Chadd

I figured I would do it next week. I'm in no hurry to work any games.

They should be showing the USA Hockey videos. In the past there have been videos on what should and should not be called. They may skip it for level one officials in an effort to not confuse them. I've worked games that finished with one (out of four) assistant coach and three skaters on the bench. Keep taking penalties and you keep going to the box, I don't care how many guys are already there.

There are a lot of refs that disagree with the new standards USA Hockey has been implementing and refuse to call penalties appropriately. It's also early in the season, many guys have not yet attended the seminars with all of the new information. Mine is tomorrow

Usually it's just a case of being impatient and lazy. But doing so quickly is very likely to overheat the steel. Even if someone was trying to get a banana profile, doing it that way would likely still cause problems.

Not fun Joel, I tagged one with my old Isuzu Rodeo and it damn near totaled the car.

1. People should complain if there is a problem with the product or service 2. You don't have to agree with them or the company 3. Some people take it too far and look petty and vindictive 4. Nobody ever reads past the third point anyway.

yes and no. It can give a false impression that everyone is pleased with the company, their product and their service. However, constantly grinding the same axe over and over again is annoying. I'd like to think people were smart enough to recognize the difference, but I could be overestimating their abilities.

The sides of the skate are extremely stiff and offer a lot of support. Just because you can squeeze them without your foot in them, doesn't mean they aren't stiff. The design is to allow forward movement and that is what allows you to squeeze the ankle. It really sounds like you were not fitted correctly as they should be molded completely to your foot. When a boot is molded to your foot with zero negative space, there is no movement and there is no "loose" feeling, no matter how tight the laces are.

Been back to work a month and a sudden switch from finishing at midnight to starting at 4AM this week. Not much sleep most nights and now I'm sick as a dog. As my doctor has told me repeatedly, this job is killing me.

You're so "Not quite proud of it" that you had to post it on the internet in the "sweet spot" topic? Sorry, I'm calling bullshit on that. You were bragging about drilling someone in a pickup game, again.

Felt "normal" skating tonight for the first time since last December. My hands aren't there and my legs aren't there and my lungs certainly aren't there, but for the first time in a long time, my head is there. Played well positionally, had an assist and a couple great passes. The only goal against me was off the faceoff and it wasn't my man. Can't wait to get back in shape and be a productive teammate again.

Robin Williams and George Carlin were two of the greats in comedy. I feel fortunate to have seen them both in their prime but I can't help but feel a little guilt for enjoying the humor that was driven by Williams' depression.

Indeed

Lace outside to in on those top eyelets and you don't need to have the boot fold over.

I only sharpen for friends now, volume is way down compared to what I used to do. I can see how it would be problematic for a regular operation.

HECC and CSA testing is ineffective and borders on being counterproductive. It focuses on impact dispersion, great if you have people skating all-out into the boards and are concerned with skull fractures but largely irrelevant when it comes to concussions. Obviously some of that impact dispersion is required but the focus should be more about cushioning the head and slowing the deceleration that comes with the impact. That is where the VA Tech testing has the potential to help reduce concussions.

Orange is a little softer than Ruby, don't recall using the pink. Ruby was always the standard in the shops that I worked, but I find that for doing a low volume of skates, I prefer the orange. I feel like I am able to get a nicer finish on the steel than with the Ruby.

We've lost a few guys from our team over the last couple years because of things like that. Honestly, I'm not far from putting it in my rearview mirror as well. I like the game, but way too many people that play this sport are the kind of people that give the sport a bad name.

I know a couple people that bought stuff from GFS and they've long since replaced the parts they got from there. It's factory direct, so you save a couple bucks, but it is still low quality stuff.

Wait, they're bad because the tests they do now don't work for hockey, but creating a new testing regime is also a bad idea?n The governing bodies have shown little enthusiasm for making the more radical changes needed to address the root cause of concussions, at least VA Tech is looking to push the envelope. Criticism of a "competitor" isn't flattering but is does explain your position. Having another party put money and research into the issue is almost always a good thing. In this case, they are looking at the problem from a different angle and I think that is a good thing. The current standards have resulted in helmets that are a step backwards in concussion prevention in a number of ways.

That's why I live the external systems like Easton and CCM have used.

Not scientific at all, for so many reasons. It's my understanding that MN is often one of the last places to migrate to new tech in hockey, I've been told that by several different manufacturers. Yes, there is a noticeable difference if you understand the concept. Even a lot of people that don't understand feel the difference and can't explain it. I will be merging this topic into the existing FBV topic, no need for a different topic on this.

I had 25 or so flights in the last week, the obnoxious ones are on every single flight.

The only bad thing is to dismiss it out of hand, as you are doing. That is the real BS. Are there questionable aspects of the new testing regimen? Absolutely. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to move forward.

I disagree, I think the cushioning aspect is much more applicable than the current impact dispersion testing.