Today Is The Greatest Day I Have Ever Known

BOOYAH, FRIENDS, IT'S MY LAST DAY AT THIS CRAPPY JOB!!!!!!! Um, so I might be slightly enthusiastic today... Just a warning. ;)

Hahaha, my inbox BLEW UP with tips about these photos posted on PittsburghLive by FSN Pittsburgh correspondent Dan Potash. (I wish I could list you all, but I hope you'll forgive me for just throwing out a blanket Thanks for the link! to all of you instead.) Here are five of my favorites. The best about them is that Potash uploaded the original images, so click these babies for HUGE wallpaper quality shots - because really, who among you doesn't want this next shot on your desktop?

Sleepy Siddo and Flower - those masks are dead sexy! :P

The Boys practice in Sweden.

The Saint takes a tour of the Vasa Museum.

Another shot of the Boys touring the Vasa Museum

Sid, Mad Max, and Pascal Dupuis enjoy a candlelit dinner. (WOW - I barely recognized the now relatively hairless Mad Max!)

Good Friends of The Show Lauren H. and Stagerat (who now is affiliated with my good friend, Loser Chris, as a contributor to The Flower Shop) sent in the link to an article detailing how much Siddo is enjoying anonymity in Sweden.

Friend Maria T. sent in this piece about training camp continuing in Sweden:

Because of the extent of this undertaking -- the NHL Premiere also includes weekend games between Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers in Prague, Czech Republic -- the NHL and sponsors are helping to defray some of the player expenses and assisting with things such as arranging transportation.

Some of the Penguins' European players have requested tickets because people from home can get to Sweden more easily than they can get to Pittsburgh.

Russian defenseman Sergei Gonchar had asked for about 50 tickets here and in Helsinki, mostly for friends making the relatively short trip from St. Petersburg, where Gonchar and center Evgeni Malkin work out in the summer. Gonchar had to give those seats back after a dislocated left shoulder forced him to miss the trip.

Malkin still has a group coming, including his girlfriend, Oksana, a friend who doubles as his Russian agent and workout pals from St. Petersburg. [snoop: Aww!!! :)]

WAIT A MINUTE - I have to read that again: "Because of the extent of this undertaking ... the NHL and sponsors are helping to defray some of the player expenses." SERIOUSLY?! I'm no accountant, but I'm pretty sure even the rookies are making more than enough cash to foot the bill. I wouldn't care except that the NHL will likely pass along the costs to us in the form of even higher ticket prices.

Friend of The Show RACHEL S. FOR THE WIN!!!!!!! We get to head back to Pittsburgh for our latest installment of our Roaming Penguins saga, where Rachel captured the first picture of Sidney Penguin in the stands watching Sidney Crosby on the ice:

YES!!!!!

(Here's a zoomed view of S.C.)

Here are Rachel's own words to tell us about their day together:

Roaming Sidney and the family traveled to Pittsburgh for my brother’s wedding. Friday morning, Sept 19, we took the kids and Sid to the open practice. It was really cool – people were walking up in jerseys, which was fun to see.


Heading in to the arena, which will always be the Civic Arena to me, none other than Ray Shero drove in front of us into the lot. The practice itself was really quiet and it was strange to be in the semi-empty, quiet arena.

Sidney P. watches the Zamboni drive by.

My son, Henry, who is 4 ½ was so excited and shouted “my first hockey game!!” I told him, “you have no idea, honey.” It was also funny to see people eating hot sausage sandwiches and nachos at 9:30 in the morning.

What an awesome day!

I highly recommend getting in to see a practice for anyone who can, because it was really cool. So, I got a few good shots of Sidney inside and one at the new arena construction site.

This is also S.P.'s first trip to the new arena site! :)

(I also got some good Pens gear at the shop in the arena!)

Thanks, Rachel!

All that's left today is TSCS's Quote of The Day:

"This letter is a declaration of my resignation, as I have accepted a position as an IT Team Member at another company. I am looking forward to my new position and the challenges that await me. My last day of work will be September 30, 2008."

~ snoopyjode, in a resignation letter which was signed, sealed, and delivered two weeks ago today. :D

Endless thanks to everyone (including Lauren, Stagerat, Maria, and Rachel) for helping with today's post! :)

Pens v Leafs (W 5-4) Exhibition Game

The Pens came back and beat the Leafs 5-4 on Friday night. Friend of The Show Jennifer F. was lucky enough to be there and nice enough to send in a summary and some pictures:

Sidney Crosby was a maniac, and I don’t really know how to otherwise describe how he was tonight. He was everywhere, doing everything, setting up everybody and taking a fair number of shots himself, and scored an absolutely unbelievable goal. I was about to take a picture of him because he was off ahead of everyone else by himself, but I got too excited because it looked like he was going to score and everyone around me stood up so I had to as well in order to see and couldn’t take a picture. But, it was amazing! He was on his side raising his arm in the air before anyone had even realized what happened. The oh-so-charming crowd kept on cheering ‘Crosby Sucks” (how original, I know) but it was clear that the more the crowd chanted that the better he played. And as a result of his game he was the number one star!

