Who's tough? Who's not?

A reprint of my Aug 27 SlapShots column from the Woodford Sun.

Watching the Woodford County High School girls’ soccer team battle Assumption last week, one thing really stood out to me. These Jacket girls will not back down from a physical challenge.

Amy Morford was particularly aggressive, banging Rocket players and obviously getting under their skin. Teammate Taylor Kelly called Morford, “a beast.” But Kelly did some bumping and banging of her own, and Hannah Greenwell also played a physical brand of soccer.

Then there’s Katrina Ott. I’ve seen her play hurt more often than not. Several times during the game against Assumption, Ott went down hard, throwing her body around with abandon. Coach McIver has commented on more than one occasion that Ott plays like a boy. He means it as a compliment.

I’m not going to lie. I liked the physicality and toughness the Jackets brought to the field. I hope they continue to play with that kind of intensity. I think it will intimidate other teams and pay dividends in tight games, as long as they can keep that aggressiveness under control.

Yeah, keep up the physical play, girls. I like it – a lot.

I can’t help it; it’s the hockey player in me.

Every sport develops its own culture and ethos. Expectations evolve, and players reinforce and pass along those unspoken standards in the locker room.

And in hockey, toughness is king. I mean, have you ever heard of a wimpy hockey player?

I’ve spent many years playing hockey, and I’ve certainly adopted toughness as a virtue. Hockey players don’t back down. Hockey players play hurt. And hockey players certainly don’t whine and complain.

So when I see any team play with grit, determination and toughness, it immediately gains my respect.

Yes, Yellow Jacket girls – you’ve got my respect.

While we’re on the subject of toughness, what’s wrong with baseball players?

An article in the Herald-Leader caught my eye the other day. Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Aaron Harang is out for the season after undergoing an appendectomy.

Out for the season? Seriously?

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericcson had his appendix surgically removed during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He played – FOUR DAYS LATER. By the way, he scored a goal in his first game back too.

Maybe I’m missing something.

Perhaps pitching a baseball is more physically demanding than swinging a hockey stick and getting banged into the boards. Maybe something in the throwing motion makes it impossible to pitch after appendix removal. (Any readers in the medical field feel free to help me out here.) Perhaps standing in the dugout gnawing sunflower seeds is more difficult than hurtling up the ice at 30 miles-per-hour.

Or maybe Harang is just a sissy.

Quick Shots

The Yellow Jacket football team looked pretty good in its season opener against South Oldham. The defense seemed much improved over last year. The Dragons really only managed one sustained drive. Woodford also looked more physical than last year. I really liked the way the defensive backs finished their tackles. Junior Wayne White in particular laid some nice hits. Quarterback Ryan Garrahan looked shaky in the first half, but settled down and made some nice throws in the second. It seemed like the game was faster in Garrahan’s mind than it was in reality in the early going. He often rushed throws when he had plenty of time. But he seemed to gain confidence in his line as the game wore on, and did a much better job of standing in the pocket and stepping into his throws. It will be interesting watching this team evolve as the season goes on. They definitely have a strong foundation to build on.

Former Yellow Jacket soccer player Stephanie Patterson earned a starting forward spot at the Air Force Academy.

Kyle Busch got a much needed win at Bristol, edging out Mark Martin in the Sharpie 500. For his effort, the driver of the number 18 got showered with boos. Busch gets a lot of grief from NASCAR fans and I can understand it to some degree. But he’s my favorite driver for two reasons. Number one, he’s one heck of a race car driver and number two, it gets under other NASCAR fans skin when I talk up Busch. Yes, he can come across as miserable and whiney. Yes, his aggressive racing sometimes gets him into trouble on the track. But it’s only because he hates to lose, and that I can respect. Martin summed up the fan hatred for Busch pretty well. “He has won a lot of races. I'll tell you, anybody that wins a whole lot gets booed. Jeff Gordon never did anything, in my opinion, to get booed. And he got booed because he won a lot. That's part of the sport.”

Quote of the Week

“Donte Stallworth kills somebody – 30 days in jail. Michael Vick kills dogs – 17 months in jail. Plaxico Burress shoots himself – two years in jail…our legal system seems to be working normally.” –Tyler Crane

Puck to the head

This week I’m shooting a whole slew of pucks at all of the University of Louisville fans throwing rocks at University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari after the NCAA forced Memphis to vacate its 2007-2008 season. The punishment stems from allegations that Calipari’s former team’s freshman phenom, Derrick Rose, had a stand-in take his SAT the second time around. Cardinal fans should probably focus on the goings-on in their own house. I’m just sayin’.

