A Weird Twist of Fate

Last week when I was talking about former NFL NY Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer, it kind of brought back some memories. So today I’m going to share my strange but true story about Palmer.

Way back when, when Jesse was making me swoon by saying…WOW…I’d watch football just to see this guy. He was on this little show called “The Bachelor.”

To me, I thought he was the hottest Bachelor to ever be on the show. That was the first time I ever watched the entire season of “The Bachelor” and the last.

I was living in Indianapolis during the time that Jesse was on “The Bachelor.” I lived right along the canal next to Butler University.

One day, I decided to take my Alaskan Malamute “KUSH” out for a walk along the canal.

Now, Kush is a huge dog. At the time, he was the biggest dog on the canal. I would have to use my entire weight to try and control him to keep him from not bothering other people or their dogs. He could eat most of the dogs in the neighborhood for breakfast!

Well, on our stroll, Kush was looking around in the grass along the canal (he’d jump in if he realized that I didn’t have a strong hold on him). A really good looking athletic type guy was jogging towards me along the canal with his dog (without a leash).

I kept looking at the guy thinking, “Wow…this guy is really hot. He’s so hot…like Jesse…Palmer…hot…OMG…it is JESSE PALMER!”

Well, Jesse gets this huge flirtatious smile on his face as he draws nearer. He’s slowing down, getting ready to stop to talk to me. He waves and says hello. As he gets closer, Kush, realizing that I’m distracted…

GOES AFTER JESSE PALMER’S DOG!

Jesse jumps into the bushes on the other side of the path screaming, “WHOA!” I realize that my distraction with Jesse’s heavenly beauty has left me with little to no hold on Kush.

After snapping back into reality and attempting to grab what’s left of the leash, I start pushing Kush away from Palmer’s dog. I yell at Jesse, “Keep going, keep going!”

So Jesse and his dog take off down the trail.

What’s funny is that his dog…(it was an older dog) acted like it was nothing but just some annoying fan! KUSH!

But the story doesn’t end there…

Jesse makes it down to the end of the dirt trail where there’s some poles sticking out from the ground that separates the dirt trail from the road. He stops, turns around to let me know everything’s okay. He smiles and waves again, turns around to continue with his run and runs right SMACK into the pole.

I averted my entire head to try to keep from laughing. I was thinking…OMG, he must be so embarrassed…and would be even more embarrassed if he knew that I saw it!

So to save him from THAT extreme embarrassment, I pushed Kush along to walk down the trail. The funny thing is, Kush was smiling from ear to ear. I realized then and there…Kush was trying to play matchmaker.

So here’s the interesting part of the story. The reason why the Bachelor was in Indianapolis was because he was there to film the second to the last episode where the last two girls get to meet his family.

Ends up his parents lived one block away from me!

What are the odds?

Also, that exchange on the canal told me that he wasn’t interested in either woman that made it to the final round.

So the Jesse Palmer story doesn’t end there…

Later on…I moved to NYC. After the first couple of months in my new neighborhood, I was out walking around in my neighborhood and saw Jesse again on my block. I had to do a double take. I was thinking…NO…this can’t be!

But sure enough it was him.

After the Bachelor, he ended up in Canada and is now living not too far away from where I live now.

Strange coincidences? Oh, I sure as hell think so.

The last time I saw him, he just so happened to be taking a run in my neighborhood. Oddly enough, we ran into each other in my neighborhood in the exact same spot I saw him the time before.

Yes, it is strange. And just imagine my surprise yesterday when a Google search found that Jesse now works in the same industry as me!

The funny thing about all of these chance encounters with Palmer is this…his teammates used to make fun of him and say that he becomes a complete klutz when he’s around a girl that he likes. He really embarrasses the hell out of himself when he meets a girl he likes.

I was thinking about that while me and Kush were heading away from Palmer and his dog and heading to the bridge to finish our walk. I mean, how many professional athletes run smack dab into a pole after meeting a girl?

How Sweet It Is

What a great night for NY-area sports! The Devils FINALLY won at home and the NY Yankees won the World Series. [MATSUI RULES!] As the Metro news guy said on the corner this morning, “Godzilla was loose in the Bronx last night!”

For those who know nada about Yankees baseball (it’s the only baseball team I know anything sports related about because I have friends that are really into Yankees baseball), Godzilla is Matsui (because he’s from Japan). He was MVP of the night because he didn’t just bring the runs in once, or twice…he did it three times! That’s what I call bringing it on home for the team!

I love the fact that he’s Asian…and MVP…and what he did for the NY Yankees in Game 6…and he tied the record for most RBIs in the World Series. Way to go Matsui!

Congratulations YANKEES!

Now the truth is that we were all sneaking a peak as to what was happening over in the Bronx during the Devils game last night. It was a very important night.

As for the Devils, they finally got their second home win! Devils Win At Home

In non-hockey related news…I promised to share a few photos from Greece. Well, these were done specially for a fashion site. I’m modeling 2 things: Valentino sunglasses and an Azuri Confetti Wrap. The black shirt (which you really can’t see) is BCBG Max Azria.

(c) 2009 Michelle Kenneth

(c) 2009 Michelle Kenneth

Here are my ponderings for the day…

1. Why is it that the food we hated as children end up becoming our favorite foods as adults? Case in point, I couldn’t stand sweet potatoes, squash (of any sort), or beets. Beets probably tops the list there.

I’ll tell you why…because back then no one knew how to cook the vegetable right! Sweet potatoes…my brother will only eat it if I make it. Why? Because I have an East Meets West recipe that my brother loves. He’ll eat the orange potato up in a home fries version or as baked fries. Both recipes that I’ve found makes me ask…why in the world did our mother try to get us to eat baked sweet potatoes like a regular potato. It’s just ICK!!!

As for beets, I hated it until I was in France. The French like to use pickled beets on their salads. When I tasted my first pickled beet, I was in love (because I love pickles). Since then, I’ve loved beets…pickled, that is.

Why mom thought that boiled beets was a good meal…YUCK!

Squash…you can make it millions of ways. Why mom wanted to bake them and put butter and brown sugar on it…GROSS.

I can now say my distaste for these vegetables may have had something to do with my mother trying to figure out American vegetables and coming up with an Americanized version of how to make them. She should just stick to her specialty…Thai food.

2. Is it just me or do celebs (actresses/singers) that date athletes tend to jump from one athlete to another (no matter what their sport)?

Climbing Mountains

I’ve been bothered a lot about some stupid dramatic, childish stuff happening to a friend of mine. As someone older, it’s hard to see a friend going through this bullshit, especially a colleague in this business that’s trying to be herself and make it in a male dominated industry.

I said a little prayer for them last night before I meditated and when I meditated, this is what I saw.

God was sitting on top of a mountain. I went and sat by his side.

We were looking down the edge of the mountain. There were people trying to climb to the top of the mountain. He said that we never want to see these people get hurt, so we will try and reach down to grab them and protect them if they were to start to fall.

We want to see every single one of them succeed and make it to the summit. We can’t help but want to reach down and help them, throw them a line and pull them up. But we don’t, because they chose this path and they have to make the climb on their own.

They could have taken the easier path up, but they chose not to. Even if you threw them a line, they wouldn’t take it out of pride. So you have to let them make the climb on their own…only offering to save them before they hit the ground.

Now, there are climbers that set out to make it a competition or seek to do harm to other climbers that are heading in the same direction. They will try to grab them and pull them down.

For those at the top of the mountain, all we want to do is get in between the middle of them and tell the vicious one to step off and go their own way before you push them off the cliff yourself, because it’s one less evil person in the world. But to do that, you would be no less of an evil person than them. So you play the role of parent trying to pry the two apart and tell them to play nice!

People like this don’t realize that when you attempt to pull someone down, you risk falling off of the cliff yourself. God’s more apt to save the victim of the attack from falling before he will reach out his hand to save the evil one. [So if the evil one hits the ground, tough luck.]

When this happens, it becomes a battle for survival even though your chances of surviving are actually greater when you work together as a team to reach the summit. [Something called brotherly love comes to mind.]

The other thing is that throughout life, we are taught that we have to work our way from the bottom to make it to the top. We learn life’s lessons along the way so that we can become better leaders when we make it to the top.

Not too many people can make it to the summit. They give up or fail long before they make it to the top. That’s what separates the ‘outliers’ from everybody else.

Although, there are some people that are different. They go straight to the top. Those are the ones that want to help each and every one make it to the top. But at the same time, they understand for each climber, it is their own journey. We cannot interfere. They have to make it on their own.

When you are on your path in life, you can see the mountain, but you can be right on the ground and be at the top of the mountain at the same time. You don’t have to climb the mountain to reach the summit. All you have to do is close your eyes, and you’re there.

This is a concept that’s very hard for people to understand. Paths in life aren’t always handed out so easily. It takes time to figure it out. Some people need to climb a mountain, just to feel like they’re worthy of their path. Others, don’t have to climb a mountain.

Being at the top of the mountain means you understand fully what it takes to get to that position, as well as what it takes to stay in that position without being knocked down by an avalanche.

There is a shortcut to all of this. The shortcut is wisdom…and love. Don’t think love has anything to do with it? Trust me, it does. It takes wisdom and understanding to know that love is everything.

