Coffee with Ballard

 I had the chance to sit down with Keith Ballard for coffee yesterday. It was pretty crazy actually, I was just sitting there after doing some shopping at the pet store and this guy walks up to me and asks if he can have some Pupperoni. I told him sure, if I could ask him a few questions first.

This is how it went down


Christine: Are you aware that you only just passed the Canucks goalies in assists since being a Canuck?

Keith: .... I have always had more hipchecks!

Christine: So there's been some talk about a twitter account that is apparently yours.First it had a 2 and people were confused. I pointed out that the account had been around since January and at that point everyone had figured you'd be gone so maybe you were hoping to go to a team that you could have your 2 back. It has since changed to 4 and you have locked your account. Whats going on?

Keith: Well I was hoping to get more followers then Bieksa and Kesler but then I realized it wasn't going to happen... I'm as bad at twitter as I am at pranks and pumpkin carving.

Christine: Have you got your pants hemmed yet?

Keith: No

Christine: Why not?

Keith: I'm spending all my time working on my shootout technique so I'm ready, I know my time is coming!

Christine: Did you do some work in the off season to help with your fear of shootouts?

Keith: Did you see my shootouts in practice? I was 1 of only 3 players to score. Now I just need to buy AV a house so he will let me out there.

Christine: You scored a goal in the first regular season game of the season, I thought your time had come....What happened?

Keith: I really thought so to and I'm working on it. I'm off to a slow start, again...but I'm completely confident in myself and believe I will do better. I may bring a rabbit with me again on the next road trip.

Christine: You seem to miss the net a lot when you shoot, did you know the net hasn't moved position at all since you've been playing?

Keith: I still get a little nervous when I get the chance to shoot, I'm working on it and 100 percent confident in myself. I was kind of hoping to play a trick on the goalies, you know.. let them think I can't hit the actual net...then BAM it's in....it's a work in progress.

Christine: Have you talked to Chris Tanev lately? I miss seeing his little baby face

Keith: You miss it? I have nobody around here to pass on my knowledge to, everybody thinks they know how to play better then me.

Christine: What are your thoughts on the recent 'controversy' with Schneider and Luongo?

Keith: Well, you haven't seen me swing my stick at either of their heads yet have you?

Christine: ok... Moving on.... How's George doing?

Keith: He's good. Still just doing his thing... being small, not afraid to take on dogs bigger then him....but really..if anybody wants to send him some pupperoni....

Christine: hmm I see he takes after you. So, How about Aaron Ro.....

Keith: This interview is done.

And with that he got up and walked away with his head hung low. I saw him stop at the garbage on the way out, it appears he was grabbing some left over tuna, ham and turkey. My only guess is he needed some comfort food, in the form of a tuhamkey sandwich. I hope Derek Jory is ready for him. 

Thankfully, I do have this one picture to remember the time I had coffee with Keith Ballard.

It's Almost That Time Again..

It's true. It is. It's almost time for hockey to start back up. I'm slowly getting back into the groove of reading information on prospects and such. While my friends of teams like the Flames and Oilers are really excited for hockey to be back, I am not there. I think I am ready, and then I watch clips from last season or read talk of the playoffs and panic strikes. My anxiety levels go past Keith Ballard sitting in the press box and right through the roof. I'm trying to be excited, I really am but I keep getting flash backs.....

Sitting alone in my living room watching Game 7, refusing to believe it was actually over. Shedding a few tears, trying to pull myself together and saying ' it's just a game'...that turned into ' it's just a god damn game'...which then turned into ' holy fucking hell I'm going to smash my laptop into pieces'. Even now my chest feels all tight when I think back to everything that went through my head that night. (ok, maybe that's partly to do with the fact I'm wearing my Tanner Glass Scrabble Champ shirt and it looks like his face is on my boob). Then came the rioting. I knew it would come no matter what but it was still shocking, sitting up alone until well after midnight watching it all unfold on CTV.

I want to have flashbacks of the happy times. Alex Burrows' and Kevin Bieksa's great goals don't work, because I just remember being so exciting thinking ' holy shit, this may actually happen'.  I wish I could think back to just watching regular season games that weren't life or death, chirping some of my Oilers and Flames fan friends. I just can't seem to remember exactly what that's like. Hopefully once the first regular season game gets here I will feel that excitement again. Dealing with some personal crap in my own life, hopefully it will be a nice distraction.

I am excited for these things

• Seeing Keith Ballard actually play again
• Seeing Chris Tanev continue to be awesome
• Keith Ballard's first hipcheck of the season
• Seeing Mason Raymond skate again
• Hopefully, once I get some stuff sorted out, get back to Vancouver for a home game. It's been way to long.
• Gathering up as many Canucks fans as I can here in Edmonton and watching a game somewhere

That's all I have right now. Anyway, while you're reading  check out this great story on Tanner Glass giving back to his home town. also Alixiswright37's great blog post  "A Day In The Life Of A Canucks Fan". Hopefully I have more to say soon.

