Fort Lauderdale & Last Goodbyes

Me & The Number 1 Swede On The Way To Cape Cod
In September.

With only a couple of days left until we have to depart the luxury of Florida and home cooked meals, Jon and I took a trip down the coast to Fort Lauderdale. Not only is it a wonderful place to visit, but we had some unfinished business to take care of. Erik was staying there and unless we popped down to see him, we wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye before he went back to Sweden.  The funny thing is that Ice Hockey is big in Sweden and Erik wanted to see an NHL game whilst here, but the season has been in lockout since he arrived. It has just been announced that those in charge have come to an agreement with the teams so that it will start again this month, just as Erik's going home. 

Despite being a great guy, Erik is a pain in the backside when it comes to texting. His English is perfect, written and spoken, yet for some strange reason this all seems to go down the drain once on his phone. I'm not sure if it is because he forgets to change the auto correct from Swedish to English, or if he does it to annoy me, but it proves problematic; especially when you're trying to arrange plans. 

They Are Possible To Miss - Trust Me.

After long texts the previous night we got an address out of him and waited outside the hotel. It turns out that the address he gave us wasn't his address. The funny thing was that when we said we were outside, he said that he couldn't see us. No bloody wonder when you deliberately gave us the wrong address so we would be nearer the beach. Anyway, he told us to walk along the sea front until we came to two big plastic fish; my turn to be stupid now. We walked for a long time before deciding to get something to eat, I told him that I couldn't find the fish and that we were in such a restaurant. When he arrived he pointed out the fish right outside the window I was sat next to. 

It turns out that he has had a mixed three weeks in Florida. Having spent most of his time on the west coast of the state, the weather wasn't as good as what we have had here in West Palm. He was happy to see his girlfriend, albeit for a short time before she boarded a cruise with her parents (one he was meant to go on but his visa wouldn't allow him back in the country). He then diagnosed himself with a strain of Man-flu and prescribed himself time in bed.

Erik & I Rafting In Massachusetts 

Travelling around with Hongi, Stef, and another German in a rented car he feared for his life whenever Stef got behind the wheel. I've never traveled with her so can't personally comment, but it became a joke once she smashed into the back of a car when checking her blind spot for far too long. 

After we ate we spent some time on the beach. The beaches here are lovely yet we found ourselves in the gay part of the beach; great choice there Erik. Once the sun began to set we did a little pub crawl and found out that Fort Lauderdale would be a great place to have stayed. Lots of pubs and clubs, beautiful beaches, great atmosphere; similar to Miami but with less money. 

For Some Reason, Beaches In America Aren't Crowded Like
Any Other I've Been To.

We went to Hooters for tea but felt short changed when we were stuck behind a pillar blocking our view, and then served by a guy. Not happy. At 8.30, Jon and I said our goodbyes to Erik promising to meet up again in the future, whether it be in England, Sweden, or mainland Europe.

The problem that now faced, Jon and I was that there is no public transport to speak of to get us back to West Palm, the pubs were starting to get lively, and there were sun loungers on the beach. Trying our hardest to avoid the pubs we walked up and down the strip before being told of a deal '$10 to drink as much draft beer as you want from 9pm-4am' Now to us this sounded like a scam so we walked on, but then we came across another promoter selling the same deal. We couldn't resist the idea of this twice in a short space of time so we went and had a look finding out that it was in fact a real deal, not a scam. 

Some Memories Are Best Left Forgotten.

We walked in and it was a little dead but we didn't mind, we thought it would pick up. The problem was it didn't. There was meant to be a Beer Pong Tournament starting at 9pm but the owner wanted 20 teams, and so waited for the magic number. It never came, in fact people got annoyed waiting and left leaving me, Jon, and a couple of other lads as the only people in this massive pub/club. That was when the live entertainment came on, a rapper and a DJ who claimed that they don't care if they play in front of 2 or 200 people as this time next year they'll be famous. After hearing them, I can't say I have the same faith in them as they had in themselves. Even the toilet attendant left early, although he was asleep earlier on in the night anyway.

Looking Studious Sat On The Steps
At Harvard

After putting in a fair enough shift and carrying each other out of the pub we decided it be best to try and get a taxi home. Now, I don't know if I missed something because the taxi man was Haitian and I couldn't understand a word he said, but I said if he would do it for $80 off the clock to which he agreed; or so it seemed. When we set off I noticed the clock was on but thought nothing of it, I'm drunk and can't understand what he's saying anyway. When we finally arrived he charged us $98, now I fail to see how $80 off the clock became $98 on it? Jon said he cut a decent chunk off what it should have cost and I was too tired and lazy to argue. If the taxi drivers here are like home, you're never going to win.

For our final trip out in Florida it was good to see Erik and I wish him all the best back home in Sweden. CCSU just won't be the same without people thinking we're brothers, related, or simply getting the two of us mixed up. All the best mate. 

Connecticut Whale Vs Portland Pirates

At the beginning of the year, Erik and I were walking through the Student Centre when a local lad noticed that I was wearing my Rovers shirt. Coming over to us he asked if that was my alliance. Once I realised that he was asking if that's who I supported he told me that he supports Newcastle United, for the sole reason that he likes to drink Newcastle Brown Ale - good a reason as any I suppose. 