When you are at the summit, you understand that the dramas of the world are not part of the climb…at least, it doesn’t have to be that way. You also understand that humanity and lending a helping hand (AKA LOVE) is one of the most important virtues of remaining at the top.

People always tell me that they are clueless as to what I’m talking about when I say these things. It usually hits them months later when they are in a similar situation and they exclaim, “Oh, that’s what she was talking about!”

So I don’t expect everyone to understand what I’m talking about right now, but just think on it. It’ll make sense one day.

Here are some song lyrics that come to mind today…

“So Small” by Carrie Underwood

‘Cause sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing
Is just a grain of sand
And what you’ve been out there searching for forever
Is in your hands

And when you figure out
Love is all that matters after all
It sure makes everything else
Seem so small

Now, as a little inspiration for my friend, here are some lyrics that should make you laugh with regards to your haters.

“Never Wanna See You Again” Rich Hardesty

You’re all upset about nothing
Never want to hurt you, never want to make you cry
Just keep the bullshit to yourself…

Whatever happened to me and you
It’s on page 672, that’s the end of the book
So fuck you

‘Cause I never wanna fuckin’ see you again
Well you’ve always been a bitch since I can remember when
And you irritate my brain and you’re driving me insane
No, I never wanna fuckin’ see your ugly-ass again
Tell me, why do you have to be such a bitch
You wicked witch, fuckin’ bitch

And another classic gem from Rich Hardesty (I can’t remember the name of the song, but I’ve heard him play it enough times…and that music video from Jamaica is playing in my head):

If You Don’t Got Nothing Nice To Say
Don’t Say Nothing At All

As you can see, everybody has haters. Those that are successful press on even when others try to pull them down. Those haters are insignificant. You can either make them a part of your career or refuse to acknowledge them.

Chelios And the NHLPA: Ian Penny Letter to NHLPA

It is exactly what I thought would happen if Chris Chelios was given any power in the NHLPA. CBC.CA has posted up Ian Penny’s Letter to the NHLPA. Here it is:

This is a letter written by Ian Penny, former interim executive director of the NHLPA on October 23, 2009 to the organization’s player executive board. It details reasons why he believes he was constructively dismissed by the NHLPA. It was obtained by CBCSports.ca

Executive Board Members: I am writing to the Board in my capacity as Interim Executive Director to share my concerns about a number of very troubling issues, including surveillance activities at the NHLPA office; the leaking of confidential information from Board meetings; fatal flaws with the review of operations; and my personal situation. I recognize that I am in a conflicted position when I comment on the review and some of the other office issues that concern me, but it remains my duty to advise the Board on these types of matters.

1. Poisonous Office Environment In recent weeks, there have been a series of hostile and intimidating acts taken against members of the NHLPA staff. These acts are contrary to the legal obligation of the NHLPA to create a safe work environment that is free of harassment. Unfortunately, this obligation is not being fulfilled because of these acts, which include the following:

Chris Chelios is using staff members inside the office to monitor the meetings and discussions of their fellow employees and report back to him on their activities
Chelios has confronted multiple employees and interrogated them about why they were meeting with other staffers and what was said in their discussions
The most recent example of this surveillance campaign occurred on Tuesday, when Chelios sent me the following text message while I was meeting with four other managers in a board room:
“Ian when you r done can you please call me and let me know what you 5 staff members are discussing with each other i would like to know being your guys Emplyer.”

It is obvious based on this text message and other recent incidents that Chelios has staff members spying on their colleagues so that he can intimidate and harass the targeted staffers. This completely inappropriate conduct has created a hostile, fractured and distrustful work environment. It is the type of environment that exists in repressive, totalitarian regimes – not work places. It must stop immediately.

Chelios’ suggestion that he is the employer and that he is entitled to engage in this form of harassment is simply wrong. No employer is entitled to intimidate employees in this manner. In addition, this view reflects a misunderstanding of the relationship between the Executive Board and the staff. There are over 700 NHLPA members who dictate the union’s course through 30 Player Reps acting as a group. No single Player and no single Player Rep directs the day to day management of the NHLPA or its staff. Not only would that be a recipe for chaos, it would allow a single Player to engage in activities that may create legal liability for the entire membership.

Because I am a target of Chelios’ surveillance activities, I strongly recommend that the Board seek guidance from other counsel regarding the legal exposure that these activities may have created for the NHLPA.

2. Leaking of Internal Information The hostile work environment that currently exists has been made significantly worse by the consistent leaking of information, including information from our recent Executive Board calls. Sensitive, confidential union information is appearing in the media within minutes of the meetings’ conclusions. These leaks have resulted in a siege mentality among staff and have created the perception that we are an ineffectual organization that is incapable of governing itself. The NHLPA and the Board owe a duty to maintain the confidentiality of the matters discussed in Board meetings and they also owe a duty of confidentiality to staff. Now that the Board has authorized a review of operations, this practice of leaking information significantly raises the risk of legal exposure for the NHLPA. As I discuss more below, it will be the Board’s responsibility to make sure that appropriate steps are taken to prevent the release of confidential information relating to the review.

3. Review of Operations Consistent with my fiduciary duty to the Board, I am compelled to advise you that the review of operations is fatally flawed as it is currently designed. The key flaw is the well-established bias of Chris Chelios – one of the four committee members conducting the review. That bias is demonstrated by the following:

In a conversation several weeks ago Chelios urged me to tear up my contract extension and then threatened me by claiming that I would not survive a review. This indicates that he has prejudged the matter and will not approach a review with the necessary balance and objectivity.
As discussed above, Chelios has demonstrated his bias and hostility towards me and other staff by engaging in the surveillance of our activities at the office.
During the September 28 and October 4 Board calls Chelios made false and misleading statements about my compensation history and my record. These statements, which Chelios admitted making, not only showed his personal bias, but created a false sense of distrust among other Board members and Players that prevents them from approaching a review with an open mind. This manufactured distrust also led to the improper reduction of my role in union affairs.
Chelios has communicated with a number of Certified Agents in developing the presentations to Board members that have portrayed me in a negative light. Chelios’ statement on Thursday that the review committee may seek assistance from Agents creates the appearance that the review will be dominated by individuals harbouring an improper bias.
Following Paul Kelly’s termination and prior to the Board’s approval of the review, Chelios engaged in an unauthorized, personal investigation of my conduct during which he solicited negative information about me from staff and others. These efforts demonstrate a substantial, pre-existing bias towards me.
Shortly after Paul Kelly’s termination, Chelios and several other Board members received a written communication from Kelly encouraging him to investigate me and other staff. Since that time Chelios has continued to communicate with Kelly. These contacts create the appearance that the review is being coordinated with Kelly and that the review will target certain staff, while steering clear of Kelly’s conduct and the conduct of his allies. That appearance was reinforced when Kelly recently offered public praise for the creation of the review committee and when Glenn Healy stated on the radio Wednesday that Players on the review committee want to bring Kelly back to the NHLPA (see summary of radio interview below).
Because of these significant flaws, the results of the review will be placed in doubt and the Board will be prevented from taking effective action.

The Board should also be concerned with the possibility that the review will result in breaches of privacy that would violate applicable privacy legislation. This concern should be heightened in light of Chelios’ recent statement that he may involve Agents and individuals from other sports in the review process. To guard against privacy violations and to comply with the duty of good faith owed to staff, the Board needs to have effective controls in place to insure that information is not accessed by unauthorized individuals or otherwise leaked.

Given all of these circumstances, I recommend that the Board retain an independent, objective professional to conduct the review and that Chris Chelios have no further involvement. If those steps were taken, I would welcome the review and the opportunity to work with the independent professional in reaching a fair and balanced assessment based on all of the evidence.

Due to the fact that I am in a conflicted position in rendering this advice, I further recommend that the Board seek advice from other legal counsel. This advice should address whether the review committee is properly constituted given the strong appearance of bias and whether the review will allow the Board to meet its legal obligations with respect to privacy, confidentiality and good faith.

4. Ian Penny Based on the actions that have been taken to date with respect to my employment, including the ongoing surveillance of my activities at the office and the reduction of my role through the circulation of false information, it is my view that I have been constructively dismissed by the union. However, what is more important to me is that it has simply become impossible to work for the Players in the environment that has been created. It is also unfair to the hard-working, dedicated staff of the NHLPA to have my untenable situation negatively impact them in any way.

Due to this unacceptable work environment, I am prepared to resign from the NHLPA subject to certain reasonable conditions being met. At the present time there is no person with whom I can discuss the situation. I therefore recommend that the Board appoint counsel who can handle such a discussion. If you appoint a representative, I will appoint someone to represent my interests. If an amicable resolution cannot be worked out, I will consult my representative about next steps.

In the meantime I intend to continue to perform my duties on behalf of the NHLPA. However, I will not respond to Chris Chelios’ demands for information about my meetings and discussions with staff unless directed to do so by the Executive Board.

For those who want to believe that this memorandum is an attempt to undermine or avoid the review process, I suspect they cannot be convinced otherwise. The truth of the matter is that I would have no difficulty being held accountable in an environment where a fair and balanced assessment can be made. Unfortunately, that environment does not exist. This is due to the steady campaign of misrepresentations that has impaired the trust that needs to exist between me and the membership.

Please give these matters your prompt attention.

In solidarity, Ian

The Hockey Feminist

I think it’s because I’m a little older, I’m going to talk a little about feminism and later about hockey feminism.

