The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

...maybe Heather Graham will!

You know how sometimes you get a song stuck in your head and no matter how hard you try, you can't get it out? Well, a work colleague of mine told me about the above video, mostly for the way the author (Ricardo Autobahn? Cool name!) put together a bunch of clips and did a pretty job of making the "lyrics" from various TV shows and movies flow into a song. (BTW, any tune that can include Lenny's shout of "Dental Plan!" is a winner in my book right off the bat).

And as a result of this video, the opening black and white footage (from the 1932 film Freaks), where a chant of "We accept her, one of us!" breaks out to start the song, I can't get the repetitive words out of brain.

I can't believe I'm going to say this...but I wish the Toronto Maple Leafs were a better team.

You know, seeing them tank for a seventh time in a row at the hands of the New York Rangers Saturday night, just after witnessing my Sens beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1, I thought it was a good night hockey-wise for the ol' SBP.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize the intensity in the Battle of Ontario is nowhere near where it was at the start of this decade, and as a result, we're missing out on what could be some fun-filled hockey games.

Even last year, when both teams had terrible seasons, and yes, the Sens also sucked, both teams didn't exactly provide fireworks when they met, despite the fact you might think since they can't beat anyone else, perhaps they can play with some more jump playing their supposed #1 rival (maybe after the Habs for you Leafs purists). But their confidence was shaken, there wasn't much to play for with the playoffs an afterthought (heck, some players were thinking about which team they'll put on their "acceptable" list in the off-season) and they just wanted the year to end. Most fans didn't watch the games with the thought of , "Yes, we're going to win and kick your a** in the process!!!" it was more along the lines of, "Just please don't embarrass yourselves." The fans who spent their time and money on the games in question were the true losers in the whole equation.

Now the Sens, in the early part of the year, have gotten a bit of their swagger back with a strong 5-2-0 start, and they're playing with a sense of purpose. Whether you like their chances or not, they want to prove the critics wrong who think they wouldn't even have a sniff of post-season action. And they've become a much better team in the process.

The contrast in Leaf nation is not too subtle. Terrible goaltending, underachieving defence, and no offensive weapons until Phil Kessel returns from injury, and you have a team that's dead last in the league that's horrible to watch. Indeed, beating up a weak sister isn't exactly something you'd put in your memoirs. When the Leafs beat the Senators playoff after playoff, there was a sense of a accomplishment. Both teams wanted it, and both teams felt they could win. And we got some good hockey out of it and a rivalry was born.

If the Leafs continue to fail as they are now, a Leafs-Sens contest isn't exactly must see hockey. If they can get competitive again, and if the Sens can maintain their competitiveness, perhaps the Battle of Ontario can be something worth talking about. And as a Sens fan, seeing the Leafs improve might actually end up being a good thing.

Okay, I admit, there are times where shiny lights and ringing bells grab my attention to the point that in five years, I'm now the owner of iPod #3. This time, I picked up a 32GB iPod touch. It is really, really awesome! It is very easy to use and aside from playing music, it plays videos, has wi-fi internet capability, and the ability to play games through apps, or applications. There are so many useless apps you can get, usually ranging from one to three bucks, but about 1/4 of them are free and sometimes you just want some mindless fun that lasts for just a few seconds (my current fave is My Reef 3D, a fish aquarium app that allows you to feed the fish and knock on the glass to scare them! Good times!).

I imagine in a couple of years I may move on to something else, but right now, the iPod Touch is holding my attention and is worth every penny!

I have one question for Theo Fleury that he may answer tonight when a one-on-one interview with TSN takes place during the intermission of the Sens-Lightning game.

Why did you hire him as a coach?

The him is Graham James, the man convicted of sexually abusing NHLer Sheldon Kennedy during his time as a junior hockey player, and the person Fleury says in his book abused him as a teenager, turning his whole life upside down. Fleury could have spoken out at the time if he chose to, but he remained silent. It is rather unfortunate he did, but never being a victim of such abuse, I can't imagine the mindset of a victim so I'm not going to point fingers at Fleury for that decision.

But what puzzles me is his choice, while part owner of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen in 1994, that he hired James as their coach.

He was about 25 years old at the time, already a Stanley Cup champion, and a bonafide superstar in the NHL. He made enough money most of us can only dream about.

But did James still have some sort of control over him, even at this stage in his life? Knowing he would be risking the lives of other teenagers, potentially putting them through the same horror he went through as a teen...well, it's just downright bizarre. No matter how depressed or suicidal you may feel, as Fleury was, surely you could at least not risk the health and safety of others, players as young as 16 years old, by adding this piece of garbage to their lives?

I applaud Fleury for coming forward and putting his life back together after all the tragedy, depression and substance abuse in his life. But I think he owes an explanation, especially to those players who may have been victimized while playing for the Hitmen, for that decision made 15 years ago.

I can no longer blame any contractor for falling behind or getting delayed for any project, as a simple 30 sq foot bathroom renovation can sometimes encounter problems you didn't anticipate. The most glaring one was today's decision to remove the old toilet paper holder to install a new, nice, shiny chrome one. Well, turns out the previous installers decided to cut a square hole to install said holder. So yeah, there is now this gaping hole in my wall. This delayed the 2nd coat of paint and installation of the new holder, as all stores are closed today to pick up any supplies to fix it. And of course, until everything is painted, we won't put in the cabinets and new counter until that's done. In fairness, we already had to lay out some grout for the tiles and that has to sit 16 hours before you're supposed to be able to walk on them, so maybe it was a way for the reno gods to drive the point home for us.

So my toilet is still in my kitchen, but that should be rectified tomorrow. I figure by Thursday at the latest we'll be done. It'll be worth it in the end though, right!?

Anyway, Thanksgiving weekend will be spent renovating the SBP bathroom. Rob came over and we took out the cabinets, flooring, counter and mirror while my toilet is currently sitting in the middle of my kitchen. Tomorrow we commence the laying of the tile and the painting of the walls. Sunday, the new cabinets, counter and sink go in and we should be all done. Should!

One of the more useful items we bought was a box of rags. I paid $12 for a four pound box of plain ol' rags and let me tell you, they have come in handy time and time again, whether to soak up water or clean a soiled floor. I recommend you pick some up if you're planning any future renos!

It sure isn't the same, is it?

Some might say it hasn't been the same even before last night, perhaps since guys like Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker and Gary Roberts left the Toronto Maple Leafs, but yesterday's Sens-Leafs tilt left a lot to be desired and was perhaps the worst outing I've seen against these two teams since I took up watching hockey again in 1997.

My Sens won, and maybe a win's a win and it doesn't matter how you get it, but both teams (particularly in the first period) played scared and seemed more interested in making sure they didn't make any mistakes rather than being aggressive and pressing a forecheck. It resulted in no scoring chances, few hits, and a lot of neutral zone clogging.

And you could tell the Leafs didn't feel like making more trips to the penalty box like they have in the last two games, and didn't spark any hatred with an errant elbow or a somewhat-late body check.

I am hoping that early-season jitters might be the reason for the snooze-fest last night. They have a few games to play before they face off against each other again in November, and hopefully by then they won't feel like they're walking on eggshells and they'll play with some confidence or something.

Because if this is the sort of hockey I'll have to endure, not only will it be long season for me but it'll be a short one for the Senators if you get my meaning.

At my work, there's a person I know who's a big Toronto Blue Jays fan. She always refers to them as "My Jays" and is always the optimist about the future of the franchise.

So of course, we give her the gears any chance we get. We talk about blowing up the team, how management is incompetent, how the squad is ripe with overpaid bums, how the Yankees and Red Sox give them no chance to win, etc. We're sort of enjoying their failure while rubbing her face in it.

In the early 90's, I don't recall one CANADIAN that wasn't cheering on the Jays as they won back-to-back World Series titles. Everyone loved the guys like Joe Carter, Kelly Gruber, Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke. It was indeed good times!

But what's the reward for sticking around not just for those glory years, but for the consistent failures ever since? Grief. No one applauds being loyal and sticking with your favourite team through the bad times. Instead, they mock you for wasting your time with a loser. And at the same time, no one will admit they're a bandwagon fan, but how many admit to being a fan of the San Francisco 49ers these days?

My point is, I no longer blame people for being a bandwagon rider. There's nothing but misery being one of the standout fans for a crappy sports team. And after seeing the grief some people get, perhaps it's just common sense to support a team only once they start winning.

New optimism, new attitude, new players. The summer has been a long one. We got crappy weather that was more Vancouver-like then anything emulating from sunny California, and there wasn't any NHL hockey to carry us over.

And some jerk named Dany Heatley tried to run my Sens into the ground.

Although GM Bryan Murray hasn't had too much success since taking over from John Muckler, I think he handled this past summer as best he could, under the circumstances. And just before that, he provided what could end up being the key to turn around the Senators failures into successes this season.

He landed goaltender Pascal Leclaire for plateaued-forward Antoine Vermette. Leclaire is good, as long as he can play. With so many injuries, the hope is that logic will dictate he's already had his share so he won't get injured again, right? Anyway, he looked great in the pre-season, most goals were weird deflections he didn't have much of a chance on. We'll have our fingers crossed he can return to the form that got him 9 shutouts in Columbus a couple of seasons ago.

Milan Michalek is a player that many Sens fans have been looking for. A skilled guy that digs in the corners and can pot some goals. He can probably be counted on to get 30 or so, and free agent Alexei Kovalev should be able to get in that range, too. Playing on separate lines, this might give my Sens the depth they haven't had since 2006.

On the other hand, I haven't been too impressed with Johnathan Chechooo so far. At $3 million a season, he's an overpaid third liner who's production has declined every year since winning the Rocket Richard trophy a few seasons back. All the better if he can find his way again, but I'm not going to hold up much hope for him from what I've seen.

We will see the first unveiling of the new-look Senators tonight when they face a team also trying to find itself in the New York Rangers. A decent enough test that has Ottawa forgoing their social lives to see them in regular season action for the first time in six months.

Lots of things have to fall into place for sure, but at this stage, there's no reason to be negative and every reason to be positive. My rose-coloured glasses are on and I can't wait for the boys to get things started tonight.

Holding the Stanley Cup in your hands, I can only imagine, might be the one of the greatest feelings in the world. And having a record of that achievement in the form of a gaudy gold and multiple-diamond ring on your finger might be the next best thing.

Only 52 of these rings, made for the players, coaches and executives of the team, have been made to commemorate the Pittsburgh Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup victory and were handed out to the players just yesterday. Truly a piece of history any hockey aficionado would love to own.

Remember that Simpsons episode where Homer confessed his biggest dream is to own the Dallas Cowboys? One of mine would be to be given one of these jewel-encrusted pieces to commemorate a Senators Cup victory.

Of course, the fact that I'm not a pro athlete, owner, or an employee of any sports franchise might get in the way.

In the interim, I'll enjoy the NHL season kickoff tonight and like many fans, dream that maybe what we wish for might come to fruition.