I Have Boobs and I Find Men Attractive

When  I was a teenager and through the past few years, I tried everything possible to 'fit in with the guys' when it came to hockey, I didn't want to be known as, or come off as a 'puckbunny'. It becomes a very daunting task because some people want to label you one without even talking to you, without seeing if you have any knowledge. I have to say now, I have completely given up on it.

My name is Christine,  I find Keith Ballard and Kevin Bieksa good looking and I wear cleavage revealing shirts with Canucks logos.

I am female, it happens. To say you don't find any of the 20 some odd men on a hockey team good looking, you are probably either 1. a lesbian (which I have no problem with)  2. lying. I find the point of denying it kind of odd now that I think about it more, if you talk to people enough about the game they are going to know that you know what you're talking about. Ask poor PabloPenguin74 or Kev_macd who I talk to daily via BBM. They both know that I can keep up the actual hockey talk just like any of the guys, but they also know that I can make some interesting comments about some of the guys (hipcheck comments are always a beauty). I keep it mostly quiet, to the people who know me because they know I am really not serious about it all. I think the word 'puckbunny' is thrown around way to easily these days, being able to admit that as a grown female you find someone of the opposite sex attractive does not make you one. Some girls take it to far, the ones that show up at games with " Marry me Kesler", " I love you Kevin Bieksa" and " You can bite me any time Burrows" signs while pressing their cleavage revealing shirts up against the glass, then by all means I have no problem with throwing that term out there. They set themselves up for it, they are purposely doing and 'saying' these things directly trying to get the attention of the players. When I occasionally leave the 'check' part out of the comment ' Man I love Ballard's hipchecks', it's to get a reaction out of my friends, not trying to get his attention, not being serious and knowing he will never see the comment anyway.  

That being said, and like I mentioned I am guilty of owning those cleavage revealing shirts. I would never wear one to a game, let alone stand pressed up to the glass. I would also never wear a fitted hockey jersey, but to each their own, I'm not going to judge somebody and lump them in a group because of it. I am just a tad over 5 feet tall and 115lbs so even the small regular jerseys are almost to my knees, the sleeves completely cover my hands and beyond by about 2 inches and I could probably fit 2 of me into it, I don't care, that's how it's supposed to be. Pink jerseys have no place in hockey, where the actual team colours the way jerseys are supposed to be. If you want something pink, get a t-shirt.   I will always wear my jersey to a game, or to a bar to cheer on the Canucks but in every day life it would be impossible for me to function properly in something that hangs off me like that. I guess I don't really need to wear a tight v neck shirt, but I think they are nice. I am young-ish, I don't have have the nicest body around but I don't have a horrible one either, so I mine as well show it off while I can.  I do also own regular mens t-shirts with different players names - Ballard, Hamhuis, Bieksa, etc- and I wear those more often then I do the other shirts.

I know some people probably think ' typical girl' or 'typical puckbunny' when I call Chris Tanev ' baby Tanev'. I actually stole that from  Alixiswright, it just has a ring to it and I love it. I have no problem admitting I think he is absolutely adorable, in a I want to pinch his cheeks and send him out to play with my 2 year old son kind of way.  That's just how I see him when looking at him, but I am also very aware of his hockey skill, and the fact that he has a very promising career going forward now that I am excited to watch, as a hockey fan.

So, I can admit that I find some hockey players good looking, and I wear tight fitting cleavage revealing shirts with my teams logo on them, if that makes me a 'puckbunny' or 'not a hardcore girl fan' in your mind, so be it. If you're going to be that close minded about it all, then I don't even want to waste my time with you. I know why I watch hockey, I know I can and do focus on the game and am able to keep up conversations about it. Open minded, awesome people who take the time to get to know me, or even have a chat or two with me are able to figure this out pretty quickly.

 Does what I'm wearing here really make me seem any less of a fan then when I'm wearing a jersey..

 

If somebody is going to judge me, or anybody for that matter, and lump me with a group based on what I wear, or the fact that I do indeed find men attractive, they aren't worth my time and I honestly do not care what they think anymore. 

All that being said, I have no problem at all admitting I have a giant crush on Ian Walker's arms, John Shorthouse's voice and Jason Botchford's laugh.

How The West Was Won

Ok imagine this, I'm sitting in a darkened house, my 2 and 3 year old kids are fast asleep, my boyfriend is asleep on the couch beside where I'm sitting. I'm watching the game on my laptop because the cbc.ca feed was 8 seconds ahead of my TV feed, headphones on so I don't disturb anyone. Kevin Bieksa scores....what do I do? There's a moment of wanting to jump up and scream, a moment of hesitation because everyone in my house is asleep. So what did I do? I fist pumped into the air and let the water I had just tried to drink milliseconds before the goal dribble out of my mouth. Yup, not the prettiest and I would have and still would give just about anything to be in Vancouver right now and for the next 2 weeks. I thought my biggest regret was not making it back to Vancouver for the Olympics, but that is nothing compared to how badly I wish I was in Vancouver right now.  The scariest part is I don't think it has totally set in yet that the Canucks have made it to The Stanley Cup Finals, I think I still may be in a bit of shock about it all.

