Buff with Cup in Thrasher blue – Bad karma or good omen?
First off, I’m going to say up front that today’s topic probably is much ado about nothing…mountains vs. molehills and all that. But seeing that we are still in the middle of August – we are still awaiting the latest chapter in “As The Kovalchuk Turns” – it seems as though this summer’s version of the “Will Tomas Kaberle Be Traded?” game will end up like last year’s – and, let’s face it, we have just done possible Thrashers lineups to-freakin’-death…I figured what the heck.
Dustin Byfuglien sports his new Thrashers jersey while spending his day with the Stanley Cup (TwitPix/Ben Hankinson)
Anywhoooo…have you seen these photos of Dustin Byfuglien spending his day with the Stanley Cup in his hometown of Roseau, Minnee-SOH-Tah. His agent Ben Hankinson posted them recently via TwitPic.
Nice shots. But at first glance at these photographs, something just didn’t seem ’right’ to me.
An NHL player…with the Stanley Cup…wearing a Thrashers jersey.
If nothing else, it certainly makes for an interesting visual.
Like so many others, I followed Byfuglien closely last spring when he and the Chicago Blackhawks made their successful push through the playoffs. And when my crackberry lit up in June informing me that he and a couple other Hawks had been traded for by Atlanta, I was thrilled.
But since that time, whenever I pictured Byfuglien in my mind…the mental image painted still had him in that classic red jersey of the Chicago Blackhawks. So having the first image of Buff in Thrashers blue being one of him holding Lord Stanley’s Cup triumphantly over his head was indeed eye-catching.
Also, I have to admit it’s nice to see that D-Buff is more than willing to sport his new colors during his special day with the Cup. I suppose one could take away from this the fact that he’s taking kindly to the thought of playing in Atlanta. Of course, knowing that so many of his Stanley Cup-winning teammates will be on hand to help him through any transition period has to be comforting.
Byfuglien's wearing of Thrasher blue while with the Stanley Cup is...
- Good omen: Makes for a good picture of future possibilities (47%, 136 Votes)
- Bad karma: It just isn't 'right' (22%, 65 Votes)
- What was that you said about mountains and molehills? (31%, 88 Votes)
Total Voters: 289
Loading ...Because of this maybe, just maybe, to some the sight of Buff with the Cup in Thrasher blue is good thing…a good omen, as it were. I mean, a player hoisting the Cup in an Atlanta jersey isn’t exactly something we in Thrasherville are accustomed to, if ya get my drift?
Uh-huh, maybe. But at the risk of sounding too much like a curmudgeon, let me tell you why these pictures have me reaching for some salt to toss over my left shoulder.
To me, there is something not quite ‘kosher’ about seeing your team’s jersey on a player lifting the Cup when he won it with another team. This is especially true when your team has never actually won the Cup. More correctly stated… never even been within sniffing distance of the Cup.
Now, I’m not really “superstitious” mind you. Oh sure, I may never wash my jersey when the Thrashers are playing well. And even when I do it’s the only item in the washer, it’s hung up to dry with the crest facing north toward the hockey Mecca of the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto. Also, I only eat at the Chick-Fil-A at CNN Center before home games. Oh yeah, and I must…MUST…MUST salute he The Blueland Chronicle boys when passing by their perch in section 317 on way to my ‘far closer to the ice than theirs’ seat. Plus, I may be prone to switching places on the couch if the Thrashers are not playing well during a road game. Oh, and if I wear a new item of clothing to a game and the Thrashers lose not only do I never wear it there again, it actually gets sent to Goodwill or The Salvation Army. That is, of course, if I don’t actually sacrifice it as a burn offering upon the alter to the hockey gods constructed in my back yard.
But I am NOT superstitious.
What I am, however, is a person who believes that there is something to this whole “karma” business. As such, I don’t like messing with it. And seeing this photo of Buff in a Thrashers jersey with the Stanley Cup… well, let’s just say I felt a disturbance in the force. The karma force.
…shudders…
Plus, I’m just not so sure this will sit well with the hockey gods. And since I can’t burn Byfuglien’s new #33 sweater on an altar to counter this possible breach of hockey etiquette, I would suggest that he and/or his agent send a few cases of Moosehead beer to them for appeasement purposes.
You know, just to be on the safe side.
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282 comments Add your comment
Red Light
August 17th, 2010
4:55 pm
That’s the last meeting of the year in Sunrise. But, Gulfstream has great races from Jan. 1 through April. The Florida Derby is the pinnacle but not until late March.
Red Light
August 17th, 2010
4:56 pm
Smoothie: Suggest skipping NBA then and go to Scarlett’s in Hallandale Beach near Gulfstream Park.
Smoothie
August 17th, 2010
5:15 pm
U dirty devil! Don’t think K-belle would approve of such a place. But I do like the little town of Hallandale. Great places to eat in and around the big traffic circle!
I guess I’m mildly curious to see the new arena that replaced the dump in which I was fortunate to see Timmy Duncan completely school Alonzo Mourning in ‘97 as a rookie for the Spurs. But alas, I’m sure tickets to see the Dywane LeBosh show will be too rich for my blood.
Joe Friday
August 17th, 2010
5:33 pm
Work here is done. I’m needed elsewhere now. I’m needed wherever outlaws rule the NHL, wherever innocent women and children are afraid to walk the streets, wherever a man cannot live in simple dignity, wherever a people cry out for justice.
Ah, screw it, where the white women at?
Smitty
August 17th, 2010
5:35 pm
Hey Wacko New Years in Montreal sounds like a great trip. Took a train trip to Montreal many years ago to see the French Connection and the Sabres spank the Canadiens. They told me I had a blast. I do remember the fans in Montreal loved Perreault and Martin because they played junior hockey there. However Santa Claus is taking my son to Buffalo for the world Junior Tournament
Badger Bob
August 17th, 2010
5:39 pm
Candygram for Sage
SomaAtl95
August 17th, 2010
5:41 pm
Watch out sage! Its that Land-Sheep again!
SomaAtl95
August 17th, 2010
5:57 pm
bbbaaahhhhhh! bbbbaaahhhhhhhhhh! Interesting talk I just had with Mr. Heat Miser (we work together) I was telling him I was proud to be a sheep and he looked at me for a second and said “well, thats better than being (someone that does immoral things with sheep)!”
I replied, “Nah, thats my wife!!”
He LOL’ed.
Gabby Johnson
August 17th, 2010
6:16 pm
http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/saddles/sounds/gibbersh.wav
Cliff Fletcher
August 17th, 2010
6:17 pm
Waco, Jan 1, 1996 I completed an inventory in Ganaoque, Ontario and decided to drive to Tronna through a blinding snowstorm. Take the train.
What is a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?
Cliff Fletcher
August 17th, 2010
6:33 pm
R.I.P. Bobby Thomson
ex-ex-STH
August 17th, 2010
7:17 pm
I’m not sure where this blog is heading….but I just saw where Tampa Bay just signed another forward! I already stated how I have a “man-crush” on the Duds but can we sign somebody!!! Who’s going to be that top 6 forward that needs to fill the lineup. When will Duds sign Litts and Bergy?? Just give us something to enjoy this hot steamy month of no hockey news!
kracker
August 17th, 2010
7:54 pm
Waco Kid/RL: I’m liking your New Year’s trip into the great frozen Canada. Tickets/accomadations?…..I wonder if Rawhide would be so good as to ask the charming Ms. Trixie to have the AJC Travel & Hockey Trip Booking Service to check on the availability of tickets and such. Do trains still have sleeper cars or berths? lol
Lord Stanley
August 17th, 2010
7:55 pm
STh who did TB sign
Gabby WTH??
R. Stroz
August 17th, 2010
8:08 pm
LIGHTNING SIGN FREE AGENT BERGENHEIM TO ONE-YEAR DEAL
Excuse the caps, I just copied the story from tsn.ca
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=330840
HookyBob
August 17th, 2010
8:10 pm
I thought Big Buf looked pretty good in a Thrashers jersey. Considering what else he could have worn,..I like his choice. I think he is onboard with being a Thrasher,..or good at PR.
Here’s a link for anyone who is feeling bored with no hockey news the last few days:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Six-rules-changes-we-re-excited-to-see-tested-at?urn=nhl-262996#remaining-content
Another thing that revs up in August is the Thrasher PR machine getting the fans ready for a potential break-out season. I’ve been sucked into this for many years and have finally taken Joe’s “show-me before I buy” stance this year. I am feeling good about the upcoming season,..but they’ve fooled me too many times for me to bite yet again.
One aspect of the PR is that Ramsay is supposed to be so great at teaching and bringing along all the great young talent we have. Didn’t we aslo hear that about Fraser, Hartley, & Anderson? I do feel good about new players and that it can move on from the “Ilya” period.
Dudley Wants To Do Right
August 17th, 2010
8:24 pm
I’d sign some more NHL players if Don could get some money from the Octotards.
