The New Jets

Although it's not the jerseys the Jets will be wearing come October, new Winnipeg Jet, "Big Buff" Dustin Byfuglien (pronounced Bufflin) dons the colors of the Jets for a photo-shoot during draft day in Minnesota.
By the way, he's called "Big Buff" because the dude is 6'5, 265 lbs. That's a big boy and a great catch for us. He looks good in it doesn't he?

The Big Bang Theory

Why is it I'm always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to what's the next or new "big thing?" Maybe it's because I had given up on television (and movies to a certain extent) years ago to be a consistent purveyor of fine, quality entertainment. The smart entertainment died years ago, with a couple of notable exceptions like say, Dexter.

But once in a while there comes along a show that simply cannot be denied for whatever reason, be it it's superb writing, acting or simply being fortunate enough to have it's pilot episode follow the Super Bowl.

For me (and that's all this is about) there have been a few notable shows that have come along that have garnered enough positive attention for me to check out. I'm rarely in on the ground floor anymore, so I usually rely on word of mouth from friends and associates, never the critics.

Names of note would be The X Files, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Friends and my new favourite, which I can't seem to get enough of, The Big Bang Theory.
These shows are the first to get into my personal "Hall of Fame," since Cheers, Night Court, Taxi (yes, I'm that old) or even Bugs Bunny. Anybody that doesn't like Bugs Bunny cartoons; I don't even want to know you exist.

In fact, I kind of liken Big Bang Theory to Friends in that you do enjoy and like all of the major characters on the show. Think of how hard that is to not only keep the story lines interesting (and it's even harder trying to keep a sitcom consistently funny) but to have those watching actually care for their development of not just one or two characters, but five!
If you were a fan of Friends, you'll remember how you cared for all six major characters. It didn't matter what Chandler, Joey, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe or Ross did individually or as a group; you were interested in all of them. That's good writing.

And now the same goes for The Big Bang Theory. A surprise hit for CBS to be sure. How can anyone not see Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) as their favourite is beyond me. However, like I just said, you really can't not care for any of them. By the way, Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) is a very close second favourite. There I go being contradictory again.
The show stars Johnny Gelecki (from Roseanne fame)as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter as the co-genius sharing an apartment with Sheldon that have a new neighbor, Penny, played by 8 Simple Rules alumni Kaley Cuoco, move in across the hall in the pilot episode. Leonard is immediately smitten and comedy ensues. The cast is rounded out by Kunal Nayyar who plays the lovable Raj Koothrappali who's main affliction is his inability to physically talk to women...unless drunk.

Before I decided to check the show out (which I still haven't actually seen on television) I had heard the name of the show for a while, but nothing other than "it's pretty good you should check it out." But these testimonials usually came from people that also enjoy The Office and I may be in the minority here, but that's a show I just can't get into. So to use that as a comparison is not only waaay off as it turns out, but not exactly suitable if your not a fan of the Steve Carell vehicle. But not too long ago while waiting for the train on a return trip from Toronto, my roommate showed me an episode on his laptop and I was hooked. Since then I've caught every episode on DVD and online at Project Free TV. It's a pretty decent site for television shows and the load times are manageable. A couple of links are even really quick.

You have to check this show out. But again, seeing that the show started in 2007, I may just be preaching to the choir.

And remember, you're in my spot.

VW Commercial Part II

Remember the awesome Super Bowl commercial about the little kid dressed as Darth Vader trying to test his force abilities? Well, although this one is sort of a sequel (don't worry, no Jar-Jar or Ewoks in this one) as it looks to leave off where the other one ended, it is by Greenpeace and it has that "Global Warming/CO2 emissions" crap in it. But it's still good for a laugh.

It's Official!

The Jets It Is!

So for all you out there that thought even for a second that Mark Chipman and company at True North Sports & Entertainment were going to call the new Winnipeg NHL team anything other than the Winnipeg Jets, I have to say...I told you so!