Last night this clip from the movie Hardball kept playing over and over in my head, (because you know....I am so a little black kid playing baseball)


Anyway, I've done it the last 2 rounds so I'll do it again. To any new readers, I am very aware they will never read this, it's just my way of getting my thoughts out.

Dear Keith Ballard,
Keith, Darling, we need to have a talk. For my own sanity, and the sanity of all your fans NEVER...EVER..again try to block or grab the puck with your hand when you are in front of your own net. I seriously face palmed myself on that goal last night, I wouldn't be surprised if I have a hand mark on my face today, I haven't looked in a mirror yet. I guess at least this time you didn't throw it into your own net, just deflected it. With that bit of crap out of the way, I am so excited and happy that you got to play in that game last night and be on the ice for the celebration. I think I saw you dancing in the corner of one shot, or maybe you were tripping over the stupid confetti crap but I'm hoping someone, somewhere has a clip of it. The t-shirts you guys got are grey, I guess that's a good thing since you apparently like grey shirts so much.

Dear Baby Tanev,
How the hell does it feel? I thought you had a crazy time when, last year you were undrafted, playing college hockey and then less then a year later you were part of the top 6 uninjured defencemen for the second half  of the regular season for the Canucks. Then after (un)fortunate injuries to Christian Ehrhoff and Aaron Rome you get called up and play in 2 round 3 playoff games. This must be unreal for you, I was almost more excited for you last night then Ballard, and that says a lot. For the record, I will probably always call you 'baby' Tanev, even when..or if...you lose that little baby face you have.

Dear  Mason Raymond,
Are you at the dentist yet? I keep getting the most disgusting scared look on my face when I look at this picture.  I'm sure there was no pain last night, but that must be pretty sore today, wow. Nice to see you are finally getting some facial hair, I think my grandma still has more though.

Dear Kevin Bieksa,
Holy crap dude, I don't think there are even words to describe how I feel about you right now. I'll own up to it, I was calling for a Bieksa trade 9-10 months ago. Am I ever glad that didn't happen. I told my friend Paul before game 1 that you would be 'the guy' this series, I never dreamed just how true that would be.

Dear Luc Bourdon,
Once again, Thank you.

And now onto some others, I have no idea where my mind will be in approximately 2 weeks time, either way I doubt I'll get this out so I'll do it now. To some of the, somewhat , behind the scenes crew in The Canucks Organization

Dear Nicole Van Zanten (aka @VanCanucks),
I am so glad I finally caved and signed up for twitter last summer. The experience has been amazing and the Canucks twitter is the most interactive I've seen of any NHL team. You are rocking it, it's been a huge help with keeping up to date since I am a Canucks fan stuck in Edmonton. Thank you for all your hard work so far, and for everything still to come. If I ever get out to Vancouver in the near future I would love to buy you a coffee or something.

Dear Derek Jory (aka @Canucksgame),
You, my darling, are a thing of beauty. Not only do you keep me up to date when I  have been unable to watch games, you have me laughing like a crazy woman the whole time. I can be in the worst mood ever, and I just have to look at a @canucksgame tweet, or something posted on Fort Nucks and I'm usually in tears laughing.  You've also given me some great material over the season in my unintended apparent goal of making fun of Keith Ballard in every way possible with this blog.

Dear Tina Rogers (aka @tinarogers)
Thank you so much for sending me those playoff towels and that t-shirt. You made me day- you made my month. I usually have to beg people for months to get anything sent this way, whether from the team store or just Canucks stuff in general. It's been tough sitting here in Edmonton  and watching everything going on in Vancouver, so thanks for sending me a little part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs celebration. Would love to thank you in person whenever I manage to get out to Vancouver again.

Lastly, to my main reporter man....

Dear Ian Walker (aka @walkerbigtalker)
You are the man. I can not express how much appreciation I have for you, obviously for running the little piece on my findings about Ballard inability to dress himself properly but for everything else you do to. As I have mentioned to you before, I love the different approach you take with what you write. You have managed to make me like  and even shed a tear for a few players who, before I read your articles, all I wanted to do was slap. As I've said to the others being able to read what  you write helps me keep up to date even though I am a province away from my team. I am excited for what these next 2 weeks hold and what you will be talking about.

The best bloggers around....

Dear Harrison Mooney, Daniel Wagner, and Qris Johnson (aka Pass It To Bulis),
You guys rock my socks. Thank you for Watching every game, and reporting about each accurately and hilariously.  My little blog definitely looks up to your giant blog. When my son was in the hospital in February one of the things I was most pissed off about was the fact I couldn't get an internet connection in the hospital to read your 'I Watched This Game' about the games I missed.

Anyway, this may look like I'm writing this because something is over and done but as I said above this is not the case. In approximately 2 weeks, I am going to have crazy thoughts, either good or bad so I wanted to make sure I got these thank you's out of the way before then.