I will be the first to say that as a general rule, I don’t hang out with hockey fans. I usually stick to those who work in the business. The reason why has a lot to do with ‘cyberbullying’ and lessons learned from the past. Usually the cyberbullying that I’ve encountered are fans trying to dictate the rules and if you don’t follow their rules, they will attack you.

It starts with one bully, fueled by their minions that turn into a large gang. They feel like they are justified in what they’re doing. Truthfully, they never are.

If the aim is to destroy someone else (that leads to hurting them) then the person is WRONG. We call these people HATERS. Haters like to spew some evil hateful words at anyone that the green eyed monster has zeroed in on. Jealousy is the green eyed monster. Shakespeare called it that because envy and jealousy can turn people into monsters aimed at destroying their target (when in fact the evil only comes back around…we call this KARMA).

For complete reference to the green eyed monster, I suggest watching Kenneth Branagh’s version of “Othello.”

Now, there are a lot of hockey players, hockey columnists, league employees, etc. that come here a lot to read my work. I tend to view this blog as more of an adventures into my world kind of blog. It is connected to everything that there is about my adventures as a hockey columnist. Better yet…a female hockey columnist.

The whole ‘female’ part has its battles of its own, but here, I want to discuss feminism.

I’m going to use the show Desperate Housewives as an example. In the show, Bree VanDerKamp is the Martha Stewart of the bunch. She comes out with her own cookbook, company, etc. in what it means to basically be a woman from the 1950’s.

While most feminists would say that a woman that embraces the ‘Martha Stewart housewife’ lifestyle is taking a step back in the feminist movement, it actually isn’t. The feminist movement should not say that it is wrong to enjoy cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their families (having an elaborate dinner on the table every night, flawless homes, etc.). To say that part of being a woman is WRONG is in itself taking a step back in feminism.

Trying to become equal to men by degrading what it means to be a woman is in itself taking a step back in the feminist movement.

To me, what the feminist movement is really about is protecting women from being wronged, degraded, or victimized. It’s purpose is to advance women into a position where we are deemed as HUMAN BEINGS, and not anything less. As women, we have to help each other out and stick up for each other. We have to help escalate women in this world.

BUT you can’t do that by destroying the meaning of what it means to be a woman. We took strides in becoming liberated as a sexual being and being able to do whatever the hell we wanted to do with our own sexuality and bodies. We take pride in the fact that we can now work in male dominated arenas and still hold onto our feminine ways. We celebrate what it means to be a woman no matter what we look like, what we do, or how we live.

Any woman that tries to thwart our freedom to be a woman is in fact not an ally to the feminist movement.

The feminist movement is about being free to be women, not be as equal as men are by changing ourselves to be more like a man.

Psycho Lady Hockey has come under fire as of late as being anti-feminist and everything that is wrong with ‘puck bunnies.’ Personally, I love her blog and anyone that doesn’t like it can move on. You don’t have to keep going back to her blog and then start a campaign to blacklist her and her followers, friends and readers. That’s childish.

The claims made against Psycho Lady Hockey are in fact wrong and written by someone that apparently doesn’t know her personally and is reading into something that isn’t there and judging her based on what they think they see.

I’ve been reading Katrina’s work since Buddy Oakes (Preds On the Glass) introduced me to it. Her work makes me laugh. There are a few pieces that are controversial enough that I don’t like what she says, but I don’t condemn her for it. She’s entitled to her own opinion…and sometimes she is doing it to spark some sort of reaction from her readers. If she can do it then her job is done for the day.

Now, I’ve worked from a grassroots level with V-Day and women’s shelters. I was even the Director of Governmental and World Affairs for a non-profit that I helped start up (when I left, it completely fell apart). I was the female voice in that group, and that voice was the voice that dominated…and people listened.

My aim was to use that voice for good and to help people. In layman’s terms, it’s called paying it forward.

You gain respect when your aim is for good.

There are so many facets to feminism, but the true aim is to excel women in this world in a positive manner and to celebrate what it means to be a woman.

I like Psycho Lady Hockey because it is a different aspect of feminism. It is the freedom to be a little psycho when it comes to being a female hockey fan. She is a true hockey fan underneath the Psycho Lady exterior. Her adventures across the NHL to see every hockey arena in the NHL is inspiring. We love her blog because we love reading about her adventures.

I’m 10 years older than Katrina and even her blog inspires me in so many different ways. She has my respect as a fellow female hockey columnist, colleague and friend.

There are things that a lot of female hockey fans are afraid of being called…and that’s a “puck bunny.” We are so busy trying to be equal to the male sports fan that anything that can make us remotely feminine is shunned.

Some women shun wearing anything pink or clothing remotely aimed towards the female hockey fan that the NHL sells. It’s as if it is wrong to be a woman AND a hockey fan. There’s nothing wrong with wearing the female hockey gear. There’s nothing wrong with wearing the male hockey gear. All that matters is that you feel great about what you’re wearing. But to take aim at women that would wear pink or feminine clothing to a hockey game is a step back from feminism.

Female fans have the right to express themselves any which way they want to. Ice girls wear less clothing (and I do feel bad for them if they’re flaunting too much skin because it is cold in there).

For a single heterosexual female that’s into sports to say that they don’t have a ‘thing’ for any player…it’s a LIE. If you have never had a crush on an athlete, you will someday. Even I still say that Jesse Palmer (the Bachelor former NFL quarterback) is HOT.

Most teenage girls that get into sports do it because of some cute jock. That is the truth. Just ask all of Zach Parise’s young female fans. When he scores a goal…there’s shrieking throughout Prudential Center…and a bunch of them call themselves MRS. PARISE.

Also when it comes to where I sit during a game when I pay for tickets, I usually sit in the front row. It has nothing to do with picking up a player or flirting with them from my seat. Remember, I have all types of access to them…and IF I were that type of woman, I’d already have tried plenty of times to pick up a few players. But I’m not that type of person. I also do not take kindly to any player that would attempt to hit on me. It’s unprofessional and can lead to something called SEXUAL HARASSMENT. People lose their jobs every day if there’s even a hint of that stuff going on.

Sitting in the front row is a unique experience. I see the game differently when I sit down in front. I’m looking for things that you can’t even fathom I’m looking for in assessing a player, how they play and their contribution to the team. It’s the technical details I’m viewing.

When I first got into hockey, that’s how I learned about hockey…right down by the ice. You view the game differently from that position. You learn things that you’re not going to learn anywhere else higher up in the arena or on television. Even during practices, I’m down in front looking for certain things.

Trust me, if I see something wrong…say a player’s skating not being up to par…and I print it…the next day, the players are running skating drills. You’re not going to pick that up from the nosebleeds.

Even the MSG sportscasters John Giannone and Al Trautwig watch the game down by the ice. They are watching the game the exact same way that I’m watching the game.

When I sit behind the bench, I’m actually watching the coach coaching his team. You learn things when you listen to the coach and watch the team working together to strategize and talk about what they’re going to do next.

I always like listening to a player mic’d up during a game. You get a different view of the game when that happens. Sitting behind the bench is the same thing, as well as sitting in the front row (because I read lips).

To stereotype all female hockey fans that sit in the front row as being a whore, slut, etc. it’s sadly WRONG.

Now, there are women out there that do sit down by the ice in an effort to pick up hockey players (which I don’t understand how that would work considering there’s a sheet of glass between them and the players). I don’t associate with those types. To each their own. It’s their fairy tale world, not mine…but I will not condemn them for it, because it’s THEIR LIFE. Who am I to say what’s right and wrong? This is a part of hockey.

As one of the few female hockey columnists in the league, we have to deal with the bullshit of these stereotypes from both men and women alike. We have to constantly prove that we are not what people ‘assume’ we are because we are a woman or a pretty face. If you’re in it for the players, pick another profession.

Psycho Lady Hockey is a humorous site. The men I’ve spoken to today about the site are absolutely appalled by the hate mail that Psycho Puck Lady got.

They’re not drooling over her. They read her work for pure entertainment value only and nothing more. Many hockey writers in the business respect what she’s doing and that she’s in a certain niche. She’s chronicling her adventures as a hockey addict.

It’s like TMZ versus the New York Times. TMZ has more followers than the NYT sells papers. People go there for entertainment value.

If you don’t like her work, then don’t read it. I don’t visit TMZ because I don’t like their content, their paparazzi ways, and lack of privacy into celebrities personal lives. I’ve boycotted them.

My point is if you don’t like what she’s doing, don’t read her blog. If you keep passing it along to get people to join your bandwagon…you’re only increasing her popularity. If you don’t want her numbers to increase, then BOYCOTT HER. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

And if you haven’t figured out that Psycho Puck Lady is a CHARACTER, then you’ve totally misread all of her work.

Halloween Special: Top 5 Scariest Moments in Hockey

In celebration of Halloween, I thought I’d do a little special on a few of the scariest hockey moments that have scared the crap out of me.

But before I get into the gory details, make sure you support UNICEF’s Trick-or-Treat Campaign.

Also, Trick or Treat For Our Troops is an interesting charity. After all, do we really need all of that candy?

Teach the kids about helping out other kids in the world and our troops!

