This is not spam.

I came across a great website for sports fans who want to watch foreign sports games live online.

http://atdhe.net/

Now I don't know what the hell those jumble of letters stand for, and I really don't give a shit. The point is, the site airs games live. Including the likes of North American hockey, basketball, college basketball, European football (i.e. soccer), badminton, tennis, billiards. Shit man, you name it, you got it. It's all there. Thing is, if you want to watch a sports event happening across the Atlantic, you better be willing to stay up late. Really late. Actually, don't sleep at all.

I'm watching hockey games live for the first time in almost a decade. The luck ends there though, because I just so happened to discover this website right when my favourite team started going downhill. And by downhill I mean losing 8 of the past 10 games.

Happy B-day, Pops, Happy 100th post, Blog.

My dad's forty-uhh, forty-something today. Forty-six? I dunno, mid-late forties. Happy Birthday to him, my classic rocker, bird shootin', politics-hating dad. Yeah he's still quite young. And what's the best way to tell him? By telling him that his favourite hockey team, the New York Islanders, lost to their rivals, the New York Rangers, who happen to be my favourite team, last night 5-4 after blowing an early lead.

And this marks the 100th entry on my blog, and it's still going on strong. I wonder how many blogs I follow will reach this milestone.

Why American sports are different from (and better than) European sports.

Let's take one example of a sport played in both continents. My favourite, ice hockey. Observe, America:

Now Europe:

What's the difference? Oh the European sportswear must be cooler, look at all those decals! Wait a minute. Decals? As in, advertisements? The guy's covered in them! I can't even tell if there's a team logo on the bloody thing. Look back at the first picture. What do you see? Team logos, standing large and proud right in the fucking middle of the jerseys. Advertisements? Nope, just the brand of sportswear being used, example Reebok. Small patches, like in normal clothes.

See, the thing is, if I want to play in a sports team, I want to show it by wearing the team logo proudly. Not be a walking billboard.

And the distinction is clear in many other sports. Let's take American baseball now:

A giant NEW YORK right across the shirt. And you know that guy loves it, just look at him. Hell, he's even sporting some shades.

Baseball isn't that popular in Europe. Okay, how about European football?

Hmm yeah, I don't follow football but I know that that little white patch - come on, look harder - across from the Nike logo is the team logo. But fuck that, get insured with the American International Group (AIG)! What if you play for a team sponsored by a company that you think sucks? You're gonna be spending a good chunk of your career running around practically saying "Oi, support this company even though it probably sucks! I hate it, but hell, I support it anyway!"

Be proud of your team, wear the team LOGO, let the sponsors have a bit of advertising space in the arena and during game intermissions, not on your body.

And while we're on the topic of wearing your gear proudly, what do team captains in football wear? Arm bands, or wrist bands? Whatever, those cheap removable things nobody even ever notices. In America, team captains and assistant captains have giant "C"s and "A"s (look at the guy in red and white in the first picture) STITCHED onto their jerseys. Now that's something I'd be proud to wear.

American sports 1, European sports 0.

Walking billboards, pshh.

Oh and another thing. In American sports leagues such as hockey and baseball, athletes know how to be, you know, ATHLETIC. They put their bodies to the test during gametime and take their physical strength to the limit. In other words, they know how to play rough and not be pussies. Go ahead, tap an Italian footballer's leg.

OUCHIES, MY A-LEG, IT IS A-BROKEN, I CAN NO LONGER A-PLAY!

American sports 2, European sports 0.

A small tribute.

Before getting into music, my childhood was basically all about hockey. I found this video with shots of some of my greatest idols when I was young, including the likes of Gordie Howe, Mike Modano, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky.

Backing this video is the song they play everytime a goal is scored at a hockey game. Originally by Gary Glitter, "Rock n' Roll Part 2" is now more commonly known as "The Hey Song" by sports fans and athletes alike. It's a great song to chant along to when you're celebrating a goal at the ice rink, or in the living room in front of the television with your hockey buddies and bottles of beer.