I promise to stop rambling soon but there is one last item of business. This is probably where any credibility I may have built up over the last 5 months of having this blog, gets shot straight out the window. However, I am female, but with the dirty mind of a male, so there is absolutely no way for me to go at this in an appropriate manner. Last night while everything was starting to settle down a bit after the win @kleine_snowdrop dropped this bomb in my inbox.

Like I said, no appropriate way to go at this picture, but it had to be shared because I laughed for a good 5 minutes.  I have no problem admitting that I do find Keith Ballard good looking, it's a natural thing and if you're going to look at me the wrong way for it, so be it.  People make jokes to me all the time regarding him and I usually make inappropriate comments right back. I think most of the time people are looking for a reaction out of me, so I give it to them. I don't really mean any of it, it's just how I am and the people who know  me and talk to me on a regular basis know that. Know my actual hockey knowledge comes first. Anyway,  I put this picture on facebook last night, going about my marry inappropriate way and I had to laugh this morning because the people to comment to me about it were my very own mom, and my Aunt. Both oblivious to where I went with it, at least at first.

Thank you to every single 1..or maybe the 1 person who actually made it through all this rambling. I'm still riding my high from the game last night. I am extremely excited for what is to come, and extremely excited to be along for the ride with everyone. Lets get 'er done.

This and That

• I looked at the Canucks app on my blackberry today and remembered something. It was a few hours before game 3 that I tweeted that I had finally taken Keith Ballard off the 'player pulse' because I was tired of seeing nothing happening. I also tweeted that I laughed at people who still held out hope that a miracle would happen and Ballard would play. I hadn't given up on *him* but rather AV ever thinking it would be a good idea to play him. Crazy how fast things can change eh? I have Kevin Bieksa on my player pulse now, and I'm tempted to change it back to Ballard, but I may just leave it. I am, however, rocking my Ballard shirt for the first time in weeks.

• This quote in Ben Kuzma's article today made me tear up (there's a reason I thanked Luc in my post after game 7 of the Chicago series)

"He's still part of my life and I think about him a lot," Burrows said of the fallen 10th overall pick in the 2005 entry draft. "I've learned a lot with Luc's accident to know when you're on the verge of accomplishing something to give it all you've got. He'd say: 'Go get it. It's your turn to shine.' "

• All this talk on the team1040 and such over what the Canucks will do if they win tonight is annoying me. Everyone is getting way to far ahead of themselves. Do I think they can do it? yes. Do I know they will do it? no. Am I so nervous I feel like my lunch is going to come back up? yes. 

• On that note, if the Canucks get to the Finals I may try to plan a get together with some Canucks fans for  a weekend game at Boston Pizza, or somewhere here in Edmonton. I'm tired of watching games alone. 

• Want to Watch Ballard's Hipcheck on McGinn over and over? Pass It To Bulis tweeted an easy way to do so  here

•  Quote of the day  "I think Chris and I did what was asked of us and we'll do the same thing tonight." - Keith Ballard. 

• Go read this - " Ballard Knows The Importance  of Being a Good Teammate..."

•  Finally, who doesn't love some one on one with John Shorthouse?!?

Blackhawks Down, Tennessee-ya

(wish I could take credit for that title, thank you Ron MacLean)

I'm not sure which, outside of the actual game, I enjoyed more... This:



or this:



or this:




First off, What a game, so happy they got it done in 6 and now some rest time and hopefully the Wings push a game 7. I have to admit though, I wasn't as excited as I was when they beat the Blackhawks. I'm more relieved that this second round is over and of course I'm happy but I was absolutely almost pee my pants ecstatic when they beat the Blackhawks.

Anyway, I did this at the end of the 1st round so I'll do it again:

Dear Keith Ballard,
I don't even have words, miss watching you play. Now they only glimpse we get of you is when you look like an excited little kid peeking his head around the corner to see who the next player coming into the room is in the post game celebrations (seen above). PITB is trying to get Bieksa on twitter, beat him to it!..Do it!..now!.

Dear Kevin Bieksa,
You have totally stole the funny award away from Ballard. That's right, I'll admit it. Although 4 is always 1 and 3 is 2 (it's not a math problem). I think I called you a sexy bastard after that interview with Scott Oake last night, I also called Burrows a french bastard last series so don't take offence. I really need to find a word to replace bastard, a nice word. I'd love to buy you some shots, shots, shots, shots, shots one day. You need to get on twitter, PITB says so.

Dear Pekka Rinne,
Holy hell dude, I thought Crawford amazed me last round, you totally blew my mind. I never want to see the Canucks face you again, ever.

Dear Nashville Predator fans,
You guys are class acts, I enjoyed interacting with you guys quite a bit during this series. Wish I could say the same about other fan bases, I know there are assholes in every fan base but a few are worse then others. Be proud, your team brought the #1 team in the NHL to a game 6 and made many of their fans nervous. 

That's all I have for today, Can't wait for Sunday!

Lets Get Serious

Is Rome really better then Ballard?

Does Ballard have an undisclosed nagging injury?

Is there problems behind closed doors, and it’s not necessarily his play that are keeping him out?



