From Hockey to Hollywood (About Me) - Book #2

Some. Male. Sports. Fans. (Rant 4-6-17)

Do you consider Jake Dotchin an enforcer?

Because some people think that he is one. Just because he can stand up for himself/teammates and hit doesn't make him an enforcer. He goes in to help his teammates out but that's what a lot of the boys in the NHL do. He's not swaying the game or doing it...CONSISTENTLY. If Dotch came out each game like Wit maybe, then yes. But even then, Wit's not fighting all the time. Nowhere on either of their bios does it say "Enforcer". 

My Friend: Sometimes I think Wit would be an enforcer but other times I don't. JT too. Boyle too. 

So anyway, I got into this argument with one of my male friends who's too stubborn to accept that he's wrong or stop and is just getting heated for no reason. He thinks he's right, cause some Lightning staff dude said he should be a scout.

News flash, you're not a know-it-all.

My Friend: Just because someone said you should be a scout doesn't mean your word is the end all be all of who is an enforcer or who isn't an enforcer.

Yeah. And then here's what pissed me off to no-end: He says I'm wrong because I'm blinded by love of my favorites. This is why I can't argue with dumbass men who think they know everything about the sport and turn "puck bunnyness" on the female they are arguing with. Pisses me off to NO end.

My Friend: Guys don't like to be wrong about sports. It hurts their ego. 

I brought up the lineup and how I didn't like Jo being on the third line with McKegg and Vermin. To which he says: You just don't like Vladdy. I wasn't talk about Vladdy or the fact he's on the fourth line.

My Friend: Wow. He just doesn't like his ego getting deflated by you actually knowing what's going on. They think that they can be the only ones right about sports, that women don't know anything about sports. Which is absolutely wrong. 

I'm just stating my input and opinion on the fact that - with the exception of the first line - I'm not a fan of the other lines. And then he has to go: "Coop knows what he's doing, you don't. You're not coach." And I'm like I KNOW that. I'm just expressing my opinion and just wanting a healthy convo, but I guess I can't talk hockey period with him without it turning into a heated argument where he can't own up to losing an argument. You know?

My Friend: My male friend was really glad that I knew what goes on in baseball because & I quote "at least you know what you're talking about when you said we weren't playing too well. Most girls have no idea what's going on and then try to talk crap about the team". That dude is really dumb. People also don't like admitting they're wrong. Momma said she'd like to see a line of Yanni, Vladdy & Jo since they're all fast & not to just put them together on a few shifts. Put them together longer than that so they can get it going. 

Yeah, I'd LOVE to talk hockey with people, but if I can't...well...whatever. It's nice to talk to someone, instead of just getting nothing really or just a one-sided agreement convo. You know? I'd love that line too. I also would like to see a Jo-Vladdy-Pointer line or Jo-Pointer-Vladdy.

Okay...look at this...this is his line combos for next season:

Jo-Stammer-Kuch

Pally-Pointer-Cally

Erne-Yanni-Killer

Vermin-Vladdy-JT

*Vladdy and JT on the 4th, due to decline

*No TJ, cause Vegas?

So, let me get this right, he's putting JT and Vladdy together in their "decline" so they can continue to "decline"? That's smart, right? (sarcasm)

FYI, here's my lines:

Firepower Line: Jo-Stammer-Vladdy/Yanni

Triplets 2.0: Pally-Pointer-Kuch

Experiment Line: Killer/Erne-Yanni/TJ/Vladdy-Erne/Cally

Grind Line: JT-Du-Wit/Bourny

*Depends on whether we lose Killer or TJ in the Expansion or to trades in the offseason

Let me explain mine, I put Vladdy on the first line with Stammer and Jo, because Vladdy and Stammer work well (granted he'll most likely be moved up and down the lineup to keep him active, because Vladdy thrives off of this I feel like.) With the second line, Triplets 2.0 ;) and Pointer's second line center no matter what. Now this third line, if Killer goes to Expansion and TJ's lost to trades: Erne-Yanni/Vladdy-Cally (moving Vladdy down to the third if need be to kickstart him). If Killer is NOT leaving and it's just TJ who leaves (rare): Killer-Vladdy-Cally OR Killer-Vladdy-Erne OR Killer-Yanni-Erne. (Bourny is moved to fourth). If Cally retires: Killer-Yanni/Vladdy-Erne/Yanni. Fourth line AKA: The Grind Line: JT-Du-Wit/Bourny (Given JT is still here.)

Now, here's the issue...TJ. In all honesty, TJ's not fitting into my plan, BUT he'd be third line...somewhere...

(See more of these in a separate "chapter.")

And then he says Vladdy's not doing shit (to which I'm ignoring him, trying to move the convo cause I don't wanna talk about this, cause he's always belittling Vladdy) but he keeps with it, until I bring up Stammer and how the team isn't making it because of the injuries. To which he finally says, "We need enforcers" and I'm like, "That's not it at all." The NHL now is not a place for enforcers. And that brings up JT, Wit and - according to him - Dotch as enforcers.

Enforcer to me is someone who is constantly going after people like a goon to sway the game. Or someone who's JOB it is to go out on the ice and pick fights/stir up trouble. That's not Dotch. Heck not even Wit or JT. That's not even really ANYone in the NHL right now. It's a thing of the past, cause it's all about showiness and scoring.