The Mother of Invention: Overcoming Adversity to Win a Hobey

Overcoming adversity on the road to a Black Ice Championship. With Ma Nature being the fickle wench she can be, the teams that overcome adverse conditions will probably be the ones bringing home the Hobey this year. It is touch and go with the weather and the Black Ice committee may make some changes in scheduling if needs be. Teams that are flexible and adjust their games to changing conditions are most likely the teams that will succeed. Conditions may favor teams that can operate in less than ideal conditions. This being said; The good news is: The Show Will Go On! Brownie does have a plan B however: That is to play games on the underside of the ice.

Teams with the best swimmers are more likely to win games. That is why Black Ice Pond Hockey analyst Barry Smellnose is picking Patrick's Pub to win the +50 Division this weekend. Patricks is led by Dan "Too Late" Early who we all remember swimming the incredible distance from the sinking "Duke of Lancaster" all the way to the eastern seaboard in record time. Smellnose said, "We all know the guy can swim, BUT, can he swim with the puck?" We will find out. If the weather is cold and the top of the ice is where the tournament is played, then Barry picks the Cheers Chiefs to win the +50 division. "These guys play best when the ice is at it's worst", said Smellnose. "Their clutch n grab style has been successful for them on the ice and in the showers." For the prognostication (sounds like a medical procedure: turn your head and cough) of the +35 Division, the Pucking Files turn to Jimmy The Geek. Jimmy has shown that like hitting a baseball, you only have to get it right a third of the time to be considered an expert. "I am going with a long shot for this one. Although many are talking repeat for Capitol City Diner, I think dropping the word "Diner" from the team's name is a bad omen. It's like dropping "Mighty" from the Ducks. O.K., so they did go on to win a Stanley Cup after they did that, but that was just dumb luck. The newly named Capitol City Hockey Club has added a new member to their roster. I think they should have stuck with the six they won with last year. Why? Because Andy "BTO" Bachmann is going to get less ice time; that's why!", explained Geek. "The other concern is the health of the "Cummy" Brothers. Mike opted to wait to have knee surgery until after the season and Jim isn't the same player he once was before the questionable hit from "Brownie" landed him in Concord Hospital for more than a month. His erratic behavior is believed to be the result of withdrawals from pain meds and spanish soap operas. All this is figuring into my prediction of an upset", said Jimmy the Geek. "I think the Oak Street Boozers come in under the radar and suprise a lot of teams and they will be bringing home the Hobey." Barry Smellnose disagrees with Geeks choice. "I see Cheers Oral Surgery taking home Hobey this year", said Smellnose. "After their embarrassing showing last year, they have re-dedicated themselves to winning. The team had too many over paid and over served superstars last year. Many donated large portions of their salary to "Hockey Fights Obesity" which is why "Joe" Farrelly hasn't got paid for Thursday Night Hockey. The team took the pledge to abstain from alcohol (between periods) and that could serve them better than a three armed bartender. Look for the cream to rise to the top." One thing that both men agree upon is the Budmen. They both picked the Budmen to make it back to the finals and fall short once again. "They are an aging team", explained Barry Smellnose. "They're time was last year and they let it slip away. One year older ,but wiser? Close, but more like; one year older Budwiser!" There are some new teams coming in with unknown variables, so the possibility of an undiscovered champion is always possible.
With last night's rain and today's warm temperature's, Kite set his crew to drilling. "We want to put the water back in the pond, not on top of it." So when this ice crew drills, they like to be on top. That's fine with us!