There never was any doubt and with the seventh pick in the first round when Kevin Cheveldayoff walks up to the podium for Winnipeg's pick, he will undoubtedly announce, "With the seventh pick, the Winnipeg Jets select...," and Winnipeg hockey fans will give a mighty roar that will be heard throughout the hockey world.

Which Logo/Sweater Do You Prefer?

Now that the NHL Board of Governors have unanimously voted to approve the sale and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg, the most important order of business now, other than drafting and naming a head coach, is to name the team itself and to design a logo for the jersey.

Which do you prefer? (Just click on the boxes to enlarge it)

The most obvious, popular and beloved name would be of course the Winnipeg Jets. Other names that have been flaoting around in the event that (God, please no) Mark Chipman and company decide to call the team something else include the Polar Bears, the Freeze, the Falcons, the Threshers, the Flood and the Moose.

Other than the Falcons, there's no name there that doesn't make me want to gag.

Deep Purple at the FOX Theatre

Last night was different. I went over to Detroit and checked out legendary "heavy metal" band, Deep Purple. It was with Ian Gillan and everything.

I almost forgot about the show. My roommate had some of his buddies over one night and they got onto the computer and were randomly looking for shows coming up in or around Detroit. My roommate Bubbles (no, not Micheal Jackson's orphaned chimp. That would be Mr. Bubbles-no, Bubbles is a dude who just is. You may remember him from the 2010 Florida trip post. He is named as such because of his resemblance to the "Bubbles" character on Trailer Park Boys) discovered with shock and awe that one of his favourite bands was going to be in Detroit and he didn't know about it. So it goes without saying that he easily talked his buddies into throwing down the 70 dollars and when he asked me I simply said I was in without really thinking about it, which received an "atta boy" from the Bubbster. And with that we all agreed to be like millions of concert-goers to openly and willingly allow ourselves to get anally raped by TicketMaster once again.

But up until the night before the show, I totally forgot about it. Luckily I had just gotten paid, so I paid off Bubbs (which is weird, because as of this writing-the night after the show remember) I was the only one that squared up with Bubbs.

But anyways about the show.
We got there in pretty good time. We didn't really have any hassles at the border, or getting our tickets because they had to be left at Will Call due to the Canadian Post national strike. Therefore since our tickets couldn't be mailed to us so Bubbs made the phone monkeys understand that we would have to pick them up. When we did all it was a piece of paper with a note telling the ticket checkers and ushers past them that we had "tickets" we just didn't have tickets. But there was no problem as we were shown to our seats. At this point I must add, although I had been to the FOX Theatre once prior for the WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies the night before WrestleMania 23 from Detroit, I never really examined the many and great sculptures and tapestries and big ol' what appeared to be a giant Indian disco ball, which I somehow remembered being a chandelier for some reason. Ah, a big theater, large object hanging from the middle of the raised ceiling giving off light and all that.

The opening band was surprisingly good and greeted by the fans with a couple of ovations, especially at the end of their set when they did a Boston medley including "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band"and "Smokin'." In fact, the band, Ernie and the Automatics have two members from the original band Boston, Guitarist Barry Goudreau and drummer Sib Hashian.

Deep Purple hit the stage about 15 minutes after E&TA's departure and opened with one of their best, "Space Truckin'." In fact, they did all their hits including, "Highway Star," "Lazy," "My Woman from Tokyo" and "Smoke on the Water, among others of course.

The shirts were cheap. I only paid $25 for my basic black tee with the tour dates on the back. I usually go for those, as I like to see either my city of residence or whatever city I was in to see the show on the shirt. I don't know; narcissistic history, right?
The downer is, since we couldn't get actual tickets mailed to us, I now have no memorabilia from the show (other than the shirt-GRRR.) I usually would frame it or stick it in a photo album with my other tickets. But since I lost all my other concert tickets from the past (other than recent KISS and Nickelback ones) including KISS, Metallica, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney (yes, talk about OUCH!) in a move years ago, I figure this probably won't kill me either. Sucks tho'.

