That Aud Smell

And it's a long read! I didn't get through even half of it, I think.

This USA Today story about how the Dallas Stars control (and apparently profit from?) youth hockey in North Texas is frickin' wild. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2025/08/01/nhl-dallas-stars-texas-youth-hockey-monopoly/84289184007/

I'm as nervous as any Sabres fan about Levi's final form -- goalies are so weird and Adams is a funking doofus -- but this is fair. The guy should get the entire year in Roch to continue to build his game.

one-way deal just means he gets paid his NHL money when in the A, right? that would help explain, perhaps, why it's less than a million in NHL dollars.

I'll leave the political stuff alone. I've met Poloncarz many times. I've never gotten a "holier than thou" energy off him. Ironically, he's an awkward person when it comes to just normal interactions -- he's not a natural retail politician.

Poloncarz is a competent, diligent elected official. I don't always agree with his policies, but I respect his work as county exec. As indicated above, I just find him to be a cringey goober. He's got more than a little Michael Scott (of The Office) in him.

Sure. It's not like I'm a fan. I think he's a cringey goober. But ... oil and slime out of every pore seems a bit much.

thought it was gonna be a compare and contrast with the infamous RJ helmet (face shield) trope.

it was incredible. having ray emery in goal helped matters, of course.

I have not been following this closely and so am confused. The County's out? The County's in? The County is in some state of limbo? Poloncarz was there. And he has some post-press conference Tweets.

Grier had a secondary assist on that goal. The primary went to Ottawa’s zamboni driver who left that fu**ing puddle in the middle of one team’s zone.

I love the positivity. I will add: There seems to be a LOT of good, high vibes for a player who - IIRC from what I just read - is 23 years old and has played fewer than 70 games in the NHL.

Sir! Sir! It came from me.

Preach

that’s the spirit! #nuance

full marks - i chortled

ON THE OTHER HAND, I have just now perused some apparently credible accounts (Twitter, Reddit) from people who say they knew him in and around the Clearwater area. And I will say: There are a lot of people out there who will recount in great detail why they feel that Terry Bollea was a jerk.

RIP. Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated (complex?) legacy, I guess. One thing's for sure: The dude was an absolutely phenomenal entertainer. IMO, he was incredible to behold and electric to experience when at the peak of his powers. A force of nature.

Same. And I used to dance around like a fool to it, iirc. I had no idea he was from Roch. RIP.

I enjoy Twitter and can’t quit it. But it will occasionally cause a burp like this.

Nah man, that's not unfair. There's a lil shade being thrown there. "Trad" is in part used with regard to the "trad wife" movement which is ... something. "Trad" in general is just a cheeky, young person's way of saying "sorta old fashioned" and a societal outlier in this increasingly secular, cynical world. And such. And as I acknowledged above, there's part of my wondering that involves (sorta sh1tty) speculation that these young #followersofJesus husbands and fathers are not optimal for developing vibes in an NHL locker room. But I don't know that. I don't know anything here. This is a thought project.

I likewise have no issue with it - in a vacuum. It does make me wonder a bit, though. As I've said. And by "wonder," I don't mean I'm actually judging and concluding. Like I'm actually wondering.