Civil War

I've been a competitive drinker now for about a decade. Competitive not in the sense that my liver plays the role of the Washington Generals, but in the sense that I enjoy me some beer gaming when the time is appropriate.

I'm not really too keen on quarters, or card related games, but flip cup and Beer Pong especially strike my fancy (I believe this is the first time "strike my fancy" and "drinking games" have been used in the same sentence.) Beer Pong being the sport of choice.

I'm a pretty average Beer Pong-er, prone to bouts of extremes in either direction. I can go a whole game with hitting one cup, or I can be lights out. For example, I traveled to visit my youngest brother at the University of Arizona and we went to a party at his frat house before the U of A/ASU football game. I was pretty nervous playing, because I was older and prone to be the subject of "old man cant hang anymore" ridicule if I didn't at least carry my weight. It turned out we ran everyone off the table at the frat house, then did the same thing at an after party.

Anyway, all my old Beer Pong traits were for naught when I was presented with a variation of Beer Pong at a party yesterday: Civil War.

As, that site says: If Beirut is like football, with stops between plays, Civil War is rugby.

Essentially, this is 3 on 3, with 3 cups in front of each team member. Once your 3 are gone, so are you. But you are still available to "rebound" because, that's right, the ball is always live.

Without the ability to set and throw (because they are gunning for you while you are shooting), I was pretty terrible.... at the shooting portion. When it comes to rebounding though, it's all effort. I think I strained the entire left side of my body at some point, and severely harassed my opponents.

All in all, fun times. Definitely an outdoors only game. Keep your ice packs handy.

Fenway Honors Founding Father Owner No one

Spotted this Tweet from my friend Justin, who was at Friday night's Red Sox game (July 3rd.)

Is this an unfortunate lighting gaffe, or perhaps, a still-standing show of virility by John Henry who had his wedding at Fenway Park a few days ago?

Hmm.

Separated at Birth

I love hockey. I love Whale Wars. I haven't been able to get this connection out of my head for weeks (which is horrifying, believe me.) Other than being associated with arctic animals and their looks, I don't think they have much else in common.


1) Peter "The Hammer" Hammerstedt, Activist

In his five years with Sea Shepherd, Peter has been held hostage by Ecuadorian fishermen; physically attacked by sealers; assaulted and arrested by the Canadian Coast Guard (twice); involved in a confrontation which included the side-swiping of an illegal whaling ship; been rammed by another; and pulled up countless miles of fishing longline. In the war to defend life in the oceans, this Swede is far from neutral.









2) Marc-Andre Fleury, Goalie

Marc-André Fleury (born November 28, 1984 in Sorel-Tracy, Québec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won his first Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins against Detroit in a 2-1 win.

Alumni Blues

When I was applying to college a decade ago (holy shit) my eventual school's motto was We Teach Success. Very cheesy, but Hofstra was in a rebuilding mode then. Most everyone will remember the cheesy radio ads that bombarded the airwaves from New York to New England featuring spokeswoman, and legendary lush, Mary Beth Carey.

Depending on who you asked, the most famous Hofstra students were either: A) Slot receiver Wayne Chrebet, B) Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola or C) Dropout Christopher Walken.

It was still "The biggest private college on Long Island". Only no one outside of Long Island had ever heard of it.

Of course now, things have changed a bit there. They hosted a Presidential debate (double holy shit) and they're building a medical school (triple holy shit.) People have actually heard of Hofstra.

Then this asshole had to ruin it all again (copied directly from this page):

Bernard L. Madoff, former chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange. Chairman of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, which he founded in 1960. One of the largest market maker companies on Wall Street. Arrested in 2008 for running a US$50 billion ponzi scheme.

New Computer! New Blogs?

Scored a gorgeous MacBook Pro the other day. My old computer was running on such fumes it was impossible to really do anything. Like blog (yeah, that's the excuse).

So once I figure out how to use this thing, expect more blogs. Maybe some Podcasts. Oh man.

Is Anything Possible?

I love Kevin Garnett. He's been my favorite NBA star since his days in Minnesota. As a Celtics fan, it was pretty hard to watch the C's struggle without KG in the playoffs. I think the Celtics would still be playing for the title right now with KG out there. So why wasn't he?

Garnett's not playing became a bit tougher to take when the news out of Boston Bruins breakup day came out yesterday.

Check out the injuries these players played with in the Carolina series:

Phil Kessel (2008-09 salary: $2.2m) - Torn rotator cuff, shoulder labrum - Will need surgery, expected to miss part of training camp. Played full series.

David Krejci ($883,333) - Torn hip labrum - Will need surgery, expected to be out 4-6 months. Played full series.

Chuck Kobasew ($2.3m) - Two broken ribs. Played full series.

Mark Recchi ($1.5m) - Had kidney stones surgically removed in between Games 6 and 7. Played full series.

Andrew Ference ($1.4m)- Torn groin, pelvis injurt - Will need surgery. Played 3 games.

