Happy Birthday Chris M...and Don Cherry-isms!

To any DiGis who might see young Chris Manning in the near future, please pass along birthday wishes from Uncle Brucie and Aunt Dolores.

As for Big Ed and Carolyn, all I can say is bravo! That was one of the coolest birthday gifts ever. Actually, the one thing that brought a smile to my face yesterday was reading about young Chris' hockey birthday adventure. That boy is always wonderfully happy, even on a bad day, I suppose, and to envision his added joy at heading up to see the Devils and Islanders with papa for his birthday really warmed my insides, which needed some warming yesterday. I assume Big Ed got quite a kick out of the day, too.

I can remember going to the Meadowlands to watch the Devils several times in the short while I worked in New York for Dean Witter, and also whenever I would have to go back to Manhattan. This was hardly top-level entertainment in those days, but for me it was almost heaven. I'd ride a bus from the Port Authority terminal out to the Meadowlands, usually with about 15 or 20 of the same hockey degenerates, and I could walk up and buy a great ticket, which didn't cost much (they really used to crack down on scalpers at the Devils games, but I don't suspect there were many of them in the mid '80s anyway for a game vs. the Whalers, when it would have definitely been a buyer's market). Those were the days the Devils were really bad and would draw about 6000 per game, and it was much easier than getting tickets to watch the Rangers (which I did a few times), and more convenient than going out to the island to watch the Islanders (which I never did). It was no problem buying tickets right behind the goal, behind the plexiglass. Hardly anyone would be in the section, and when I would ask for tickets down low, the ticket seller would often have a clever response. "We can put you so far down there that you can open the door for the goal judge without getting up from your seat" or "You can almost tap Chico (Resch, then at the end of the line as the Devils' beleaguered GK) on the shoulder from this seat." Safe to say it would not be as easy to walk up and buy those same seats today.

As for Don Cherry, reference the attached link in the title, and when you have a moment, check out some of the video highlights from his coach's corner show on Hockey Night in Canada. Talk about colorful! The January 21 piece is a classic, espcially at the end, when Cherry rails against the Canadian athletes who are balking at carrying the good 'ol maple leaf flag at the Winter Olympics. You tell 'em, Don!