I wish I knew because it’s driving me insane. I know I started this blog because he is my favourite Canuck, I do not know him and I do not know everything about him. I can’t imagine how he feels right now with all these ups and downs of good games, a few slip ups in the next game and being a scratch. I know the constant questions people ask me because I have this blog frustrate and sadden me because I don’t know why it’s happening, I can imagine it’s got to be 10 times worse for Ballard himself.


This is what I do know.....




When the Canucks acquired Keith Ballard, in a trade, during the draft in June, I didn’t know all that much about him, I looked to my forum friends* for more knowledge. Slowly learning things and in training camp, during interviews he mentioned multiple times that he was excited to be in a huge hockey market, in a city that cares so much about hockey. I was instantly hooked.


I didn’t expect a whole lot at the beginning of the season, he had  just come off of off-season hip surgery. Something that kept him off his feet for part of the summer so he was behind on conditioning coming into training camp. I expected a slow start. He also had a new city, a new country, new team mates and becoming a father for the first time to get used to. Some is just part of the life of a professional hockey player, I guess.


His season did start off slow, and only got worse when he suffered a concussion on October 15th in a 4-1 loss to the LA Kings. He missed 5 games due to this and returned to the line up November 1st in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. However, he played just 4 games before sitting as a ‘healthy scratch’ for 4 games. It has since been said that he still wasn’t feeling 100% when he came back, partly due to just the lack of exercise while dealing with the concussion.


On February 7th he suffered yet another blow when only 2 minutes into a game against the Ottawa Senators he was slew footed by Milan Michalek and an MRI revealed a mild knee sprain and he was said to be out 3-4 weeks. He ended up being back sooner then expected missing only 6 games in a 15 day span. It was said at the time that he hadn’t taken a single day off, from the day he was injured he spent every day rehabbing his knee until his return against the Montreal Canadiens on February 22nd.


Through much of January through March he was paired with young Chris Tanev, a promising upcoming defencemen who ended up playing a much larger roll with the big club this year due to The Canucks blue line injury problems.  I said a few times that I couldn’t wait for a healthy blue line so that we could see what Ballard could do when he wasn’t playing a ‘babysitting’ roll being paired with Tanev. However, looking back now I can see how much Ballard actually shined in that roll, I even joked about Tanev being Ballard’s adopted son because they just worked so well together. I now miss this pairing, and would much rather see it then Alberts and Rome, although the physicality factor isn’t there with bean poll baby Tanev.


From there it just seemed to keep going down hill, not that it was ever all that high to begin with. Shortly after he came back from his knee injury he talked about how he still felt pain, and may feel pain for the rest of the season. Jason Botchford also reported that not long after coming back he was suffering from an unreported groin injury. It was around this time that everyone really started getting going on the Rome vs Ballard ice time, debates and jokes. I used to get in on it as well, more of a half joke because I honestly was not that concerned. I was positive that come the end of season and playoffs that we would see a big jump in Ballard’s play and that he would have a huge post season.

Boy was I wrong. Clearly, Ballard did not have a good season even beyond the concussion and knee problems. Looking back on past seasons his point total (7) was very low even taking into account games missed. I wonder if it’s possibly to do with the fact he just couldn’t get going for a long enough pace to feel comfortable. Certain players need set amounts of ice time and a long playing period to get comfortable, his play was broken up all season.


Now the playoffs are here and it’s a very critical time and since he didn’t have a great season, he is on a very short leash for things he can do wrong before he is scratched. After 3 games of below average hockey he was scratched for games 5 and 6 of the Blackhawks first round series. He came back and had a great game, albeit only 11 minutes TOI, in game 7  in which the Canucks won to move onto the second round. He had a great game 1, again with only 11 minutes TOI, in the Predators series and I thought maybe this was the breakout I had predicted. Then game 2 came and he did not play so well, he made a critical giveaway to Jordin Tootoo with the game tied and then was out of position on the OT goal allowing the Predators to score and tie the series 1-1.


I’m not going to debate who the  better players are, who deserves to be in because that has been beat to death. I’m going in a different direction, how all this must feel for Ballard. The big thing Alain Vigneault has said that money doesn’t determine who he plays, or how much he plays a certain player. Understandable, however, a player is paid based on how well they play and are expected to continue playing. How does Ballard feel being paid 4.2 million dollars, and he is sat in favour of a player who is paid $750,000? Does he feel that he has sunk down that much as a player? He gets to sit in the press box and watch Rome play average hockey and make the same, if not more, giveaways but still get played over him. Perhaps Rome gets more lee-way because he isn’t expected to be a star defencemen and these mistakes are more acceptable in the mind of the coaching staff. Overall, this has to be affecting his confidence in himself.


His confidence has to be pretty low, even though in a recent interview he says it hasn’t effected his confidence. When you watch interviews from the beginning of the season, or even  from just a month ago you see a happy, joking, sarcastic guy. You look at interviews over the past  couple weeks and you see someone who doesn’t look at the camera, has no jokes and is giving short Ryan Kesler like answers. Not the Keith Ballard I remember, and not the Keith Ballard I want to see. Some may attribute this to the playoffs being a more stressful important time, but take a look at Kevin Bieksa, he's actually become funnier as the playoffs progress. I think a lack in confidence in himself, brought on by the lack of confidence from the coaching staff is leading to him being a different player. He is nervous, and he’s not going to think he can do everything right, this will lead to the mistakes we see with shaky passes, bad give aways and bad penalties. 


