Them Punks From Syracuse

While they aren't the Bulldogs, the Syracuse Crunch will honour Paul Newman by retiring Reg Dunlop's Chiefs jersey this weekend. It is a wonderful gesture (and a guaranteed sell-out) and every hockey team should do the same as Slap Shot's impact was universal. Dunlop, you don't stink!

R.I.P. Reg

As it was match day here in England, the news of Paul Newman's death escaped me until now but I felt obligated to pop up and say something. As you can see by the quote of the week feature that I have had on this blog from the start, I love(d) Slap Shot. It was a great movie with a lotta laughs and hockey, most of which came courtesy of a certain Paul Newman. I also loved The Hustler and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I also liked Newman's salad dressing and his racing team, but not loved, but that doesn't matter. The fact is that Reg Dunlop is gone, but at least we have him on film so we can go back to it to enjoy him and his antics again and again (and again and again and again and again and even make up some new ones).

The really creepy thing about Newman's passing is that I was killing time Thursday evening in a book store and I picked up his biography of all things to see what was said about Slap Shot and the next day he passed.

*shudder* Creepy.

His bio is worth reading because it explains how Al Pacino was considered for the Dunlop role but Newman knew how to skate. Wild, huh? Could you imagine Serpico in Slap Shot?? Eesh.

The job went to Newman and Slap Shot became another great movie among the plethora that was graced by his skilled acting. RIP Reg and don't worry, we'll keep passing along your motivational words even though you are gone ...

Old time hockey!!

5 Ways He'd Change The NHL

Puck Daddy is making its way around the world with their list of five things, but somehow they have omitted a very important person's opinion - the former player/coach of the Charlestown Chiefs, Reggie Dunlop. I looked him up and got his list ... here's what he had to say:

Thanks kid for asking me. That Wysh-whatever-the-hell-his-name-is didn't give me a call but I got good ideas, ya know? Look what I did for the Chiefs! Champions of the Federal League! How about that? Sure the team went down the tubes, but the mill closed, what can you do? You'd better watch out, 'cause that kind of thing could hit the NHL, what with the the economy and stuff. Now, I never saw myself in one of those bullshit nine-to-five jobs but I can brainstorm with the best of 'em. The Minnesota Night Hawks are kicking some heads in, and that's 'cause of ole Reg here. So here is how I do it:

1- Personal bounties on the head of opposing players. Fans go f**kin' wild when your boys are out to kill.

2- Let 'em know there's gonna be blood in there, you know, better advertising. That old bastard McGrath never listened but put some tits in there! Sure, I'm sexually liberated, I don't care who's gay, but tits are good, tits draw! If people aren't showin' up to Saturday night games, threaten to move and put a 'For Sale' sign right on the poster, let 'em know you mean business! And those writers who follow the team? The good ones like Dickie Dunn, they can help you out by capturing the spirit of the thing.

3- No fashion shows, no radiothons, no recycled jockstraps. Do it up first class all the way.

4 - Get some good guys in stripes out there. They aren't running some goddamn dance floor, they are supposed to be callin' the damn game!

5- And play old time hockey. Toe Blake, Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore ... we aren't clowns, we are hockey players. Sure folks come out to see freaks in f**kin' sideshows but it's still hockey. Play like the greats and they will come.

You stick with Reg. I'm on a roll ...