On second thought...

maybe the trek to San Antonio on Sunday to see Aeros win NOT AT HOME,
is really not such a good idea after a miserable tossing and turning kinda night.
Better Half's Back and my left knee and right hip are protesting creakily & loudly!
Especially after last night's disappointment-at home again! 
So, chers readers with empathy will understand there will be neither post nor photos.
Especially those of you who also have protesting joints ;-)!
            
And for Aeros Hockey, let's say "It is just a game".
Except of course, that for most of us hockey is more than that.
But we may have to accept that it is no longer the kind of hockey it once was
and what brought us to it!

Players are playing it safe

• for the expected, or fervently wished for, call ups' sakes
• for the kiddies, wives' and girl friends' sakes
• for the 'playing older - playing longer' sakes
• and for whatever sakes - they do get paid in any case!

All of the above plus more, with the help of numerous new regulations, rules - designed "to protect and nurture players". And leaving old timey hard core fans floundering and scratching heads.
"To buy season tickets or not to buy"
that question seems to loom larger than ever.

Wanna have fun, win or loose, buy a single game ticket and enjoy.
Wanna have heartaches, buy a season and suffer through increasingly sloppy and uninspiring but safe playing.

Earlier I posted that neither last, and especially not this, season not a single player inspired a 'soft spot' moment (lol) as was the case several years ago.

Corey Locke "one of the 2 Blond Beasts", Mathieu Beaudoin "Matty" by Trask

Krys Kolanos, "the other Blond Beast - or The Greek god"  by artandhockey

John,"the Lamb", Lammers in Europe

"Wild Man" Barry Brust by Jerina

"Dimples" Khudobin and "The Scrapper" Daoust from 'A Meet the Team'

Petr Kalus,"Avalanche", by ?

Maxim Noreau,"Ironman", by Jerina

'Bucky' Brandon Buck by Jerina



Those 'soft spots' - above with nicknames, (yours or ours) - are still being followed in their career.
They seem to represent hockey as it was once - a profession for die-hard enthusiasts!

And I ask WHY? 
And all I can come up with is the sneaky feeling that the enthusiasm, deep love of playing hockey has gone from the hearts of most current players.
It is only just a job for big or bigger money, or is it?
The safer they stay - the longer they play! :-)! or :-(!
They now just skate a bit and score a little, and stay as healthy as possible for call ups!
Maybe that's it.

Let's just accept to see the OTHERS win in front of our HOME crowd.
Let OTHER teams' fans see the Aeros win on THEIR turf...just kidding.
And let's just blame coaches, the system, the travel-, the 3-3 schedule!

But not the guys!
A game is just a game, right! 

We win, they loose.
We loose, they win.
Whatever, it is just a game  - big sourly grin!
Amen!