Anyways, overall a pretty good show with an opening band that didn't make me want to wretch.

All in A Name?

So now that Winnipeg has re-entered the NHL (pending the league's board of governor's approval of the sale and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to the Manitoba capital) the question on every Winnipeg hockey fan and especially Jets fans minds is, what to call the new team?

A lot of people argue just that; it's a new team. And so with that should go a new name, a new identity, a new history. I totally understand that argument. Especially since the history and performance records of the Winnipeg Jets now belong to the Phoenix Coyotes. However, and this goes to my point of why they should be named the Jets, and really, nothing else will have fans taking the name to heart more. There's really no need to prove it because if you've been paying attention to the Atlanta/Winnipeg move news at all lately, you might have noticed the people in the streets shouting "Go Jets Go" wearing both Jets jerseys from the 80s and 90s. Some are even lucky enough to have WHA replica jerseys. On a personal note, I had a chance to have one of those back in the early 80s when I was offered a trade for it in exchange for an old guitar. Actually it was the shell of a guitar that a friend of mine at the time wanted to rebuild and then smash on stage (when he finally got his band together)
At any rate, I traded the guitar for a stack of old wrestling magazines (D'OH!)
Actually I don't really regret that exchange, but I sure wish I had that jersey today.

But back to the topic at hand. Another argument is that if the Jets name is reborn it will affect merchandise sales as every Jets fan already have jerseys and hats and scarves and toques, etc. and won't buy any new Jets items. Hogwash! It's very simple. You keep the name and change the colours and tweak the logo. True North Sports and Entertainment will still make a killing on simply re-packaging the Jets name. Not doing away with it. This is the name that Winnipeg hockey fans remember, honor and love to this day as witnessed by the outpouring of emotion and joy related to the Jets name when the official announcement of the Thrashers purchase was made. I and many, many Winnipeggers grew up with the Jets. We bled with the name through all their mediocre seasons and near-impossible playoff runs against the mighty Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier-led Edmonton Oilers.


Another concern is that, as stated, the Winnipeg Jets history now lies with the Phoenix Coyotes and has since the Jets relocated to Arizona in 1996. The Yotes even have banners honoring former Jets players hanging in Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. Although I respect and appreciate the Coyotes organization for recognizing the achievements of these former Jets players, that's also the problem; only one of the names hanging in Glendale actually played for the Coyotes. That would be Teppo Numminen (#27) The rest, Thomas Steen (#25), Bobby Hull (#9) and Dale Hawerchuck (#10) never played a single game for the Phoenix Coyotes. And even Numminen played longer in Winnipeg than in Phoenix (eight years to seven) but he did spend enough time in Phoenix and holds records for a defenceman for that franchise since 1996, so that honor by Phoenix is at least warranted and understandable. But as for the rest, what the hell are they doing there?

When Dale Hawerchuck's number was retired by the Coyotes in 2007, he appeared, proudly, in his Winnipeg Jets jersey and talked very lovingly and favorably about the Jets, the city of Winnipeg and the fans. He kept talking about "the emblem on the front of the jersey" as if they told him not to mention the Jets too much. But as far as ceremonies go, it was pathetic. It should have been done in Winnipeg where it belonged. The Coyotes fans were asleep and I doubt if even less than half of them even knew who they were honoring.



Man, was it great to see him in a Jets jersey again. God bless Ducky, he deserved a better night where he started his career and where he will always be remembered, appreciated and loved. The Jets jersey said it all.