Now to the Top 5:

5. Richard Zednik’s Throat Slashed

I remember watching this game on TV when it happened. It was horrible. Luckily for Zednik, the guys that saved his life that night were there when #1’s incident happened. Chances of getting your throat slashed and surviving it in Buffalo are pretty high. Yes, there is a lot of irony in the fact that two throats slashed all happened in Buffalo territory.

4. Brendan Shanahan Dead?

For any Rangers fan or Shanahan fan, seeing Shanny carried off on a stretcher, completely unmoving after colliding with Mike Knuble could make anyone’s heart stop.

Truthfully, this video (personally) would be number 1, but (professionally) it hits #4.

3. Jiri Fischer Collapses On Bench

2. Alexei Cherepanov Dies

Being a huge fan of Jaromir Jagr, seeing the last minutes of Cherepanov’s life is one of the most haunting videos you’ll ever see. Alexei’s dream was to play hockey with Jagr. He got that wish before he died.

1. Clint Malarchuk’s Throat Cut

This has to be one of the scariest moments in hockey. The video explains it all.

Planning…

Today I got a few invites for Thanksgiving weekend, but since one of my colleagues at Inside Hockey beat the other one to it, I’m heading to Boston. I usually don’t go on the road for the Devils, but I’ve been meaning to get up to Boston one of these days, so it comes at an opportune time because the Devils meet the Bruins the day after Thanksgiving.

As far as going to Nashville to catch a Predators game, I may venture out there sometime during the last half of the season.

Since my battery went dead on my Blackberry before I arrived at the arena last night (I have no idea why it did that…could be because I dropped it earlier in the morning), I didn’t get that interview with Ryan Miller like I had hoped, so that means in December, I’m heading up to Buffalo when the Devils go so I can get the Miller interview.

That is…if the poker tour doesn’t conflict.

Last night was my first night back at Prudential Center. My body is a little screwed up with the sleep schedule, so even before I arrived there, I could feel my body starting to shutdown and go into sleep mode. I struggled to keep the body awake throughout the game, so I’m hoping I touched on all of the relevant points: Devils Drop Another Home Game

Make sure to check the front page of Inside Hockey for the photo with all of the kids from the UNICEF Trick-or-Treat campaign.

As far as a Shanny update (since a lot of you loyals want to know about Shanny)…I’m going to vent a second on 2 things.

First, don’t believe it when you read it when it concerns the Philadelphia Flyers. The GM said NO! What makes you think he changed his mind so soon? No means NO! Don’t believe any other publication that says “Flyers in the mix.”

Second, I was a little disturbed by something I read before I headed on vacation. I’m not sure if there was truth to it or not, but I’m going to talk about it here, because the source was very reliable.

If this is true, I am thankful that Shanny is no longer a New Jersey Devil just from the pure disloyalty of it all.

I read that Shanny was contesting David Clarkson’s position as the NJD player rep for the NHLPA because Clarky voted “YES” for Paul Kelly’s firing based on the information that was presented to him.

Now, I understand the politics of the situation. Shanny wanted to become the NJD player rep just as much as Chelios wants to get in and have a lot of power and say. Shanny and Chelios running around the NHLPA is probably the scariest situation for the NHLPA.

Shanny is the liberal part of the group. Chelios is the conservative part of the group. Having these two with a say in the NHLPA…that would be war. [And to think that Paul Kelly's firing was messy...this would be a nightmare.]

I don’t recommend that the NHLPA allow either in with power just for the sake of keeping peace in the NHLPA as they try to rebuild it and move on. I won’t even go into the whole Chelios thing where he’s requested that all internal NHLPA talks amongst its employees be reported back to him. That scares me to death for the players…

As for the part where Shanny was contesting David Clarkson…read Goon With A Big Heart Part 1 and 2. Clarky worshiped Shanny growing up. To have Shanny do this to someone that idolized him throughout most of his life? That’s just wrong on so many levels.

It reminds me of those movies where a kid goes up to their favorite athlete and asks for an autograph and the guy is a complete asshole to the kid. It’s heartbreaking!

If this is the man that Shanny is…I am thankful that he is no longer a New Jersey Devil. You have to think of who you’re hurting before you start taking action. To hurt others to attain power…at what cost? Was it worth it in the end if you lose the respect of those who once admired you?

I am still a Shanny faithful, but sometimes you have to say something when it screams WRONG all over it.

But like I said…I don’t know if it was true, but the source was very reliable.

A Quick One Today…

So the hockey world that knows both me and Katrina Cady (aka Psycho Puck Lady) have been biting their nails like crazy thinking…OMG…what in the world are those two girls talking about??? All I can say is…be afraid, be very afraid.

I won’t divulge on our hockey girl talk. It’s private. There are teams that should be scared when two hockey writers that will push the card (one to the edge, one over the edge) are meeting up in New York City to talk and talk and talk for hours.

Today’s post at Psycho Lady Hockey (see link on the right) was one of our many topics last night. Her story reminded me a bit of what I went through years ago with someone attempting to cyberbully me…let’s just say things changed dramatically when I put a stop to it.

What’s funny is that someone emailed me last week after I announced I was going on tour with Mats Sundin and they commented on how strange it was that just 3 years ago that crap was happening to me and then now…it’s just unbelievable.

Based on my experience with being a victim of cyberbullies, they never know that they’re doing it. They feel as if they are justified in doing what they’re doing.

I was very disappointed to learn that a campaign was launched against Katrina last week.

I don’t want to get into the middle of all of this, but I just want to say that before you launch negative campaigns, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How would you feel if you knew someone was doing that to you? It’s not a good feeling. Remember, KARMA is real and it will bite you in the ass tenfold for every wrong act you commit. It’s just a universal fact of life.

It was very heartbreaking to know that people were targeting Katrina. It’s not right. But what Kat had to say in her blog today, it was more than appropriate.

Now, in other news…I have to share this because I was so excited to hear this…

I had to run to the eye doctor last night on an emergency basis before meeting up with Kat. While I sat there going over my lengthy medical history and what 2 eye docs found last year (that the cornea in my left eye was completely gone…I’ve been wearing a special lens meant to supplement the lost cornea), the new eye doc looked at my eye and announced that it was the strangest thing.

The cornea had grown back.

The other two doctors had spoken about a cornea replacement which would require surgery. I had put it off because I wanted to get the easier surgery out of the way (which ended up not being so easy and a lot of complications followed which delayed my heading in for another surgery). I planned to get the cornea replacement during the off-season (this past summer).

Well, for the past few months, I have not been able to see out of my left eye very well…apparently it’s because the cornea grew back and the special lens was no longer needed.

Not only did my cornea grow back, but my vision improved.

It is rare that the cornea will grow back, but it does happen. So I am very happy that I no longer have to have surgery on my eye! It was so bad last year that I almost thought I was going to have to quit hockey because the ice blinded me at times.

Trust me…this is the first positive health news I’ve had in a year!

As for hockey…Devils faceoff against the Sabres tonight. This will be my first hockey game since I’ve been back home.

The Intimidation Factor

While most people are sleeping in NYC (or just getting to bed), I’m awaking to a new day at 3:30AM, trying to find something constructive to do with my time before I have to head into the office. I decided that since my body will be thrust between European time zones and NYC’s time zone, it’s best to just come up with a medium time…and that time is 3:30AM.

So this morning while I was going through the photos that required some modeling of my Valentino eyewear for ideeli.com, I was listening to the radio and a topic came up that I have sworn to my girlfriends time and time again was true.

It dealt with women and sports.

Now, for most women, they think that a woman who knows or likes sports is an ideal woman for any man who loves sports.

AU CONTRAIRE!

The male radio host piped in and said that men are in fact intimidated by women who love sports.

Men that I’ve met over the past couple of years love the notion that I’m a writer. Downer to the conversation if they’re trying to pick me up…what I write about.

When they find out that I’m a hockey columnist, the interest plummets faster than a speeding bullet. Now, if you a) work in hockey or b) play hockey…that’s actually a turn on…a woman that knows and understands the sport like you do.

But for all those other men out there…serious downside to picking up a woman is finding out that she writes about a sport that you may or may not love and understands it better than you do. They feel intimidated by her.

It’s almost like it attacks their masculinity that a woman has a better grasp on a sport than they do! It makes them feel inferior.

Now, if I hang out long enough in the NHL store or the NHL Starbucks, I’ll get picked up. No joke.

If I go to a sports bar…no way in hell a man will pick me up…unless I leave out that I write about hockey. Granted, I would have to make my girlfriends swear up and down to not mention anything about hockey.

I’ve learned that even though my life is surrounded by hockey, in the real world…I can’t talk hockey without scaring people off. Even my friends change the subject when a fan comes up and wants to talk about my career with me. The girls don’t like the subject of hockey. It’s a banned subject wherever we go.

Really, you can’t blame them. Talking sports chases the real men away and they’re trying to lure them in.

So for the ladies into sports…remember, if you know your sports, leave that conversation for after the third month.

[Guys...feel free to chime in here or on Twitter (@MichelleKenneth). So far the intimidation factor has proven correct.]

An Outlier

On my last day in Santorini and on the plane to London the next morning, I couldn’t tear myself away from “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell (a book that Pat LaFontaine suggested I read to understand the importance of hockey and poker).

After finishing the book (a very quick read), I have to say…I don’t entirely agree with Mr. Gladwell’s thoughts on what it means to be an outlier, because I am considered an outlier as well.

