SPORTS USA Women's Hockey Gets A Scare Against Finland
Valentine's Day, I watched the entire USA/Finland hockey game. Yes, the final score was 7-3 USA... but if you just see the final score, you don't know the whole story. Finland scored 13 seconds into the game off a stupid turnover in the USA zone (one of the US players tried to pass across the ice from behind her own goal... tsk tsk). As such, down 1-0 in the first 13 seconds, the US players played tight. They looked nervous... and the Finnish players were all over the ice. The US women were obviously bigger, but they couldn't get any separation from the aggressive Fins in the first two periods. And, because of the shock and frustration of that early goal, the US took the first two penalties of the game. The US killed those two penalties, then got their first goal on a power play. But the US gave up a power play goal of their own and, as the first period ended, team USA was down 2-1. As the second period started, Finland continued their aggressive play... and the USA didn't look good. At 12:10 into the second period, Finland scored their third goal, to go up 3-1. To be honest, I hadn't seen anything from the Americans that showed me they could come back. They hadn't gotten quality shots on goal, they couldn't get separation from Fins, and Finland looked like the faster/better team. Thankfully for the Americans, we got a goal with just over a minute to go in the second period. I think it was huge for the psyche of team USA to go into the second intermission down 3-2 instead of 3-1. The Americans looked like a completely different team in the third period. They tied the score after only a minute and a half in the third period... and then it was only a matter of time before the USA wore down Finland. I mentioned before that the US team was obviously bigger than Finland... and I think they started to wear the Fins down. In the third period, the US had much more space, they had better scoring opportunities, and they were able to do whatever they wanted with the puck. For example, the goal which turned out to be the game winner, was a goal-to-goal skate by Angela Ruggiero. She took the puck behind her own goal and skated the entire length of the ice to score. That goal opened up the flood gates, and the US got three more goals in the next five minutes. Those three goals almost looked like exhibition play--break-aways, hard wrist shots, tons of skating and passing room. I almost feel bad for Hassinen, the Finnish goaltender... who had played absolutely brilliantly before the third period (when her defensemen broke down). She actually easily outplayed the American goalie, Gunn, until that third period. But the Americans did win, they'll play Sweden Friday... and will--hopefully--play team Canada for the gold when that golden game comes.
PERSONAL CrazyJohn: Right Of Way Inspector
As I was walking to a Valentine's lunch with Chelsey, I saw an Illinois Department of Transportation van. This van had something very interesting written on it--the van displayed this: "Right of Way Inspector." I was so taken aback by it's candor I laughed out loud. Right of way inspector? That almost sounds as made up as Jim and my "Symmetry major" at Albion. "This and this are the same. This does not look like that," we'd say. But this Right of way inspector smacks of the same thing: "You got to this intersection first. You are walking and can therefore go first." I mean, the candor I spoke of earlier relates to the balls it takes to create such a position. Is the economy that bad that we have to create fake jobs like a "Right of Way Inspector"? And, if it really is a job, isn't there a better word for whatever it is that the person does? Personally, I think it sounds like the kind of job I want. Do you think I could get hired with my degree in Symmetry?
PERSONAL A First On The L
After my Valentine's lunch with Chelsey, I headed back to my apartment via the Brown line train. As I reached the Lake L stop, I saw that the Brown Line train was just entering the station. I figured I'd try to run up the stairs, over the platform, and down the stairs to the other side... just in case I could make this train. Hey, you never know when the next train will be there. And it's so annoying when you see a train leave and then you have to stand and wait ten minutes for the next train. So, you can see why I wanted to run to see if I could make this particular train. As I'm approaching the train, coming down the stairs, I see that the doors are still open because a woman is trying to get her children onto the train. I figure that the conductor is watching that particular door, so that's where I head. And... I make it! Hooray! This is not the first to which the title referred. The "first" was what happened when the train started moving. As the train moves, and banks slightly to the left, one of the kids that was taking so long to get on the train was saying something. You know how kids don't understand yet how to be quiet enough that everyone doesn't hear them? So I think this kid thought he was talking to himself, but everyone heard him say: "Please don't fall off train." At first I thought he was trying to tell himself not to fall off the train, but then I realized he was asking the train not to fall off the tracks. And it wasn't a simple statement... he was repeating it the whole time the train banked: "Please don't fall off train. Please don't fall off train. Please don't fall off train. Please don't fall off train." I couldn't help but smile... mostly at how embarrassed the mother must have felt. That's funny to me. And then the train crashed. And I died.
It's not true.
No, it is true.