These are just the major injuries. According to The Bruins Blog: Other Bruins who played through injuries included Marc Savard (knee), Milan Lucic (toe), and Zdeno Chara (shoulder, knee, and groin). Chara will not require surgery on any of his injuries. Savard noted that his knee problem probably would have kept him out for two weeks during the regular season.

So as the Bruins key players gutted it out through major injuries (Kessel: leading goal scorer, Krejci: 2nd on team in points), KG sat.

Hoping for the benefit of the doubt, knowing KG's intensity, I'm willing to wager that the Celtics feared KG furthering injury to his knee as a costly risk they could not take (KG made $24.75m this year and will make $16.4m next year.)

But, in the "me first" genaration of athletes, it's good to know that a championship means more to some players than their paycheck.

Day 31 - One More Day Again?

Once again the Bruins and my beard are on thin ice. The Bruins have golf in their immediate future, my beard, a razor. We've surpassed the 1 month mark officially today. Could it end the day after?

Yet again, thanks so much for all of the donations.

Honorable Awesome Beard Mention: Marc Savard, who's random blonde chin hair makes him look like baby faced Wolverine.

Day 29 - One Day Left?

Greetings from what could be my second to last day before shaving. Once again, the Bruins are on the brink of playing golf, and I am on the brink of nervous insanity. What symetry, as a loss tomorrow would be exactly one month after the season ended and I last shaved (April 12th.)

So, with not much else to say, and with our possible last look at the Bruins coming I'd have to rate Zdeno Chara's beard as top beard, with Manny Fernandez in second. Most surprising: Phil Kessel.

Day 27 - The Penultimate Day?

The Bruins are on the brink of elimination and I am on the brink of actually looking like I am capable of growing a beard (not really.) So far I have raised an amazing $300, which is just insane. Thanks to everyone! There is still time, though it may be fleeting the way the Bruins are playing. -DONATE HERE-

On an extreme sidenote, it seems Milan Lucic, my hero, grows a beard the same way as I.

Memento

One of the best parts of opening old drawers or wearing old clothes is the possibility of finding old stuff. I used to love coming back to college from winter break and finding random money strewn about my desk drawer and, since I'm a pack rat, wearing an old coat often produces fond memories of past ATM withdrawals in exotic locales like Dedham and Framingham.

Occasionally they can provide mysteries, like today. It did not involve opening an old drawer, but it did come from wearing old drawers (FUCKING ZING.) I broke out my trusty seersucker shorts to wear to work on this gorgeous April day and while fishing in my left pocket I felt a strange rubbery sensation.

Water balloons!

What the hell?

Now, I vaguely remember buying these water balloons before going whitewater rafting last summer, but we didn't use them and there's no way I would bring seersucker shorts camping, anyway.

I think I have some sort of Water Balloon War PTSD, because I can't remember how or why I was armed with these things. If you, or anyone else you know, were in a water baloon fight with me this past summer, please let me know.

Day 13



Man, if only I could grow connectors. Maybe next year in Jerusalem.

13 Days into the beard (the Bruins swept in 6 days BTW) and I'm up to $286. Absolutely insane. I thought I'd struggle to get $100. Feels pretty good right now, thanks to everyone.

A point to consider: Several B's were sporting some serious prelim beards in Game 4 (Z, Rydes, Yelle, Stuart and even Kessel.) They're going to look like mountain men by the time Game 1 of Round 2 comes by. No East team has even clinched yet, and they could go 8-9 days between games.

Day 6 - Milestone reached

Reached a big milestone on the Beard-A-Thon front, a financial milestone, not a follicle one. Raised $100 yesterday! Thanks to everyone who's donated, and there is still lots of time to donate more (knock on wood for the Bruins.) Deal still stands in which I will buy a beer for the person who donates the $150th dollar to my beard in progress. Same deal stands for other milestone markers.

Here is the link to donate.

Go B's!

Day Two

Two days til Game 1. What a frightening picture.

Track The Beard

OK, so I posted yesterday how I'm growing a playoff beard for charity and that part of the whole deal was out of superstition. Well, you can't grow a playoff beard that starts before the plaoyffs. That's playoff beard blasphemy. So, after I got home from work yesterday and the Bruins played their last game of the regular season (6-2 throttling of the Islanders) I shaved off what I had been working with.

Yesterday I looked like this:

At the midpoint of the shaving process I looked like this:

And now I am completely shorn. Here's Day 1 of the Playoff Beard progress. Hope my girlfriend still likes me:

Pledge My Playoff Beard for Charity

Every year I grow a semblance of a playoff beard for charity and this year is no different. Actually, it is a bit. The Bruins and the NHL are hosting "Beard-A-Thon", which allows people the "pledge" others beards.

Here's my profile

It's really easy to donate (just click the yellow "Pledge This Beard" button and follow the steps.)

Minimum donation is $10, but you can pledge whatever you want.

All donations go to the Boston Bruins Foundation.