They even hung his jersey in Phoenix colours. WTF!? Shame on the Jets organization for not doing it themselves when he retired, although they did raise a banner celebrating his number of games played and total points tallied in a Jets sweater; but why not make that an official "Dale Hawerchuck #10 Retirement Night?"
As far as that goes, before the puck drops in Winnipeg for the start of the 2011-12 season, the new team should re-retire Hawerchuck's number, this time doing it right in front of Winnipeg fans. The people that deserve to see it. Get the banners back from Phoenix (and the AVCO Cup banners out of storage as well) and hang them where they rightfully should be.
I mean, how would Oilers fans feel if Wayne Gretzky's number was only retired in Los Angeles and not in Edmonton at all? Of course Gretzky's number 99 was retired league-wide, but imagine the disappointment and rage if that happened.

As a commenter said in a post following the video, "I look forward to a much better, more energized and more relevant Dale Hawerchuk Night during the 2011-2012 season."
Damn straight! Wait and see how loud the MTS Centre will be when Hawerchuck walks out onto the ice to set things right.
while they're at it,they can retire the numbers of Paul MacLean or Anders Hedberg (#15) , Ulf Nilsson (#14), Morris Lukowich (#12), Randy Carlyle (#8) and Teemu Selanne (#13)

Another point towards my argument is that even on the Phoenix Coyotes website, they separate the history and stats of career and single-season records of the Coyotes and Jets like they were two different teams. (Just click on the "stats" pull-down menu and click on "all-time stats engine." Then click on the "team" pull-down menu and see how the teams stats-team single-season and career-leaders) Well, that's because they are. They may be the same "franchise," but they are definitely not the same team. Which brings me to an idea. I don't think it's all that crazy either.
If Mark Chipman and True North asked permission from the NHL and the Phoenix Coyotes to retain (or to have back) just the records and stats from the Winnipeg Jets from 1979-1996, then the Jets and Coyotes could have their own records and history and everyone's happy. Especially me. It's not unheard of. It may be precedent-setting in the NHL, but the National Football League did it when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens. The name, colours and records remained with Cleveland and were waiting for them when they returned two years later. Regardless of what happens with the records and history being in Phoenix and Winnipeg being forced to adhere to the NHL edict of not being allowed to reclaim their lost past, I won't consider the Thrashers records as Jets records. That's right, I'm still going to consider Dale Hawerchuck as the Jets all-time points leader (which most likely would have become Teemu Selanne's if he and the Jets didn't part ways) I'm still going to consider Thomas Steen as the all-time games played leader and I'm still going to consider Selanne as the Jets contribution as the NHL rookie goal and points leader in one season.

That's all I'm asking. Anything other than the Jets would be a crime. But of course, all this being said, I will support, love and bleed with the team whatever the new owners see fit to name them. But for the love of God, please don't let it be the Polar Bears, Moose, Blizzard, Gold or whatever other ridiculous name ideas that have been floating around. And I sure hope it's the Winnipeg "somethings." To name them the Manitoba "somethings" although understandable, just wouldn't be right either.

But I'm just happy (ecstatic actually) to get my team back. Oh, and for all those that said Winnipeg would never get an NHL team back...YOU WERE WRONG! EAT IT!!

James Arness Dead at 88

Marshall Matt Dillon has been silenced and it wasn't by the bullet of an outlaw.

James Arness, the man who brought to life the character of Marshal Matt Dillon on one of television's longest-running dramatic series, Gunsmoke, has died at 88 years old:

It takes a special kind of lawman to carry on for 20 years in the Wild West of TV. Matt Dillon, the mythical marshal of Dodge City, stood tall — all 6 feet, 6 inches of him — on "Gunsmoke" from 1955 to 1975. He outlasted dozens of other Western heroes while making history on TV's longest-running dramatic series, a record that held until NBC's "Law & Order" tied the CBS Western's record in 2010.