If you want to know my history…first, I have to rant a little…I can’t stand people that like to talk about how their ancestors were slaves.

So what? My mother was sold into slavery at the age of 8 by her own family so that they could have enough money to buy food for 3 months. My mother was abused for years during her servitude before she ran away at the age of 16. By 21, she married the first American soldier that took an interest in her so that she could get the hell out of her country.

So trust me…I turn a deaf ear to those who want to talk about how their great- great- great- grandparents were slaves and they have a right to be mad at white people, slave owners, etc.

I’m Scottish royalty descended from King Robert the Bruce…guess what? That doesn’t matter anymore because what is dead is dead. I don’t hate the British because they took over my family’s lands and homes. I don’t hate the British because they put our family in fear that had them fleeing the country for America.

I like the British. The British of today weren’t the ones who persecuted my family way back when. I don’t hold a grudge. In a way, I’m thankful that I’m not in line to any throne anytime soon. I wouldn’t have enjoyed that life at all.

The history of my mother’s slavery is what makes my story more unique. There are very few people in America that can talk about slavery and how their very own mother was a slave. That kind of slave story is alive in the history of my life because of what my mother went through to save me and future generations from becoming slaves.

Slavery still exists in this world today. If you want to talk about slavery…start talking about fighting slavery in the world today. My cousins are constantly being thrust into the position of trying to make it in a third world country and escaping slavery or human trafficking scenarios. Slavery still exists today for my family.

The reason why I go off on this rant is because Gladwell talks about slavery at the end of his book and how his great whatevers were slaves and he descended from slaves. I descended from a king, whose great whatever grandson married a slave. So friggin what? The important part is what my mother did so that her children would not become a slave like her and what we still continue to do to save our own family in Thailand from being sold into slavery.

My mother married a man she barely even knew so that she could go to a land where children could not be born into slavery. That land was America. In that dream of America, she had hopes that her children would someday be great and tell her story.

It was my mother that suggested I become a hockey writer a long time ago. My mother and I are estranged now and she has no idea that I do tell her story…and I’m a hockey writer…and I fight to eradicate slavery in the world.

But I don’t base the history of how I came into being from a birthdate or circumstances like Gladwell suggests in his book. I base the history of my success on a blessing from my grandfather when he died. My life began when his ended.

The problem with Gladwell’s book is that he leaves out God, synchronicity within the universe and the paths in life that people are destined for. Destiny is not predetermined in a birthdate or lucky opportunities.

If you could see my world, you would see that it is more than just a bit magical. You can’t help but see it in everything I touch, say and do.

My world is a bit charmed.

I don’t base this charmed life with unique and incredible opportunities on a birthdate or privileged circumstances. I base this path on fate and destiny.

Last season, in the Devils locker room, I couldn’t help but feel the bit of magic in that room. Everyone could feel it. It almost felt like I was rubbing off on these guys. I could even pinpoint the exact moment when the magic balloon bursted and the subsequent look on Patrik Elias’ face. When that moment of luck ended, it was really over and everyone in that room could feel it.

Belief became hope. When a belief becomes a hope, you’re doomed for failure.

I meditate a lot because I need to understand things fully. There are things hidden in the universe that need to be revealed. It is through meditation that I’m able to connect with God and see everything that lies around me…I’m searching for the truth.

But I am also a firm believer in the saying, “Through God all things are possible.” There is so much truth in that saying.

Before my grandfather passed, he told me that nothing would work out for me unless I was on my path in life. Until I am on my path in life, nothing will work out.

So what did I do? I found my path…or rather…my path found me and I have not left it once.

There are twists and turns along the way and options that are presented where it’s a choose your own adventure sort of destiny, but when that happens, I’ll wait for the answer to come.

Things work out more magically than I can ever dream it to be because I am following my destined path in life.

So if I reject a guy, it’s because I know already, “You’re not the one. If you were the one, you would have shown up in my meditations already.” So guys don’t take the rejection too harshly. God just didn’t put you into my plans in this lifetime. Maybe he’ll consider you an option in the next lifetime.

And…ummm…yeah, I already know who the guy is. He shows up in the meditations a lot. Not that I want him to because I’m focusing on something else, but he shows up regardless. There’s a bit of a strong connection there that you can’t help but notice it. Hell, the connection is so strong EVERYONE in the room notices it.

I’ve been dreaming about him since I was 15 years old…or at least the signs that would point to who it was.

But the thing is…a true outlier is someone that defies the odds of mediocrity. The outliers are the ones that succeed in life beyond those that are standing right next to them that choose a simpler life.

I’ve always known I was destined for great things. People throughout my life have seen it too. I know already what those great things are. Great things aren’t always big things. They can also be the little things that can save someone’s life.

My favorite moments are usually the ones where I walk up to someone and tell them the answer to their prayer. They look at me like I’m crazy until I look at them matter of factly and say, “Did you or did you not pray for this?” When they shake their head yes, I then say, “God says the answer is this…you can choose to accept it or not, but either way that is God’s answer.”

It usually shocks the hell out of them, but it’s my way of saying that God exists and the fact that you need someone to tell you he exists has me feeling sorry for your soul…and how important that my upcoming book is for those that are not outliers.

Now, I will admit that when I’m scared or worried and I keep telling myself to not worry, God sometimes has my little angel Rolly call me up just to re-emphasize his point that everything will be okay. Trust me, that little phone call works because I have to remind myself to believe and stop worrying (because worrying doesn’t help anything or anyone).

That is the difference between belief and hope. I believe and put full faith in God that his path is my path. I don’t question it, I just enjoy the ride.

When you hope for something, it’s not meant to be yours. Hope is something created. To me, it’s not real. Hope is a fictitious reality.

When you believe in something…that means that it is real to you.

As an outlier, you can never discount karma or God. Even Bill Gates’ secret to his success lies more in his service to humanity rather than computers and his billions. Good karma means good karma coming back to you. What good you put forth into the world, the same good comes back to you (but in a different way). What evil you put forth into the world, that evil comes back to you tenfold.

Bad things do happen to good people, but it’s how we view the situation that makes it good or bad. It’s like the relationship I have with my father (who also reads this blog). I learned a long time ago that my father’s hate for me and the torment he went through because of my existence was not really aimed towards me in the greater scheme of things. I was really a lesson that God had sent. It took him most of my life before he got it, but it helped me get through the pain by realizing that he knows not what he does to me. I understood that I was a lesson for him.

It was in that understanding of my role in all of this that I could stop feeling pain and realize that there was good in all of this. God had a plan. The reward ended up being far greater than I could imagine.

You see…being an outlier is not predestined upon when you were born or your privileged circumstances. Becoming an outlier is based on living your dream and following your path in life. Each person’s path is different. There are no two paths that are alike.

So if you dream of being Bill Gates…you will never be Bill Gates, because Gates followed his path in life. That was his path, not yours. You take from Bill his inspirational story to follow your own path in life…it is a lesson on the importance of becoming yourself.

In our childhood, we know what we are destined to become. I was always destined to become a writer of books. But it is the world that changes our view of things. We become confused when we get involved in the drama of the world. We lose our way when we become part of the drama.

It was when I was offered my first hockey column two weeks after my grandfather died that I realized that I always knew my path in life. I remember the first sentence I ever wrote. I remember the first book I ever read to myself when no one else was around. I still remember every word in that book.

I remember my first story I ever wrote. I remember the awards I won for writing. I remember being in the 98th percentile of all school children nationwide being tested for English. I also remember the person who realized what my destiny was and announced it before my entire 6th grade class.

Writing was my path in life. It took the death of my grandfather for me to see that. When I stormed down that path in life, amazing things happened.

Outliers are really those that pursue their path in life. We are all destined for great things, whether they are big or small. It just depends on whether we believe in ourselves and God enough to have the courage to follow our paths we were destined for.

Remember who you were before the world started to tell us who we were. They were wrong. Believe that you were the only person that was right all along about who you really were. Nobody knows you like you do.

It takes remembering who you were to find your path. It takes courage to believe in yourself. When you find that courage, you’ll ask yourself why you ever doubted yourself to begin with.

Oh, and as a FYI…maybe you can see a little of where I’m heading with the book “Losing 100 Pounds of Unhappiness.”

Back in the USA

After spending a couple of weeks outside of the good ole’ US of A, I realized that my body can’t handle this much change on a continuous basis. So next week, I’m staying in NYC instead of heading to Estonia.

Did you catch that?

E-S-T-O-N-I-A.

If you read my last piece on Inside Hockey before I left the country, you would have seen that Mats Sundin’s first stop on his European tour was in Estonia. What does all of that mean for me? Well, I’m following Mats on his European tour as he takes on his new profession as a professional poker player.

Since I’m skipping the first leg of the tour, I’ll be moving onto the next portion of his tour (which I believe is Spain if he finished up the contracts while I was in Greece). Why me?

Well, it’s kind of funny…I met Mats in Las Vegas during the NHL Charity Shootout. I was the only member of the press in attendance during the 14.5 hours of poker. During that time, I was able to learn a lot from these elite hockey players (and alumni) about the importance of poker and how it can mentally shape their minds as a hockey player.

14.5 hours was like a crash course on poker and how it relates to hockey…and I was learning from the best of the best not only in poker, but in hockey as well.

I found out about Mats’ future while I was there. I relayed that on…and apparently no one believed me (or cared for that matter). Well, someone in Mats’ world was paying attention to my presence there because his publicist contacted Inside Hockey to leak that same information once again about Mats’ future…and since I’m the one who made the connection between poker and hockey…I get the assignment.

That means…I’m on Mats Sundin’s poker tour.

I found this out the day before I left for Greece. Of course, I was sitting there thinking…but I have a friend coming to visit from Lithuania (you can take a gander as to who that might be if you’ve followed my career…not HIM, but his family member is visiting…not too many hockey players from Lithuania). Then I thought I would be an idiot to not follow Mats on his tour. At the end of the day the only thing I could think of as far as making a decision on my future was let’s see how my body is doing when I return from Greece to see if I can physically do the turnaround and head to Estonia when I get back.

So…Estonia…not this time, but the second leg of the trip…I’m going.

This is a tremendous opportunity for me. It was something I never even saw coming my way, but with life…I never can understand why things happen when they happen…but it is always preparing me for something bigger. It is no coincidence that Mats’ people got in touch with Inside Hockey to offer this opportunity. After all, I was the only person in the media that was aware of the choices Mats faced over the summer.

So that’s the big news…I’m going on Mats Sundin’s European Poker Tour. I am skipping the first leg of the tour, but should be there for the rest of the tour.

I will probably continue on his tour when he comes to the US.

What does this mean for Devils hockey? I will still continue to cover the Devils when I am in town. Otherwise, I will be on tour with Mats.

Speaking of poker and hockey…Pat LaFontaine recommended that I read Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” to get a better understanding of poker and hockey. I started reading it the day before I left Santorini and finished it in London the next day. It was an interesting scientific study that I will say…there are a few elements that he left out.

Tomorrow, I’m going to post up how the “Outliers” effects my career.

*******
Now, as for my luxurious vacation…

I do not like Mykonos. That place is Sodom & Gomorrah and I’m just not that type of person that would like that kind of lifestyle.

Some kid tried to solicit me and I just looked at him like, “I’m old enough to be your mother, so please go away.” Well, he didn’t. He kept bugging me and bugging me thinking he could break down my barriers. I’m not playing hard to get…I just think it’s gross that some kid…ewww…anyway…

I just couldn’t believe how loose people are there. It takes less than 5 minutes for some sort of action to start between the club and the alleyway. Like I said…Sodom & Gomorrah…not my kind of place.

Our next island was Santorini. The place was absolutely beautiful. It was quiet (because it was the off-season), and the talk of the village was that there was a female hockey columnist in the village. All of the guys there thought it was really cool.

Now, the best part of Santorini…the DOGS! All of the dogs on the island belong to the island. The people of the island take care of all of the dogs.

The first night there, we encountered a couple of dogs that hang out at the distillery at one of the churches. My friend had just bought a bottle of the church’s ouzo at one of the local markets. The dogs started following us around because they recognized the scent.

They waited for us to finish eating at one of the local restaurants before escorting us around the area. They were our bodyguards for the night and they got rewarded with a piece of sausage from my dinner (trust me, if it weren’t for the dogs of Santorini, a lot of my meals would have gone to waste because I spent more time vomiting up the 2 bites of food I had then actually consuming anything beyond coffee and water).

These dogs are in territories and they will stop when their territories end. We would get picked up by another dog or two and they would be our bodyguards in the next territory. One dog acted as our tour guide. I kid you not…he showed us all of the secret places to go.

When he overstepped his boundaries, La Polizia (a German Shepherd) and his posse would come running to push that dog back into his territory. When this happened the first night, my original bodyguard was with La Polizia and the pack and all five of the dogs surrounded me and escorted me all the way back to our hotel.

Here’s the reason why…these dogs don’t do this for just anybody that come to their island. They do this for the sick and the handicapped. I didn’t figure this out until I saw my tour guide helping out a local musician who was handicapped and trying to climb the oh, so many stairs of Oia, Santorini.

Personally, I felt fine, but you can’t help but notice that the dogs aren’t doing this for everybody.

On our last night there, my friends befriended a couple of guys (complete liars…has something to do with Albanians and Greeks…I dunno, don’t care about stupid rivalries based on where you’re from). One of the guys that spoke no English was walking towards me and my friend. My friend went into the local supermarket to get a Diet Coke. The black dog that had adopted us for the night ended up staying with me outside of the market.

The dog saw the guy approaching and ran off towards him to sniff him. When the guy passed by the dog and started heading my way, the dog started barking and tried to attack the guy. The guy was a little taken aback and headed into the store where my friend was. The dog came up to me and came between me and the guy, pushing me away from the guy.

I got the message. The guy was bad news, so my friend and I started walking down the street. The dog kept looking behind us for that guy and angrily snorting as we walked towards the hotel.

That’s when we realized on the way back that the dogs are not surrounding me and my friend…they’re surrounding me. They’re protecting me. Since I saw that they only do this with people with visible ailments, it did bother me that they were sensing something from me to continuously act like they needed to protect me.

It did occur to me before I went on this trip that I should be extra cautious. These dogs were like little blessings in disguise.

After I left Santorini, I headed to London where I did some much needed shopping. I got a new pink bag with Harrod’s written across it along with a teaset to go with my tea, biscuits, and chocolates. Harrod’s has become my new favorite store.

I loved London. I loved it so much, I can’t wait to go back.

When we do the Spain portion of the tour, I’m hoping I can get an extra day in London before heading home. My kind of town.

So my nice red tan, along with lots of local ingredients from Greece and teas and treats from London rounded out the things I brought back with me from my vacation.

It will probably be a long time before I spend $5K on another vacation, but Santorini was definitely worth every penny. Pics will follow sometime next week.

Also, be on the lookout for a special ideeli.com special featuring me in my Valentino sunglasses while I was in Santorini. Ahh…you say Valentino…I say “I’m In Love.”

Outta Here…

Well, I’m outta here for the next couple of weeks. When I come back, I may have some news that will shock everyone. Hell, I was shocked!

But I will say this…Devils hockey is on hold for the remainder of the month for me because I will basically be in and out of the country for the rest of the month and game days fall on days when I am out of the country this month.

But I’ll give you a hint on what I’m about to announce…you’ll have to look for something I’m writing up on Inside Hockey tomorrow (Saturday). I bet even after you read the piece you won’t even have a clue as to what I’m alluding to, but I will say this…a certain former hockey player broke some news to me over the summer. I published it on this very blog…NOBODY LISTENED TO ME.

Well, he had his people contact my people and well…WE’RE BREAKING THE SAME DAMN NEWS AGAIN…because you people just wouldn’t listen to me the first few times! SHEESH!

I recall someone doing a “Michelle Told You So” piece not too long ago. I may be seeing it again. (Much love to ya, Buddy.)

The Naked NHLer

ESPN The Magazine

Well, I am just in complete shock!

The guy that makes my arm hurt when I try to interview him because he’s like a whole 2 feet taller than me (with skates on) and I have to reach up for 5+ minutes with my arm above my head IS the NAKED NHLER!

Puck Daddy reports that Zdeno Chara is the Naked NHLer we’ve all been talking about this summer. We didn’t know who would pose naked for ESPN, but we knew that a NHLer was posing nude.

I honestly thought it would be Sean Avery. Chara…it definitely was not something any of us expected!

The photos of both male and female athletes were very well done and beautiful. Even the big sumo guys were photographed. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are…there’s beauty in the art and physique of an athlete’s body.

Speaking of hockey on a more serious level, I just finished writing up my exclusive with David Clarkson (New Jersey Devils). He got really choked up talking about kids with cancer. This is worth the read because these families really need our help: The Goon With A Big Heart (Pt. 2)

The Goon With A Big Heart

Going back to listen to the interview on my phone, it was apparently longer than what I asked Clarky for. So I decided to split the exclusive up into two segments.

In Part 1, Clarky talks about his youth and career to get into the NHL. He also talks about the Sean Avery rivalry. The Goon With A Big Heart (Pt. 1)

Part 2 is the part that almost made us both cry. The Goon With A Big Heart (Pt. 2)

What’s In Store…

Before I head out of the country for the next couple of weeks, I thought I’d update all of you on what to expect at Inside Hockey in the next few days.

I did an exclusive with David Clarkson last night. This is the kind of feature I love doing.

Last season, my all-time favorite interview was the one I did with John Madden. I loved writing his story, because I love telling the human side of hockey stories. I love writing them as much as people love reading them.

I know there are many parents and young kids that want to know what it takes to rise up and make it into the NHL, especially for those not lucky enough to be drafted into the NHL.

Both Clarky and Madden were never drafted, yet Madden went on to have a college career where Lou Lamoriello discovered him. Clarky, on the other hand, was discovered while playing for the Kitchener Rangers. It’s a way of saying, “Don’t Give Up Hope, Just Because You Weren’t Drafted.”

Clarky and I talked about his youth, growing up hockey, playing in the minors, the Sean Avery rivalry, Clarky’s Kids, and the most recent NHLPA conference call.

I will say this about the interview…he’s the first player I’ve ever interviewed that I had to hold back the tears from. I think if I started crying, he probably would have started crying too. He’s doing some very important work in this world.

So will this interview become my favorite of the season? We’ll see… We’ll see what story I concoct from the interview. With Madden, it was a Cinderella story. With Clarky…well, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what I say about him.

I will say this though…I noticed when I asked Clarky for the interview, he was really excited about it. He was excited like a kid in a candy store. Everyone in the room noticed how he lit up and was happy to do that interview. [I have a feeling he read that Madden interview.]

Clarky’s interview will be the first in a series of features I will be doing on the Devils.

Don’t Mess With Me

While I was in the press box last night, I saw this come across Twitter that I thought was absolutely hilarious:

From @HockeyJoeGM People not to mess with about New Jersey: @MichelleKenneth @ThatKevinSmith

What I find humorous about it is that any time a fan says something negative about NJ, I always have a legitimate reply. Like the conversation last night was about Marty Brodeur’s goaltending and how his butterfly wasn’t any good.

I responded that Marty was not a full butterfly, he’s a half. If I was pressed further, I would have explained the benefits of being a half butterfly goaltender versus a full butterfly goaltender. Trust me, I know and understand the logistics better than you think.

I will say that I feel honored that I was placed into the same category as Kevin Smith when it comes to the NJ Devils. Smith once said that he’d follow the Devils into Hell if he had to. Now, that’s loyalty!

Here’s the writeup from last night’s game: Rangers Topple Devils

Pack Your Bags…

Alright, before I get into the nitty gritty of why everyone is really coming here so much now, I’m going to discuss yesterday’s top searches on this blog.

If you thought it was Shanahan because of his announcement…think again!

20 Cent…er…I mean Patrick Kane and I both came up as number one searches on this blogsite. Shanny…nowhere close to the numbers Kane and I both got. Our names were tied.

BUT the thing about my name…everyone wants to know what I had to say about Shanahan. Funny how when Shanny does something, people come running to see what Michelle had to say about it. Hey, it’s what happens when you predict what Shanny will do and come out right every single time right down to the very last detail.

Beyond just reporting it yesterday (which technically was all I could do), I had to really mull over the situation.

A lot of people emailed me to ask what I thought, what I knew, what I heard. Technically, I couldn’t clear my head long enough to actually sit down and meditate about the situation or what I would write today.

But this morning, I woke up with the answer.

First, let’s discuss Shanny’s options.

1. TRADE.
2. RETIRE.
3. RETIRE AND GO WORK FOR THE DEVILS ORGANIZATION.
4. RETIRE AND JOIN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, i.e. BECOME A SPORTSCASTER (like Kevin Weekes and Bret Hedican have done in recent weeks).

If you asked me yesterday what I seriously thought he should do, I would have told you that option 3 or 4 would be the best for him. I was seriously leaning towards this blog saying he should retire.

That was yesterday. This morning…different answer.

The second I woke up this morning the answer was CHICAGO.

It all made sense. Then I laid my head back down and said, “Wait…ME? or HIM? or BOTH?” Well…there was no response from the heavens on that one, because I already knew the answer.

When it comes to Shanahan, this was the message: This year has to be the final year for hockey. He can finish it off in Chicago. He entertained the notion of signing with Chicago before signing with the Devils in 2009. He decided against it and ended up signing with the Devils.

But this year, he cannot retire. Retirement is not an option. Here is why…he needs to retire on his own terms, not through a forced retirement. If he chooses the forced retirement, he’ll grow bitter and that’s not the direction he should go. Retirement has to be on his terms, and they have to be on happy terms where he is confident that he is ready to move to the next stage in his life. His decision cannot be based on being told he is not good enough.

I know I said earlier that his skating was not up to par. During Tuesday’s game, if he had a skating problem before, I didn’t notice it in that game. Lord knows, if that was Shanny’s last goal of his career, a) it sucks that you had to have been at that game to see it, and b) that it didn’t count towards his all-time record.

If he’s going to record his final goal, it has to be televised and it has to count towards his record. His fans all deserve to see Shanny’s last goal. His final goal has to be on Youtube, but because Tuesday night’s goal was not aired on television, it’s not going up on Youtube, therefore that cannot be Shanny’s last goal (no matter how beautiful it looked).

He signed a contract to play another year. That’s a contract he has to honor. It doesn’t matter what the team’s name was. This is a contract he signed as a goal for himself. He must play in 2009-2010.

In that 2009-2010 year, he has to make it his best year ever. He has to go out with a bang. This has to be the year that he looks back on and thinks…WOW, that was an amazing year. This is the final year that will define him to himself.

He couldn’t end it last season because of how things happened. Bad memories, an escape route and a horrible 80 second ender in the playoff race…that’s not the way to end a career. You’ve got to end your career with a big fat smile on your face!

This doesn’t mean he sits there and thinks about how old he is compared to these barely legal to drink kids. He has to think about his contribution to their young minds as they lead a new generation of hockey. I won’t say anything about the “SC.” That is an off-limits topic. But I will say, if he follows this lead and asks for the trade to Chicago, he won’t regret his decision.

But, this has to be the final year as a hockey player. What he is to become after that, he’ll just have to wait until he gets there, because as God shuts one door, he opens another door and everything will be revealed in time.

Now…going back to the WHO? Me? Him? or BOTH?

I’ve been getting a lot of fragmented signals from the Almighty over the course of the past 10 months. I’ve spoken to my friends about it. They’ve all been preparing for me to make a decision, because I’ve been feeling certain things falling into place for some time now.

I’ve been talking to my family about the possibility of Chicago for a long time now, but I wasn’t sure. I kept feeling like certain things needed to happen before I could make that decision.

Over the past few days, something that keeps being repeated in my mind is a dual message. One meant for me, one meant for Shanny.

It said, “If you love something, let it go, if it comes back to you then it’s meant to be.”

For Shanny, that means hockey.

For me, that means Chicago.

I loved the idea of heading to Chicago and covering the Blackhawks. When I was in Chicago during the Winter Classic, I was actually taking a look around town to get a feel for where I’d like to live. I found a great neighborhood near a dog park overlooking Lake Michigan that I fell absolutely head over heels in love with.

When I hung out with the Blackhawks organization, I felt like I belonged. I really felt at ease with them. They were a great, fun bunch of guys. I really enjoyed it.

I came back from Chicago and told my friends that I really wanted to work with the Blackhawks. But as time progressed, I had a lot of options being presented to me, five of which involved five different NHL teams. I was excited to learn that Chicago was an option.

But as time moved on, Edmonton became the only option. I understood why Edmonton was an option, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Something inside me was empty with making the decision to go to Edmonton. That meant that Edmonton was not the answer.

So I let go of the notion of Chicago. I loved the idea, so I let it go. I decided to remain in NYC, thinking NYC was the answer. At the time, it was. Certain things needed to come into play before anyplace would become an option.

Last week, Chicago became an option again. So perhaps Chicago was meant to be.

I’ve known for about a month now that some pieces were falling into place that would require me to make a major decision in my life. I told a couple of people over the past week that when a certain thing comes into play, I will pack my bags and head to Chicago. I’m still waiting for that major one to happen, but it’s coming to fruition. I actually have a meeting on it next week before I head out of the country.

I also said that I would make my final decision while I am in Greece. I’m spending a couple of weeks away from everything and with two of my best friends. They’ll both help me look at all sides of the equation before making up my mind.

But I will say this, both of them have already said they wanted me to make the decision to go to Chicago the first time I was entertaining it. They were more excited about it than this trip to Greece! They had both (on separate discussions where the other one wasn’t present) started planning their trip to visit me in Chicago at the first mention of it. I almost thought they were going to move there with me!

My family has been a huge supporter in a Chicago move because it means I’ll be closer to home (family is in Indiana). I think my mother has been praying since I first left for Washington, DC when I was 18 that I would make the decision to move to Chicago. Right now, it may be the way to go.

BUT…I’ll make that decision after I return from Greece at the end of October.

For Shanny…Chicago is the only thing that makes sense.

The Shocker

I’ll leave the bad news for later in this posting.

First, the good news. Inside Hockey has completely revamped their site. As I said earlier after taking a look around. It looks HOT!

Now that the new site is up on the FIRST DAY OF HOCKEY, here’s the column that was delayed from the preseason game on Tuesday: Devils vs. Islanders Rivalry Begins

I personally love my first paragraph on Bryce Salvador. This is one of those pieces I actually had fun writing.

Now for the bad news…in case you haven’t heard already, Brendan Shanahan and the Devils have parted ways. At first, it looked like Shanny quit after he released a statement in the matter this morning, but after the beat writers released their work, it looks like Shanny was fired on Wednesday.

Something I won’t put in my column about the firing, but I will post here…I knew on Tuesday night that something bad would happen to him. It’s just that intuitive feeling I got. I never thought that they would actually cut him from the roster, but it was something that was going to happen. After hearing Coach Lemaire discuss a cut on Tuesday, it looked like it was going to be a difficult cut for them to make.

Sure, it did enter my mind when Lemaire said it that it would be unfortunate if that cut was Shanny (me and my intuition), but I dismissed it at the time as being something ludicrous and not within the realm of possibilities.

I meditated after the game, and beyond it coming up that I needed to sell all of my stock (thank you 202% return on my investment), Shanny came up in the meditation and it was not a pretty message being relayed.