It looks to be pretty clear that this will be the only season we see Ballard on the back of a Canucks jersey unless there are coaching changes. We all know which one is more likely. This makes me extremely sad as I know the potential Ballard has if given the proper opportunity and would love to see it with him still wearing a Canucks jersey next season. Part of me hopes he demands a trade at the end of the playoffs, and goes to a team where he can shine like he’s supposed to. I will always be a Canucks fan, they will always be my number 1, but I am also a huge Ballard fan and if he does go, I will take some liking to wherever he ends up.  The other part of me hopes that this is all just craziness and he will be back as one of the Canucks top 4 defenceman next year, playing a strong confident game and showing the coaching staff he can play the way



Look at this Video, I want to know what happened to *this* Keith Ballard.  I want that player back










*I feel the need to make it clear by forum friends, I do not mean canucks.com forums, never trust a word from there.


Finally, a bit of a disclaimer of sorts:

 Dear Keith,

 I know from reading Brad Kuzma and Brad Zeimer's articles it would almost contradict some things I've said here, so I may be completely wrong, or maybe you're just being completely professional about it. I didn't come up with these thoughts on my own, it came from many conversations and e-mail exchanges with your biggest supporters. We are all rooting for you, hope to see you back in a playoff game soon, and of course in a Canucks uniform next year. I really hope you're in next game, with the chance to eliminate the Predators on home ice and you can be down there celebrating with the team. Which might I add, is a game I am probably going to miss. Thank god for @canucksgame and twitter updates, I really do not want to miss the game but not much I can do.

Christine

I Hate Sweeping

It's true, I used to clean house's for a living, sweeping is pointless. Get a vacuum with a proper floor piece then get your lazy butt on your hands and knees and scrub that floor by hand, it's the only way your hard flooring will truly be clean. If I can do it with bum knees and being 9 months pregnant, you can do it.

I also didn't think the Canucks would sweep the Blackhawks. Ask anybody I talk to on a daily basis I have said all along that the Canucks will take it in 5 games. Even after seeing the way the Canucks were playing after the first 3 games I still said they wouldn't sweep. All day I had to bite my tongue as people on facebook and twitter were talking about Sweeping, showing pictures of brooms and all that crap. I had, however, said that the Canucks would lose game 3, not game 4 but I knew they wouldn't win both games in Chicago. Ask @ericjjohnson79 we've had a few discussions on this subject, I have to keep the hockey part of his brain alive since he's an Oilers fan...and well...we all know how they are (shh the last 2 games the Canucks played against them in the regular season really didn't happen, we were all having nightmares).

Anyway, about half way through the second last night I hoped on facebook and changed my status to

" Dear all you people and your sweep and broom talk...next time kindly shut the F*ck up"

 First off there is no denying it, I have the mouth of a trucker and if you don't like it..well...I'm sure you know what I'd tell you. I think sometimes it makes what I say seem a bit more serious then I intend..anyway,  I got quite a few responses mostly people agreeing and 'liking' of the status. This morning I woke up to a comment on it from one of my childhood friend's dad, it said:

"I was one who said that and it was my Opinion at the time, sometimes we are all wrong. At least i had the balls to say it! I hate all this hoccus pocuss bullshit that if you say something you jinx them WTF! Shut the f*ck up, I think not!"

It wasn't at all I thought people were jinxing it, I don't believe in that crap, I'm not superstitious. I was being realistic and knew the Canucks would not sweep the Blackhawks. Simple as that, I knew that even though the first 3 games may have suggested it the Blackhawks were not going to lose both games at home. Call me crazy, hate me, do what you want. It was my opinion, and it turned out to be right. I even had one person tell me this morning I'm not a true fan, because I didn't believe they were going to win it in 4?. Give your head a shake, obviously it would of been nice, and in a way I wished they had but what can you do.

In saying all that though, I did  not expect such a shit poor performance from the Canucks last night. I expected there to be some sort of fight to them, I expected a much closer game then 7-2. I do think everyone over reacting about this game needs calm down. It's one game, yes one bad game but they will bounce back. We've seen it a couple times through the season, not many times because they had such a good season and I think thats part of the problem with the fan base.  I guess if I take one thing away from this game it's how much I enjoy watching some boom boom from  Mr. Bieksa.

On a superstitious sort of front, I hate playoff beards because well... I hate facial hair in general, it makes me cringe. I do enjoy seeing the fans and even players competing and raising money for charity and how funny some of the players look as the playoffs roll along and the hair gets crazy. So I guess it's all good in the hood...ie?

 If you have managed to stay with me through all this rambling, I'm going to leave you with a quote I saw today.