It turns out that this guy, Phil, is a Geography major and big sports fan. Doing Geography he was interested in things back in Sweden and England and offered to take us to an Ice Hockey game as that is his main sport. The problem at the moment is that the NHL is currently in a lockout due to disagreements with money and contracts. USA Today can probably explain things better than I:

The NHL and its locked out players have agreed to return to the bargaining table Monday to try to save the season.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The NHL and its locked out players will resume negotiating Monday to save the season.

• No positions have changed but the sides agree talking is better than nothing.

• More cancellations can be expected within a week if a new deal is not struck.

More than a week since the last set of failed negotiations, the NHL and the locked-out players' association will return to the bargaining table Monday night 6:22PM EST November 17. 2012 - NEW YORK -- So much for a two-week break.

Conversations that restarted Friday between NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr produced enough positive movement Saturday to set up another face-to-face meeting that the sides hope will lead to an agreement to save the hockey season.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman suggested to union executive director Donald Fehr on Thursday the sides take two weeks off from negotiations. The union maintained its desire to keep talking, and now bargaining is back on.

Owners and players met for several consecutive days last week in New York, but made little progress. Negotiations ended in an angry exchange last Friday, but bargaining resumed two days later, only to break off again in just over an hour.

Staying apart never appeared to be a good option, and the NHL now seems to agree.

All games through Nov. 30 have dropped from the schedule. More cancellations are likely within a week. The Winter Classic has been wiped out, the All-Star game is the next big event in jeopardy and the whole season could be lost, too, if a deal can't be hammered out.

The players have stuck to their position that negotiations are the only way to work out differences, and that they are willing to meet any time suggested by the NHL.

The NHL contends the union has submitted the same proposal multiple times without moving in the league's direction. The union says it has agreed to come down from receiving 57% of hockey-related revenues to a 50-50 split. The league wants that to go into effect in the first year of the agreement, while the union wants to get there gradually.

Seven years ago, after the entire 2004-05 season was lost to a lockout, the players' association accepted a salary-cap system for the first time. The union feels it shouldn't have to bear the brunt of the concessions now after league revenues reached a record high of more than $3 billion last season.

This 63-day lockout has claimed 327 regular-season games, and hope of a new deal and the start of the already-shortened season - likely of 68 games per team - on Dec. 1 has started to wane.

It is more than just finances preventing a deal. The disagreements over player contract terms have emerged as just as big an impasse.

The NHL wants to limit contracts to five years, make rules to prohibit back-diving contracts the league feels circumvent the salary cap, keep players ineligible for unrestricted free agency until they are 28 or have eight years of professional service time, cut entry-level deals to two years and make salary arbitration after five years.

Once those issues are settled, the sides will then have to figure out who will cover the financial damage the lockout will ultimately do to this season.

Players missed their third pay day of the season Thursday, and the clock is ticking toward more losses. The 2004-05 season was canceled in February. A lockout in 1995 ended in January, leading to a 48-game schedule.

So with an NHL game out of the question for the foreseeable future, we managed to go to an AHL game. This is practically like going to a Championship game rather than Premier League back home in England, minus the chance of promotion. The teams in this league tend to have affiliation to a NHL team and act as a feeder club. Traditionally the lower in standard you go the less talent is available, but the players are a lot rougher resulting in more fights - yey!!

Getting some free tickets for the Connecticut Whale we took our seats and managed to avoid the $2 beers for the duration of the offer being the end of the first period. I've always enjoyed watching Ice Hockey and used to always buy the PlayStation games when I was younger. I don't know if it's because it is similar to football in ways, but with the addition of big hits and fights. It wouldn't surprise me if there was more coverage at home, I'd watch it more often. This game, however, was a bit slow. Connecticut have this inability to take advantage of power plays, with numerous times in the game having this one man, and once a two man advantage, they still failed to convert. Phil was furious that with 5 on 3, Connecticut still failed to even test the keeper. Ironically, the Portland keeper had recently transferred from Connecticut where he played for three years (I think) and was absolute garbage. Jeers from the crowd every time he managed to make a save didn't seem to put him off his game as he put in a good performance, much to the surprise of the home support. 

In the first period Connecticut had a goal rightly chalked off despite the light above the goal flashing, as the goalkeeper managed to stop the puck on the line. Connecticut's goalkeeper was called into action a couple of times making some fantastic saves to keep the scoreline level. In the second period the second fight of the game ensued with the referee having to jump in after the Portland player hit the ice because the two continued to throw punches. With it still 0-0 going into the last period, Portland scored two in quick succession leaving an uphill climb for the home side. Managing to get a consolation in the final minutes resulted in an entertaining end to the game as Connecticut swapped their keeper for an outfield player looking for the equaliser. However, I can't see how they expected to score when they were 6v5 when they couldn't score when it was 5v3?  I can, however, now say that I have a favourite player: 

 

Michael Haley

Michael Haley - LW ^#18

DOB: 30/03/1986  

Shoots: L    

Height: 5-10  

Weight: 204
2011-12 Team(s): NY Islanders (NHL) & Bridgeport (AHL)
Hometown: Guelph, Ont.

Now this guy was in both fights and he wasn't even the player that was hit. At 5ft10in he may have a minor case of short man syndrome but whenever his team-mates get roughed up, he sprints across the ice and drops the gloves. Every cloud though, 2 fights - 2 Connecticut wins! I wonder if FIFA would ever consider allowing refereed fights in football?

The only video I could find, it seems to cut the end off though.