I will say that writing about Shanny calling it quits with the Devils was probably the hardest thing in the world to write. It was like I was writing Shanny’s obituary notice to his hockey career: Shanahan Quits Devils

He has not officially announced his retirement. Let’s see if some team in the universe wants him (which will be hard considering so many players are without jobs these days). If not, I hope he ends up joining my side of the fence, just like Bret Hedican and Kevin Weekes have done. Hockey players always make the best hockey sportscasters.

Sundin Retires

It’s nice getting a “You Were Right” message this morning.

Preds on the Glass reports:

A source in Sweden has now confirmed what Michelle Kenneth has been saying all Summer, that Mats Sundin is retiring. Michelle has pointed out that Mats has a poker contract that would have prevented him from playing this season.

Now, I’m not saying it would have prevented him from playing this season…it would have prevented him from signing with any team, except for the New York Rangers.

So nice of me to point out the conflict of interest to Mats’ agent. They hadn’t realized that it would be a conflict of interest. [Yes, even I amaze myself sometimes with what information I can find on the internet. Who would've known that I would uncover this little contract that would lead to a chance discussion with Mats' agent (with Mats right there) about the very topic.]

There were a few options presented. The first was that if Mats decided to play another season, then he would have to wait until his Pokerstars contract was over. This little contest was set to happen in December. After the contest, he could go to any team (if there was a mutual interest).

Second, if he decided to play at the beginning of the season, then he had no choice but to sign with the New York Rangers (because of the Pokerstars contest).

Lastly, he had the choice of just retiring.

When I saw Mats last, he had no idea what he wanted to do and truthfully, he wasn’t pondering it.

Sundin’s recent marriage, a bright future as a Pokerstars representative (Mats is a professional poker player), he really doesn’t have to play hockey anymore. He’s going from one ’sport’ to another…one that requires less energy, more brains.

Mats coming back after that contest in December? It is within the realm of possibilities…but I think he makes more money playing poker now…unless someone wants to throw a crazy one-year deal at him like the Canucks did. Really, that contract the Canucks offered up…Sundin would have been an idiot for not taking it. Come on…even his agent said that it wasn’t like it was twisting his arm or anything. It was crazy, easy money, and Sundin is a business man.

As for my column today for Inside Hockey, the column is delayed because IH is revamping the site today. All of us at IH are really excited that this is finally happening. It’s been a work in progress for a while now. So make sure to check Inside Hockey tomorrow for the new and improved site just in time for the beginning of the new season.

Also, congratulations to Buddy Oakes (Preds on the Glass) for one of his many new gigs with the NY Times Slapshot. Looks like our little group is moving on up in the hockey universe.

Some Things Are Just Worth Sharing

I can’t believe I missed this blog posting from Katrina Cady (Psycho Hockey Lady). While she was doing some research on Chris Pronger, she stumbled across a Wikipedia hijacking (boy, how we love these hijackings). This is what it said:

Chris Pronger was born in the Gumdrop Forrest in 1782. He is currently living in Haddonfield, New Jersey with his sister/wife and two inbred sons…

Now, you don’t even have to be a hockey fan in order to find humor in that.

Devils News…

Jay Leach, Tim Sestito and Rob Davison have all been placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they will head down to the Lowell Devils.

Rob Niedermayer makes his first appearance as a New Jersey Devil tonight at Prudential Center. So far, all reports are looking very positive with this new addition (and he only started skating on the ice with the Devils on Monday).

Mike Mottau will make it back into the lineup tonight.

Patrik Elias and Mark Fraser were both placed on injured reserve.

As for additional players locked into the roster, Tom Gulitti has his thoughts.

In other hockey news…

Robbie Schremp was claimed off of waivers by the New York Islanders. I’m not going to say what ‘off-the-ice’ information I have on him, but all I’m going to say is based on what I know about Robbie and what I know about the Islanders ‘off-the-ice’…it’s a perfect fit.

There’s a rumor circulating about Wayne Gretzky returning to the LA Kings. I’ve seen it a few times. I’ve probably seen it enough times for it to be picked up on my radar as something noteworthy.

The National Post’s Noah Love reports today that…

Wayne Gretzky’s stint in Phoenix ended in disgrace last week, and most thought he would spend some time away from the National Hockey League following his unceremonious departure.

But Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi hopes he can bring Gretzky back to the place where he left his biggest stamp.

Lombardi told Toronto radio station the FAN 590 on Tuesday that he would like the Great One to come back to the Kings in an advisory capacity.

While nothing has been finalized, Lombardi joked that Gretzky could be the team’s “minister of character.” L.A.’s young squad will have star veteran leadership for the first time in years this season in Ryan Smyth.

Gretzky spent the past four years as coach of the embattled Coyotes. A part owner of the team, he quit last week citing the team’s involvement in bankruptcy proceedings.

So the LA Kings GM does have some interest…it would explain why this notion has all of a sudden appeared on my hockey psychic radar in the past few days. Will it happen??? Totally different scenario, but my psychic thoughts on the situation are that Gretzky may be considering…and that’s why it’s lightly touching my radar. There’s a big question mark there.

Trust me, it’s easier for me to predict what’s happening if I’ve met the person before.

Now, a new Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster (Kevin Weekes) and I have been debating the height of Brian Gionta. I think this may warrant measuring tape the next time I see Gio. I say that Gio is 5′7″. Weekes claims he’s 5′6″ (give or take an inch depending on his hair and if he’s had a haircut).

Why is this a debate? Because for 3 minutes in this lifetime, I was actually taller than Gio by 1″ when I put on a pair of 4″ heels last season. It was probably one of my proudest moments in the NJ Devils locker room last season. Gio at 5′7″ means that I am actually 5′4″. Gio at 5′6″ means that I am 5′3″.

So now…I have to know: How tall is Brian Gionta?

[Kevin, if you see him before I do (in December) feel free to roll out the measuring tape and let me know what you find out. Would make for an interesting broadcast! LOL. ]

In other not so happy news…

I’d like to extend my deepest sympathy to the Maloney family. Over the weekend, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s husband died in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet/Nepal. Clifton Maloney was a multi-millionaire investment banker based in NYC.

He was an avid-mountain climber and upon making his descent from the sixth-largest mountain in the world, he died unexpectedly in his sleep when they stopped to rest overnight. He was 71-years old.

I know you’re probably asking why I mention this. I actually know their daughter. So it’s very sad to hear that this happened to her father, especially after all of the changes happening in her life. I know she was talking about her father’s upcoming trip to Tibet a few months ago, so this is definitely sad to hear. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Maloney family.

Devils Disappointments – The Good & Bad

Sorry for the delay with the Inside Hockey column. I am feeling a bit under the weather, so I’ve been in bed/on the couch sick (and sleeping) for most of the weekend. Regardless, I had a column to write and here it is: The Irony Of It All

What is the Devils world talking about right now?

Rob Niedermayer – signed with the New Jersey Devils on Friday. He has officially joined the team on the ice today.

Rich Chere reports that Rob will make his first appearance as a Devil in tomorrow’s preseason game.

Coach Lemaire is working the Devils hard to get them into “game shape.” He also spoke about the lack of chemistry on the team that had a lot of us in a bit of a shock on Saturday after the game (see IH column). BUT in all fairness, he’s right.

Tom Gulitti talks about Sunday’s practice after the Devils 1-0 win over the Flyers on Saturday. Looks like the whole team had to run skating drills on Sunday.

In reality, that is a good thing. It may look harsh from the outside, but I admire a coach that will run his team hard. This isn’t Coach Sutter behind the bench anymore. This is Coach Jacques Lemaire…and he’s getting this team in shape for the finals. It starts now.

Mike Mottau has returned to practice after suffering an upper body injury during the preseason game against the Flyers last Thursday.

The Devils also cut four players on Sunday (see IH column).

In other hockey news…

Allan Walsh (@walsha), sports agent, has been tweeting some interesting stuff this morning. “A new trend in NHL – watch for clubs to keep only 20-21 players on roster to stay below upper limit. This means less NHL jobs for players and more 1 way contracts in the AHL.”

Seeing that comment confirms what I’ve been sensing has been going on in the NHL all summer long…less NHL jobs, more hockey players out of work or working on minor league teams or on European/KHL teams.

For many players, this also means forced retirements.

It’s the economy of our times.

PuckCentral.net has the official Twitter list to follow in the hockey realm. So fans, if you’re not on Twitter, you should get an account for all of your latest hockey news…practically up to the minute news! You’ll even find a few hockey players (current and alumni) tweeting as well.

With regards to the DirecTV/Versus controversy, NHL.com has posted this on its website: OPEN LETTER TO DIRECTV. Personally, I’ve been without cable for about two years now, but I know how important Versus is to the hockey populace. It is upsetting that DirecTV has cut Versus from its lineup. The costs implied are nothing based on what I’ve seen. Hopefully all of this will be resolved soon.

Also, I know that I have not spoken about Wayne Gretzky’s resignation as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. A few fans have asked me why I think it happened. There are a few factors: 1) the Phoenix Coyotes are in limbo, 2) Money was an issue for Gretzky…as in…will he even get a paycheck, and 3) if he did receive a paycheck, who would be cutting those checks to him?

I expected the resignation after Gretzky didn’t show up to work when training camp started. That was a clear indication that Gretzky no longer worked for the Phoenix Coyotes.

As for Theo Fleury’s comeback? He officially retired as a Calgary Flame today.