"It's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and get back up"

This can be taken many different ways, but I am absolutely in love with this quote and I usually don't bother with that crap. I had a crappy night last night not even including the game so I'm taking it one way. I also have been in my share of fights, so I can take it literally. How do you take that? One response on twitter I received was

"So we better hope the boys get back up really hard and hit the living daylights out of the #Hawks? =)" @jadedkrystal 

Enjoy your day everyone.

Dear Manny

I'm not afraid to admit that I didn't know who you were when the Canucks signed you last summer. I did some research and was excited to see what you could do for the team this season. Unlike my mom, who 4 months after you signed asked when the Canucks acquired you, I noticed your impact from the start. I've always marvelled at how low you manage to get when taking a face off. Specially watching game day skates and you practising it, I've often wondered if I could get into that position without my fat butt bursting through my pants. (Kind of like the way I wondered and then had to see if it was possible to bend the way Keith Ballard's leg did when he had his injury In January, I'm not always the sharpest skate on the ice) I'm not going to try it, I value my pants.

It saddens me that even after players like Bieksa, Torres, Salo and Glass saw you get injured and are seeing the impact it's having on you, that none have decided to wear a visor. I guess its their own decision, as they've seen what can happen, they know the impact it can have on not only their ability to be able to continue their career, but everything outside it as well. Although, I guess really I'm torn on the whole debate on whether visors should be mandatory, I do understand the comfort level side and all that.  NHL players are grown men and can make their own decisions regarding things that may impact their own and their families lives. When Ohlund had his eye injury, I was young and didn't quite look at it the same way I do now that I have my own family to worry about and know how things can effect my children. I look at thing differently now.

You've had a great career between 5 different NHL teams and representing Canada 3 times in the past 12 years. I really hope we get to see more of you. You've had a career  most boys (and some men) dream of but never achieve. Your work off ice is something to be very proud of, I love that part of the reason you chose Vancouver was because of how active the organization is in the community. I think its amazing some of the things you have said, and done for the community in your short time in Vancouver, one being becoming a spokesperson for the Canucks Autism Network. The story I've heard Mike Gillis tell about seeing you in a restaurant in New York and quietly sneaking back after everyone had left to give a homeless person outside the restaurant a few dollars, just shows the kind of person you are. I will admit I didn't know exactly how involved you were in the community until I started to write this and was looking for information, and now I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes as I read all the stories.

I don't know if your injury will heal and allow you to play again, but of course I hope it will. Nobody deserves to have their career cut short like that, definitely not a person like you.  If  you are unable to return, I hope you realize what an amazing career you've had on and off the ice and I'm sure the off ice contributions will continue, because from what I've read you're that kind of guy.  If the Canucks go onto win the Stanley Cup this year like every Canucks fan is hoping, I hope you realize, and are proud of, what a big roll you played in the team being where it is today. I hope the Canucks can do it for you, Manny.

-Christine

Why aren't they playing me that Ballard?

Time for a little chat.

 I was looking through my stats for this site and found something interesting yesterday. It had been found during 2 separate google searches using " Why isn't Vancouver playing Ballard more?" and " Why does Ballard get so little ice time?". Aaron Rome has had up to 6-7 minutes more TOI, and some people don't get it.  So, a few observations I guess.

• It's been a long running 'joke' that Alain Vigneault  has some sort of man crush on Aaron Rome, which is why even though people see Ballard as the better player, Rome is getting the ice time.
• Running with that, it is said that Rome is allergic to wood, therefore unable to sit on the bench for long periods of time.
• It is also said that Rome has compromising pictures of Vigneault.
• It's also been said that Rome has been calling Vigneault dad for months.

Now lets get serious

• He  suffered a concussion  early in the season and was side lined. Upon returning from that concussion he was scratched 4 games later, he later admitted that he wasn't feeling 100%,  after the lack of exercise and such while being out with the concussion. (by the way, random fact,  he claims it's impossible to give 110%)
• Ballard sprained his knee in early February, he came back sooner then expected and everyone thought this was  a good thing. He had said somewhere(wish I could find the interview) that during this time he didn't have a single day off, from the night he hurt his knee to the time he played his first game back, he was getting treatment on his knee and working every single day. He also said that even though his knee is 'healed' he still felt pain, and could possibly for the remainder of the season. Could it possibly come out his knee is bugging him more then we thought? like he wasn't feeling great coming back from the concussion dealio ?
• It came out tonight that he has also been playing with a groin injury, the exact amount of games I do not know.
• He tweaked his knee again in tonights game, and claims to be fine. We shall see.

So, this doesn't explain it all, but may have some insight into it. After chatting with people today I wouldn't be opposed to sitting him again for a few days, because before the game I had mentioned his knee was probably still bugging him. Now that the groin injury has come to light and issue with his knee tonight, it probably wouldn't hurt to sit him a game or 2...but that wont happen.
thoughts?

