Poker Bastard is to Pedro Feliz as Mad Cal is to Patrick Rissmiller.

I know Rissmiller scored the game winning goal for the Sharks in OT of game 2, but he was also directly responsible for giving up the game tying goal at the end of regulation. I just don't like the guy. (Maybe not as much as Dan hates Pedro, but close.) Not personally, just as a hockey player. I think he does nothing all the time. Despite this fact, Dan and I managed to work our way into a fairly nice ticket deal that allowed us to watch the Sharks take game 3 in their best of 7 Stanley Cup Western Conference Quarterfinals Playoff Series. Rissmiller, as usual, did nothing of value to contribute to the team's victory.

One thing that annoys me about going to a sporting arena (other than the $8 drinks) is the noise level inside. Whether it's basketball or hockey, they have to crank up the music to full blast and play something during every single break in the game, even if it is just a 15 second stoppage of play.

I think it's cool when the fans just get into the flow of a game and start cheering or making noise to support their team. I hate it when the arena folks think they have to encourage it. During tonight's game, there were at least 71 scoreboard messages asking the fans to make some noise. Of course, all the fans around us start yelling and screaming because there is nothing that gets people more excited than trying to reach the '100' on the fake decibel meter.

If I ever become commissioner of a sport, the only way the 'make some noise' messages will be allowed at a major sports venue is if the signs are being held up by cheerleaders. And not the fat guy cheerleaders either. They will be banned.
So will the old guy foul ball-dudes some baseball teams like to employ. At Dodger Stadium last weekend, one of those old guys got knocked out by a ball hitting him in the head after a carom off the wall. The Giants better stop putting the old farts out there before one of them gets smoked by a hard liner. They have enough old guys playing the field as it is.