Are you a mucker and grinder?

A reprint of my June 11 column published in the Woodford Sun.

We call them muckers and grinders.

They play on the third and fourth lines. They can step up when a star player goes down. They have specific assignments: make a big hit, kill a penalty, or play a puck possession game while the top lines rest up.

They don’t attract the attention or have the name recognition of the superstars, but they play no less an important role on their teams. Nobody expects them to put up big numbers, but they can change the tone of a game with a physical shift, or a timely goal.

The coach just needs them to step up when they’re needed.

The muckers and grinders may not grab the headlines week after week, but without them, no team will succeed. They often play the role of difference maker, but the casual fan might not even notice.

In other sports, we call them role players – the backup linebacker that plays special teams, the defensive forward coming off the bench on the basketball team, the pinch hitter on the baseball squad.

Sometimes these athletes step up when a star goes down and become superstars themselves. The name Tom Brady comes to mind. But more often they labor in relative obscurity their entire careers.

You probably wouldn’t recognize most of their names.

Thanks in part to the muckers and grinders, the Detroit Red Wings have a shot at hoisting the Stanley Cup. They just need to win one of the next two games.

Of course, every time that storied trophy passes from hand to hand in celebration, more than a few of those raised arms belong to the role players.

Wings’ stars like Kris Draper, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom have all missed games in the playoffs due to injury, but in their absence, players like 22-year-old Darren Helm slid in and made their presence known. Helm leads the playoffs with 110 hits. Valtteri Filppula stepped up when Detroit’s leading scorer Datsyuk went down, scoring three goals and notching 13 assists. Justin Abdelkader scored two playoff goals. The first was his first NHL goal – ever.

"It's not about the number of minutes anyone plays. It's not about who gets the goals or assists. It's all about winning,” Helm said.

These guys may not ever reach superstar status. But they play an integral role on their team.

And they will reap the same reward as their headline grabbing teammates if they win the championship - their names will also be forever etched in the Stanley Cup.

I’m proud to say that I’m a mucker and a grinder. I was never higher than number three on the goalie depth chart at the University of South Florida, but I was there. I played my role and I played it to the best of my ability. I’m not writing for the New York Times, but I write to the best of my ability, filling my role here at The Sun and seeking excellence in all I do.

The truth is, most of us fall into the mucker and grinder category. We do our jobs and live our lives in relative obscurity. But the Detroit Red Wings – the team – should remind us that obscurity does not mean that we lack importance. It does not diminish our value. And it certainly doesn’t mean the world doesn’t need us.

We have a role and ladies and gentlemen, that role is important. What you do matters. You have significance. So do what you do the best that you can. Do it will passion and seek excellence.

Be who you were created to be.

Quick Shots

As I’ve watched the Stanley Cup playoffs, I’ve found myself wondering who will fill the mucker and grinder roles for the University of Kentucky basketball team this fall. John Calipari’s recruiting class is amazing. Lots of superstar talent. Lost of big names. But can they all play together and fill all of the roles that a team must fill in order to win? Or will they slide into the chaos of clashing egos? That remains to be seen.

Franklin County won the 11th Region Softball Championship and marched to the quarterfinals of the KHSAA State Softball Tournament before falling to Allen County-Scottsville. I couldn’t help but think, “what if?” as I followed the Yellow Jackets’ rivals’ progress through the tourney. Woodford County beat the Flyers three times this season. Franklin County’s success says a lot for the strength of the 41st District where most pundits considered Western Hills the top-dog.

The wrong bird won the Belmont and I think there was a lesson there for jockey Calvin Borel. Probably better to save the running of the mouth for after the race.

Quote of the Week

“I just wish you all would just quit ticking him off…so he has to come back and keep proving stuff. I think he answered a lot of questions today.”
– Jim Furyk after Tiger Woods came back to win the Memorial on June 7. Skeptics have questioned whether Woods was ready to defend his U.S. Open Championship in a couple of weeks.

Puck to the Head

This week’s puck flies at the head of Joe Bologna for comping UK basketball player meals. I just don’t think we should be increasing these kids’ sense of entitlement.