Octotards
August 17th, 2010
8:45 pm
Dudley, didn’t Don tell you we were going to spend all of our money on the Hawks?
Dudley Wants To Do Right
August 17th, 2010
8:46 pm
Yes Octotards, but I thought Don meant the BlackHawks.
Octotards
August 17th, 2010
8:47 pm
Dudley, you don’t need to bring up the race card.
Dudley Wants To Do Right
August 17th, 2010
8:48 pm
Don, I quit. These are the dumbest rich guys I’ve ever met.
ex-ex-STH
August 17th, 2010
10:00 pm
Lord Stanley, Tampa just signed Bergenhiem to go along with re-signing St Louis,getting Gagne, Dom Moore, Brett Clark, Dan Ellis, Pavel Kubina and they just swapped back-up goalies Desjardins for Ramo w/ Montreal. They also signed player scouting guru Al Murray. This all happened since July 1!!!. I check the news wires everyday and haven’t heard a peep from Duds. Whas Up?!?!?
World Be Free
August 17th, 2010
10:06 pm
I don’t think Bergenhiem is going to tilt the balance of power in our division. Is Bergie’s deal 1 way or 2 way? if it’s a one wayt, then there goes a roster spot on the big club to a low impact guy. The Bolts have Gagne for one season, assuming he holds up physically.
Dudley Wants To Do Right
August 17th, 2010
10:09 pm
ASG, Show Me The Money
Cliff Fletcher
August 17th, 2010
10:50 pm
It looks like alotta teams are sitting on the sideline waiting for things to happen, including the Thrash.
Flames
August 17th, 2010
11:28 pm
I want everyone to trust me on this. This team is Dudley’s ship. He orchestrated the trades with the Blackhawks. He brought in both coaches. He is running the show. Smoothie- Duds is trying to lock both Little and Bergfors for several years. I have been looking down the hall way and his door has been shut for several days trying to work on somethings. I personally think DW is jealous. I still have a hunch that Duds isn’t through dealing. I think we at least sign another UFA.
SomaAtl95
August 17th, 2010
11:33 pm
Thank you Flames for that. I trust you, and I will repost what I said this afternoon…
Re: D-Wad – Take it with a grain of salt guys – how much of what he has said in the past decade have you guys honestly believed? Why choose to believe what he says now?
Cliff Fletcher
August 18th, 2010
7:50 am
Flames thanks for confirming what some of us believed to be true.
Can’t believe some people still believe Dudley would come here to be a lapdog, never has been anywhere he has been before.
GaVaHokie
August 18th, 2010
8:46 am
Thanks Flames… some people concern themselves too much with the business side of things.
It’s refreshing seeing veteran players like Buff and Mason coming to Atlanta with excitement instead of feeling like they’re in purgatory.
http://thrashers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=656&id=74581
Red Light
August 18th, 2010
8:55 am
List of remaining free agents. Any of these guys turn a mediocre team into a Cup Contender? Excited?
Who’s your top pick that you want Duds to sign? Why?
Artyukhin
Asham
Belanger
Comrie
Dawes
Donovan
Exelby
Fedetenko
Guerin
Hnidy
Kariya
Krajicek
Lisin
MacArthur
Mara
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Mitchell
Morrison
Niemi
Popovic
Satan
Schubert
Stempniak
Svatos
Theodore
Torres
Wellwood
World Be Free
August 18th, 2010
9:08 am
Red light-I beleive you stated you don’t like Asham, but he would be an asset here. More edge and you never have enough of that.
Schubert was good depth last season too. He was a good body checker in the defensive zone.
J.B.
August 18th, 2010
9:11 am
I’d be ok with tryout invites or one year cheapo contracts for:
Artyukhin
Asham
Comrie
Dawes
Fedetenko
Guerin
Stempniak
Torres
It’s been all but confirmed that Belanger is going back to the Caps. They need to move a forward out first; likely Fleichmann (sp?)
kracker
August 18th, 2010
9:17 am
Eight ex-Thrashers on that list!?
Maybe Schubert or Pop on a two-way and Stempniak.
J.B.
August 18th, 2010
9:18 am
actually, i’d be ok for 2-3 years on Artyukhin. I liked him here alot last year. Pretty sure Duds has cut ties with him though. Somebody told me a while back, he was likely going back to Russia.
kracker
August 18th, 2010
9:29 am
I didn’t include Arty or Belanger because I don’t see them back here.
GaVaHokie
August 18th, 2010
9:32 am
If Buff moves back to Defense, then Stempniak is the only one I like on that list… Wellwood, I would give a camp invite.