Through all those gunslinging years, James Arness, who died Friday, kept Marshal Dillon righteous, peace-seeking and, most of all, believable. Fickle viewers can kill a TV hero as surely as a bullet from an outlaw's six-gun. But Arness knew how to maintain order not only in circa-1870s Dodge City, but also among the TV audience, whose itchy fingers on their channel changers he knew how to calm. In an era when TV actors typically chewed the scenery, Arness had a credible, commanding presence by hardly uttering a word. A typical scene found a dozen cowboys riding up to the town jail intent on busting out a prisoner pal. Dillon faces them all down."The first move anybody makes," he says, with a slight shake of his head, "I cut you in two."Arness' defiant but rueful delivery is so understated, he makes Clint Eastwood seem like a loudmouth. No wonder "Gunsmoke" wore so well. And became the last word on a programming craze that some seasons found as many as 30 Westerns on the air.

When "Gunsmoke" went off in 1975, it was the only Western left. By the end of his career, Arness, who was 88 when he died at his home in Los Angeles, seemed almost indistinguishable from Matt Dillon in the audience's mind. Befitting Marshal Dillon's dignity and composure, Arness wrote, and left behind, a simple, straight-from-the-heart farewell which, at his request, was posted posthumously Friday on his official website.
"I had a wonderful life and was blessed with ... (so) many loving people and great friends," he said, then went on to thank his multitude of fans. In life, Arness was a quiet, intensely private man who preferred the outdoor life to Hollywood's party scene, rarely gave interviews, and refused to discuss his personal tragedies (his daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses). "He's big, impressive and virile," co-star Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of Arness, adding, "I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him. "The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in "Gunsmoke" and recommended Arness instead. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it. "Go ahead and take it, Jim," Wayne urged him. "You're too big for pictures. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don't want a big lug like you towering over us. Make your mark in television." Then Wayne filmed an introduction for the first episode of "Gunsmoke" to give the largely unknown Arness the proper send-off. "I predict he'll be a big star," Wayne told viewers. "So you might as well get used to him, like you've had to get used to me."

Arness' 20-year, prime-time run as the marshal was tied only in recent times, by Kelsey Grammer's 20 years as Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 on "Cheers" and then on "Frasier." The years showed on the weathered-looking Arness, but he — and his TV character — wore them well.
"The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility."

Born James Aurness in Minneapolis (he dropped the "u" for show business reasons), he and younger brother Peter enjoyed a "real Huckleberry Finn existence," Arness once recalled. Peter, who changed his last name to Graves, went on to star in the TV series "Mission Impossible." (He died in 2010.) A self-described drifter, Arness left home at age 18, hopping freight trains and Caribbean-bound freighters. He entered Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drafted into the Army in his 1942-43 freshman year. Wounded in the leg during the 1944 invasion at Anzio, Italy, Arness was hospitalized for a year and left with a slight limp. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a radio announcer and in small theater roles. He moved to Hollywood in 1946 at a friend's suggestion.

After a slow start in which he took jobs as a carpenter and salesman, a role in MGM's "Battleground" (1949) was a career turning point. Parts in more than 20 films followed, including "The Thing," "Hellgate" and "Hondo" with Wayne. Then came "Gunsmoke," which proved a durable hit and a multimillion-dollar boon for Arness, who owned part of the series. His longtime co-stars were Blake as saloon keeper Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams, Dennis Weaver as the deputy, Chester Goode, and his replacement, Ken Curtis, as Deputy Festus Haggen. The cancellation of "Gunsmoke" didn't keep Arness away from TV for long: He returned a few months later, in January 1976, in the TV movie "The Macahans," which led to the 1978-79 ABC series "How the West Was Won."

Arness took on a contemporary role as a police officer in the series "McClain's Law," which aired on NBC from 1981-82. Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once. Arness met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. They wed in 1948 and had two children, Jenny and Rolf. Chapman's son from her first marriage, Craig, was adopted by Arness. The marriage foundered and in 1963 Arness sought a divorce and custody of the three children, which he was granted. He tried to guard them from the spotlight." The kids don't really have any part of my television life," he once remarked. "Fortunately, there aren't many times when show business intrudes on our family existence."
The emotionally troubled Virginia Arness attempted suicide twice, in 1959 and in 1960. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother.