Nice quiet night at Wyman's #5.  It's been a long time, and I appreciate the welcome.  And when I say welcome, I mean having the bar filled with rabid Blackhawks fans, getting started a little late and then having them all leave.  Except that one guy, who was sitting all by himself shouting 'Go 'Hawks!' every two minutes and then proceeded to drown his sorrows.  I have memories of having to drown my sorrows after my team lost a playoff game.  It's been a while.   But remember the heady days when the Avalanche made the playoffs as a matter of fact.  Good times.  Good times.

I don't really mind that we started late, even.  I love hockey.  I have since I can remember.  I have a memory of the first time my dad got really mad at me.  I was 5 or 6 and the way he punished me was he told me he'd been to a garage sale and seen a pair of hockey gloves my size, and didn't get them for me.  The therapy continues.  No… he made it up to me by taking me to see the Rockies, the first time I saw an NHL team.  For you young'ins out there, the Rockies were originally an NHL team.  They came to Denver in 1976.  They were formally the '74 expansion team the Kansas City Scouts.  At the time, they were not the only pro hockey kids on the block.  The Denver Spurs had been in Denver since 1968, and although the AVS are said to be the first championship team in Denver, it's actually the Spurs, who won the Western Hockey League championship, the Lester Patrick Cup, in 1972. 

By the time the Scouts/Rockies came to town, the Spurs were in the NHL's rival league, the World Hockey Association, and they left Denver by 1976.  As a quick aside, the Avalanche have a direct link to the WHA, as the Quebec Nordiques were one of the four teams that merged with the NHL when the league folded in 1979.  A couple other interesting facts about the WHA is that it was the WHA was the first sport to sign a player to a million dollar contract, when the Winnipeg Jet's signed Bobby Hull as player/coach in 1972.  The WHL is also the reason that Wayne Grezky was never the Calder trophy winner.  He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, when they were a WHA team, a year before they also joined the NHL, so he had played for a full year as a pro and was ineligible.  So there you go. 

Anyway.. the Rockies…  I saw them in 1981 or so.  I can't remember who we played, but I have a suspicion it may have been the New York Islanders.  I also remember that the great mustachioed one- Lanny McDonald was the Captain.  I am so glad he finally got a cup with Calgary.  This was the season after Don Cherry coached the team, but I also still remember the billboard on I-25 that read 'Come to the Fights and See a Hockey Game Break Out.'  That's the title of my book on professional hockey in Denver, so dibs!   We can also thank the Rockies for making Rock & Roll Part 2 a staple of sports.

 The Rockies left Denver in 1982, and went to New Jersey.  New Jersey?!?  Get a rope… sorry…   Denver had a few minor league teams come and go between 1982 and the 1995.  I remember seeing the Colorado Flames and the Denver Rangers play at the Denver Coliseum and the of course the Denver Grizzlies played at McNichols Arena.  The Grizzlies also won a championship, when they won the Turner Cup in their only year in Denver, in 1995.  But 1995 is really remembered for the year that the Avalanche came to town.  I have to admit that I felt a little bad for the people of Quebec City that year.  The Nordiques had been building that team for years and when all the pieces fell into place, a Stanley was inevitable.  Granted that final piece was Patrick Roy, and he was obtained in the famous 'Le Trade' by Avalanche Pierre Lacroix… still…  That was nothing compared to the 2001 Cip.  By then the Avalanche were truly and fully my team, but we met my old team- the Colorado Rockies, now in New Jersey red and black/green.  A tough seven game series, that was, but in the end, I was on Larimer Street celebrating our second Cup.  I left as soon as the agro began.  So, no… I don't mind a delay because of hockey. 

Let’s all take a trip to the popcorn festival this summer! I think it would be quite an enjoyable experience for us all.

Do you all remember when Vincent D’Onofrio was in Adventures in Babysitting?  He began as the mean mechanic, but his heart melted in the end.

Our junk food round was interesting, but the real question tonight was whether man or woman came first? 

Am I the only one who thinks that root beer floats are disgusting? (Yes – says Susan) I do find Icee’s delicious though.

I wonder what animal Snoop will decide to be next? I think he should be Snoop Platypus.

You know what was annoying tonight?  The guy at the bar that kept shouting out the answers, and the other guy asking me to repeat questions when he wasn’t even playing!  I put a stop to both of those!

Today is quizzer Daren’s birthday and he stole the cherry out of my drink.  (Happy birthday Daren)

You were all asking me who the scary looking bald chick was in Round 5. That “chick” was none other than Corey Feldman!

Poor Lindsay Lohan is being denied her Aderall in rehab. It’s a sad, sad world.

Who’s Robert DiNaro?!

As you all know, quizzer Van was on Jeopardy! He still owes me a trampoline. The good news is that he got the question about Jeopardy right.  I was worried.

Well, that’s all for now.  My hand hurts. Thanks again Susan! (You’re welcome!)

Hugs, Kisses and Miller Moths!

Tonight I had a disagreement with quizzer Heather about a Phil Collins song. She seemed to think that “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” was the Phil Collins song about Billy losing your number or some shit. Either way, she was wrong, and I won.

Quizzer Chris just told us that he is a pedophile.

Susan confessed to me tonight that she likes the Miley Cyrus song “Party in the USA.”  While I could tell her that she is stupid, I really can’t.  You see, I happen to like “The Climb.” So there you have it. We all have skeletons in our closets.

Speaking of Miley Cyrus, I decided to play “Achy Breaky Heart” tonight. Bartender Sean was none too pleased.

I wouldn’t mind if Kanye West crawled under a rock and disappeared forever. He can hang out there with Bruno Mars.

“Beans are a good source of fiber. They are also a good source of farts.” Says quizzer Chris, the pedophile.

And then there was Porn for the Blind. That was an exciting round. I know all of you have been to the website by now.

Your QM loves Meatloaf. And she will do anything for love, but she won’t do that.

Hugs, Kisses and Lollipops!

I­­­

• The Royal Hilltop - Aurora 8:00 PM
• Darcy's Bistro & Pub - Denver 8:30 PM
• Prickly Pete's - Denver 8:00 PM
• The Whiskey Bar - Denver 7:00 PM
• The Cheeky Monk - Westminster 9:00 PM
• The Ram (Meridian) - Meridian 9:00 PM
• Lisa's Restaurant & Lounge - Augusta 7:30 PM
• Opal Divine's (Marina) - Austin 10:00 PM
• Opal Divine's (Penn Field) - Austin 10:00 PM