Dear Kevin and Keith

Dear Kevin,

You've had some good chances this past weekend to do some pretty entertaining things, and you didn't do them. I was watching After Hours on Saturday night with Ryan Kesler and had an idea. You should of had some  KB3 stuff made up and walked back and forth behind Kesler, Weekes and Oake as much as possible. It would of been great. Then on Sunday at the skills competition you should of snuck out and pied Keith Ballard in the face, for the failed prank he tried on you. Then again I know your really busy at home with  your 2 little ones, and the broken foot and all. I expect better in the future.

I hope we have an understanding,
Christine

Dear Keith,

I am glad to see you listened and got your hair cut, although it was probably just due to the Skills competition and not wearing a helmet. Your daughter is A-freakin-dorable, not as cute as mine, but I'm a bit biased on that of course. Were you supposed to be in charge of pieing Chris Tanev and Cody Hodgson? you seem like the guy that would be, and it didn't happen. What the hell?. I was extremely  glad to see that beautiful hip check last game, but I also asked for a goal or 2 assists, I have to say I am very disappointed. I know you tried, but having a puck hit you and bounce back to Lucic who then scores does...not... count!. I expect better next game. I'll be happy with 1 assist. The Hip check better be there as well.

Thank you for understanding,
Christine

I promise to be serious again soon.

Dear Keith (part 2)

I Promise to be serious next post.

(yes I am aware he will never read this)

Dear Keith,

It is my understanding you are some what of a prankster and loved the *idea* of your prank on Kevin Bieksa. However, the hilarity of the failure may have been funnier then if the prank ever worked out.  I wish there was more pictures of it, or more were released anyway .  We need to change this, or get more of your stories out there. I just wanted to let you know we can team up, Im only 5 feet tall, I can fit almost anywhere.  We can also try out some of the other pranks that have been made up for you. Let me know, you’ll be out my way in April.


Sincerely,
Your shortest blogging fan

p.s. Kevin's pranks, as I see it, are pretty lame, he needs to step it up as well.

In all seriousness if I met him, I'd probably fall over. I'm the girl that puked after meeting Matt Cooke, who was my favourite player at the time. (I feel the need to make it clear he is no longer anywhere near my list of favourite players.) I Had a panic attack when meeting Markus Naslund and refused to talk to Mattias Ohlund once. Hell, Squire Barnes used to come to my work quite often and I could barely tell him how much his total was. Yup, that’s me, the shyest person you will ever meet. I won't even tell you the story of meeting one of my favourite actors, I was horrible.(Eric, if you're reading this, I want a do over. Maybe one that includes beer and hockey, I promise not to make you watch Joffrey Lupul and the rest of the Leafs).  I find it stupid and it's embarrassing but can’t help it, they are just regular people like you and I. When I was younger I dreamt of being the next “Shorty”, a female version, that never happened. I never believed in myself enough or got over my anxiety.  Instead I write this nonsense and faintly dream of what could have been.

Uh-oh

I may be having some issues here, I was thinking about the stuff I've written here and the Canucks games that have followed since then.

• I make a blog, use the name Ballard. Less then a week later, Keith Ballard gets injured.
• I write about Dan Hamhuis and his community work. That night he gets, what looks to be, injured.
• I have mentioned Ryan Kesler a few times, I am scared for him.
• I am even more scared for Kevin Bieksa. I've mentioned him a few times and he's a Canucks Defenceman, and we all know how thats going.

Oh Ballard My Ballard

Ill start off by saying I am not the most knowledgeable hockey fan around. I can’t analyze the game like some of the people out there, but my passion for the game is out of this world.  From a young age I loved everything hockey, everything Vancouver Canucks and everything Trevor Linden.  I am female, and love hockey for the game, but can admit that I find Kevin Bieksa  incredibly good looking.  I try to stick to the game, although I occasionally get dragged into the off ice rumour mill but never for long because I end up annoying myself.

It took me 2 years to finally let myself believe that Trevor Linden was in fact retired and I had to find a new ‘favourite’ player. I choose Alex Burrows, hes French, Im French, he runs his mouth, I run my mouth, he plays hockey, I..uh..watch hockey. Ok not quite sure why I choose him out of all the guys on my favourite team, but he was it, his jersey is proudly hanging in my closet.

Anyway, the other day I was bored and watching clips on Canucks.com. I focused in on Keith Ballard, something about the way he talks just makes me want to pick him up and stick him in my back pocket (don’t ask).  I decided to type his name into google and youtube just for something to do and had to laugh at the first things that come up.

1. He accidentally almost decapitated his own goalie
2. He once threw a puck into his own teams net
3. He "fought" Sidney Crosby

Now, what kind of random crazy stuff is that? There is also the fact that he has a beautiful hip check and isn’t really afraid to drop the gloves with anyone, even if it usually just ends up in a bear hug, dance move(has he ever won a fight? ;) ).  Yes I am aware there is far far more to him as a player then that.  He is officially my new favourite player, not sure why, the 3 things I mentioned still make me chuckle. I'm sick like that.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this blog, or if it will ever go anywhere. If it does, expect it to be a lot of random ramblings, not really any in depth analysis of the game, and probably a lot of talk about Trevor Linden. I am one of the most random people you will ever talk to.