Fedotenko also had a very good game, in the third period I realized that Michel Therrien had put him on a line with Crosby and Satan, and they looked quite good together. Tyler Kennedy also was everywhere tonight; perhaps he was in a particularly good mood as a result of his (deserved) contract extension! In the second period when the Pens were down 3-1 they didn’t look like they were very into the game. After the fight by Bissonnette and Hollweg (which Bissonnette very clearly won) the Pens seemed to pick it up and were playing much better. Their penalty killing was very solid tonight, and the Leafs just looked confused on their power play because penguins players were everywhere.

Also, just to add something, I noticed that every time before Sid started a shift he went up to Fleury and tapped his pads with his stick. I know the he’s superstitious, I so can’t help but wonder if that is one of his rituals? Also, the punching routine that Talbot and Fleury do in the hallway in Pittsburgh before games they did on the ice during warm up tonight and I took an absolutely horrible picture of it because I was bumped by someone while I was taking it!

Here are the rest of Jen's pictures:


Friend of The Show Lauren H. sent in this article in which a rookie from the Toronto Maple Leafs talks about a run in with our feisty captain at the game:

[Chris DiDomenico] was on the ice for the Penguins tying goal late in the game that Pittsburgh won 5-4, but he exhibited some offensive flair and experienced a late-game run in with Sidney Crosby. The two bumped into each other in the Penguins zone, causing Crosby to cross-check DiDomenico, who returned a slash directed at the Penguins captain.

"You wanna go?!" Both of these shots were taken by Jennifer, who has excellent timing. :)

“He asked me if I wanted to go when we got into the penalty box,” DiDomenico said, laughing. “I guess that will be something to remember.”

Now here's something that will probably fire you guys up. You HAVE to check out this article by none other than Puck Daddy himself, Greg Wyshynski. In it, he drops some knowledge on Marian Hossa's assessment of playing with Siddo vs. playing with Pavel Datsyuk. First, here's what Hossa said:

"They're different players," Hossa said in comparing the two. "Sidney is more a skater and Pavel is more a playmaker."

Hossa has also found Datsyuk the more unpredictable of the two. The 29-year-old Slovak star admits he's quickly learned not to try and anticipate, just be ready to react when riding shotgun with Datsyuk.

And as I hold myself back, here's an excerpt of Puck Daddy's analysis:

More of a playmaker. Less predictable. Basically, Hossa's telling the world that he believes Pavel Datsyuk is a better offensive center than Sidney Crosby.

[...]

Datsyuk's defensive credentials can't be denied. But he's not the goal-scorer Crosby is, and he's certainly not the leader Crosby is, on or off the ice.

[...]

Like Hossa said: Different players. There's simply no way you wouldn't take Crosby first if you were building a team; but if you had to win one game, perhaps this comparison is a little closer.

Depending on the rest of the team, of course...

Okay, it's one thing to leave and then proclaim from the highest mountaintops that Detroit has a better chance than Pittsburgh to win the Cup in 2009 after making EVERYONE think he was going to stay, but now he's taking subtle shots at the Saint? It certainly seems like Hossa is not only burning the proverbial bridge back to Pittsburgh, but he's doing it with a certain finger raised and a smile on his face.

Here is Siddo about to score the goal that Jen mentioned above...

Friend of The Show Laeioura sent in an email alerting us to two FSN Pens specials:
Spotlight Back for More: Tonight @ 10pm
In My Own Words: Sidney Crosby (Season 3): Friday, Oct 3 @ 7:30pm

...and here's the Saint on his side with his hand raised in celebration.

Friend of The Show Julie M. found this article that lists the second choice sports of some of our Penguins:

Center Sidney Crosby, on the other hand, liked being the backstop in baseball.

"I played catcher growing up. That would be my best chance to make it [in another sport]," , he said. "I used to like catcher. It's a lot more action. You're calling pitches, and there's a little more thinking involved. It was cool. You had to study the other team a little bit, so it was a bit like preparing in hockey."

Friends Lauren and Imogen sent this article that asks if Sid can still be called The Kid since he's 21 years old now.

Our drawing Friend Jan M. sent in a link to a 2008-09 season preview about the Pens. Bottom line:

Expect the Penguins to make another deep postseason run and possibly challenge for the Stanley Cup crown.

YES!!!!!!!!! DO IT!

Good Friend Eighty-Two sent in this sweet wallpaper he made:


Friend of The Show Sarah sent in some pictures from the Sidney Crosby Exhibit at the Nova Scotia Hall of Fame (which is located in the Metro Centre):



Brooks Penguin is still having fun with Friend Ali W. in college. Here is Brooksie helping Ali celebrate her first A+ (congrats on that, Ali!):


Ali snapped a picture of Brooksie watching his namesake at the Town Hall Meeting:



TSCS's Quote of The Day comes from our title man:

"I thought he liked it here. He was great to play with. It's too bad."

~ Siddo on Marian Hossa

Many, many thanks to Jennifer, Lauren, Laeioura, Julie, Imogen, Jan, Eighty-Two, Sarah, and Ali for all the help with today's post! :)