, yet he very well could be a major party nominee for president? I spent some time with Trump supporters over the holiday, however, who are registered Democrats and voting for Bernie in the primary, so that was interesting. Very simple for me in that there are only two possibilities for my presidential vote in 2016: Bernie if he's on the ballot, Stein if he's not. Sorry Donald!

Surprised to see you mention Columbus here. There's only three reasons Columbus' arena has any atmosphere: 1) When the Sabres play here, 30-40% of the fans are Sabres fans and there's alot of good-natured heckling going back and forth between opposing fans, so there's some energy in the building. Columbus' home fan base tends to be small and unenthusiastic. When you've had two playoff appearances in 15 (going on 16) years that will happen. 2) The times I have been they've had a live band that plays during some stoppages, which is highly preferable to the ear-shattering pop music and other nuisances they play during all the other stoppages. Those stoppages are just horrible beyond description and would be much better if the crap didn't for some reason have to be so agonizingly loud. 3) The cannon is awesome. But otherwise, I've always thought of the atmosphere as "meh".

Kassian traded from Montreal (without ever playing for them) to Edmonton for Scrivens http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/25428948/canadiens-trade-zack-kassian-to-oilers-for-g-ben-scrivens Myers with two "heads up" defensive plays? That extra long neck creates extra long reach for the head save, Tyler's new specialty :w00t:

Cambria is laying the groundwork for a very specialized law firm. Sad situation. Wish this issue wasn't so common in modern society.

I'll take that as a compliment :flirt: I'm 57 Lib/43 Con, so I think I really understand our difference in candidate preferences now. :P

Holy crap! Got Super Mario 3D for my daughter for Xmas. Freakin awesome!

Did he get mad or are other "interests" keeping him busy?

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope Santa got you everything you wanted.

How can you connect when people don't know who you really are (Hillary)? Or are the modern equivalent in appearance and style of a snake oil salesman (Cruz)? I agree with your comments on both. My thoughts on the tax code: It could be simplified as many have proposed. it won't be without drastic changes to the American political system. It's a symptom of a much bigger problem. The tax code has been shaped and lobbied for by the people/entities with the means to do so, as has many, many, many other aspects of our government.

Bills games are essentially a frat party. That's good in that the games sell out when there is no reason in the world for them to still do so. It's bad in that they look like idiots and someday the party will be sanitized and end. Probably after a new stadium and/or several serious incidents/injuries occur.

If the league continues for that long, say at least 16 years or so, maybe someone can pull off the ultimate Buffalo Bills achievement by never even making the playoffs during that time period.