If Buff stays up front, then I’d like Asham for the 3rd and 4th line to swap out with Boults and Rissimiller.
I’d rather see what Burmistrov can do in camp playing with other smart players like Peverley and Little.
I don’t see much room on this roster without a trade.
Berg Antro Little
Kane Pevs Ladd
Eager Cormier Buff
Thorsy Slater Boults
Rissimiller
J.B.
August 18th, 2010
9:38 am
I like Burmistrov alot, but I just don’t think he’s going to make the roster this year. Maybe I’ll feel differently at training cap. We’ll see.
World Be Free
August 18th, 2010
9:49 am
Whoever signs here from this list will be on a 1 year contract only
Joe Friday
August 18th, 2010
9:52 am
I can’t believe some of you are so gullible that you think the club would allow some guy sitting “down the hall” from Dudley to post the inner workings of the team on the local rag’s message board. Oh wait, he’s doing it in secret without them knowing it, right? lol
Some of you read and believe Eklund as well, eh? P.T Barnum, indeed . . .
Alan R.
August 18th, 2010
9:53 am
Flames, thanks for confirming what most of us already assumed to be true. It amuses me how some people will sit here and call DW a liar, yet look at his interview with CViv and say Dudley is nothing but a lapdog because Waddell said he’s still orchestrating roster moves. I sincerely hope Dudley gets Little and Bergfors signed long-term.
Kracker, I’m not keen on bringing back Popovic. He was mediocre at best, and I don’t think he’s the sort of piece we need in Atlanta. He’d be okay for Chicago, though, as perhaps a depth D-man in the case of injuries.
Hokie, I’m not sure Whalewood would be a good fit here.
Smoothie
August 18th, 2010
9:54 am
Do NOT underestimate the talents and determination of one Johnny Burma!
kracker
August 18th, 2010
9:54 am
Chris Mason’s new goalie mask.
http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/gallerylanding.htm?id=16388
Cliff Fletcher
August 18th, 2010
9:56 am
JF
I just happen to agree with his assessment of who is making the player decisions. D-W is a non-factor when it comes to player moves, has been for some time. Stopped reading Eklund long ago.
Joe Friday
August 18th, 2010
9:58 am
“Any of these guys turn a mediocre team into a Cup Contender?”
Nope.
With all the turnover in our lineup, it’s going to be a build year. New coach, new system, multiple new players, new goalie, new youngsters cracking the lineup. There’s some sophomore slumps that we’ll have to get over. I’m ready to watch a different brand of hockey and see some youngs guys grow this year. No expectations beyond that. Playoffs are a possibility as there are many middling lineups like ours in the East, but no big moves to make us a contender immediately, and that’s smart. That can come next offseason after these guys have a year to gel together in the new system.
Rhytnmpenguin
August 18th, 2010
10:18 am
I like Mason’s new mask. =)
R. Stroz
August 18th, 2010
10:21 am
I’m in favor of offer sheets for darn good RFAs on teams with cap issues.
Put the screws to them.
glovesave29
August 18th, 2010
10:26 am
Kracker – that is a TERRIBLE mask. Even me, a lowly beer league goalie has better designs than that one. I have one that looks like I am in the mouth of a beast with blodshot eyes, bloody teeth and chromed wires, and the other looks like a cold pint of beer – complete with condensation droplets and a foaming head.
JF – build slowly. TOTALLY agree. Add parts wisely instead of a complete overhaul of the lineup. In hockey, more than any other sport, a good team is intuative. A good team is more often the sum of its parts. They know their team mates tendancies and react to them. Find out what good changes were made this year and add a few more next season. Let the chemistry build from within. There is enough here to challenge for the playoffs, perhaps even slide in a 7 or 8. One thing is certain, they are certainly waaaaay tougher. That is never a bad thing.
World Be Free
August 18th, 2010
10:30 am
Stroz-who do you have in mind with an offer sheet? Staal maybe?
That works both ways-seems like there’s “Gentleman’s Agreement” in the NHL unofficially restricting offer sheets. Dudley doesn’t seem like an offer sheet kinda guy, but maybe I am wrong.
Spud Webb
August 18th, 2010
10:33 am
Give me Comrie or Stempniak. I do like Asham or Artyukhin and would to have them on our 4th line.
ChippersLoveChild
August 18th, 2010
10:42 am
Gotta salute Buff for embracing the Thrashers and sporting the sweater… too often players want nothing to do with our franchise or are full of negative thoughts when they play here, counting down the days until they can eventually leave. I’m happy he did it, karma be damned.