RIP Oscar Tavares

I've spent the better part of the past two hours randomly tearing up, staring at my computer, searching my head for the right words to say to comfort some of my friends, and the right words to say on here.

But seriously, what feels correct when someone younger than you loses their life? How do you tell someone who shared a field with them a short while ago that everything will be okay? 

And how emotional has this week been? Between the shootings in Ottawa and being in the middle of watching a field full of guys living their dream when finding out a young talent has been taken too early...man.

I didn't know Oscar Taveras. I know guys that play with him. I know guys that used to play with him. I know guys that simply know him because the baseball world really is like a huge family in most aspects. I've never heard a negative thing about him. 

I know that he had fun playing a game he loved. It was evident in watching him play. I know that he was very talented, and that his bat had a huge upside. And as is evidenced by his teammates tweets today, I know that he was someone that people enjoyed to be around.

And I know that his life was cut far too short. 

I had another blog post intended for today. It's mostly written, but publishing it doesn't seem right, so I'll hold it for tomorrow. 

I know this is short, but the only other thing I have to say is that, Taveras' legacy will live on through his teammates that never take for granted stepping on that field because life is fragile, and nothing is guaranteed. It is my hope that no matter how many years your career lasts, that feeling of gratitude never fades, and that people getting to live their dreams take a moment to soak that in every once in a while.

My heart and my prayers are with Oscars family, friends, and teammates, and those of his girlfriend as well. My hope is that they are both resting easy in the presence of our ever faithful God and His glory. 

XOXO

When A "Goon" Goes Too Far...

I don't write about hockey a ton on here because I'm from Texas and the vast majority of the people that I KNOW read this are from Texas, and therefore, know little to none about hockey.


But I love the sport. October is one of my favorite months just for the sole fact of postseason baseball, NFL/College football, and the start of hockey season.


I fully intended on writing about what a joke I think Thursday Night Football is, but then tonight, in an AHL hockey game I saw something that made me FURIOUS.


To catch those of you who do not watch hockey up, the AHL is essentially the AAA level for hockey. It's a league of teams that are affiliated with NHL teams, and used as a development tool for players. 


It was neat two years ago because we still had a team in Houston, and during the lockout, all of the young guys who could safely be optioned to their AHL affiliates (a complicated stipulation that would take far too long to explain), were sent down. 


Meaning that two years ago when OKC (AHL Affiliate of Edmonton) came to Houston, I got to see 3 first overall picks, and 2 additional outstanding players, sitting 4 rows off the ice. There were some guys there from Edmonton who told us that it was cheaper for them to fly to Houston, buy tickets to the game, and pay for a hotel, that it would be for them to score those same seats in Edmonton, if by some slim chance in hell tickets that good came up on the resale market.


In short, the AHL is a really neat way to see the NHL's talent of tomorrow. I miss having a team near me. 


Anywho, in tonights Adirondack/Rochester game a fight broke out between Trevor Gillies (ADK) and William Carrier (ROC). And by fight I mean, Gillies started wailing on Carrier's face (it was rather one sided), takes him to the ice, and then actually pick Carriers head up, and slams it back onto the ice.


Thank God hockey players wear helmets.


Think I'm exaggerating? Here's the video.






In the world today, where we fully understand the repercussions of head injuries, this is inexcusable. As a remotely decent human being...it's inexcusable.


Don't get me wrong. I think there's a place for fighting in hockey. I believe in it as a tactic, and I love that it's the kind of sport where you can put someone in their place for playing a little dirty. 


I don't like cheap or dirty shots, and Trevor Gillies is a master at them. (Still don't believe me? Do a quick youtube search of "Trevor Gillies Fights." The Tangradi elbow to the face is just one of many.)


I don't think there's a place for them in any sport. Very few things make me more mad than an illegal chop block in football. It's a play DESIGNED to hurt people.


And picking up someone's head and slamming it into a surface, helmeted or not, is a move that I expect from a thug on the Houston streets. Not a guy who has more than likely worked his ass off to play the game he loves for a living.


What scares me the most about situations like this is the league wide fallout. How often do we see one person ruin it for the bunch? At what point does the NHL/AHL feel like they have to draw a line about the "enforcers" and "goons" of the game. 


Seriously, at what point do you trust that fighting isn't crossing a line. That referee had his hands on the guy, trying to separate them, and then that move. How do you trust that a goon on the ice is just going to use fighting as a tactic, and not potentially damage a guy for the rest of his life.


Hockey is dangerous enough, heck all sports are dangerous enough, without intent to harm in there. We've all seen freak accidents that have set players back for months. I don't want to know a sports world where people are intentionally dirty all the time. You'll find that most of the teams or players that I hate across all of sports tend to play dirty. 


Trevor Gillies has a history of this type of behavior. IF he has a job after tomorrow, I will be thoroughly disappointed.


XOXO