Another Gladiator Gone Too Soon: R.I.P. Chris Simon
Sean MurphyThe hockey enforcer, formerly known as the Goon, is an endangered species in professional hockey. In many regards, that's probably for the best, all around. But...it's complicated. (And this is…
THE BLACKENED BLUES, One Poem at a Time: Joey Kocur’s Fist
I’m happy to announce that my first poetry collection, The Blackened Blues, is available wherever you buy books (yes, *wherever*, so you don’t have to put more money in Rocket Man’s…
National Poetry Month #7: Joey Kocur’s Fist
April, according to this poet, is the cruelest month. April, according to these lovers of poetry, is National Poetry Month, and the only cruelty is metaphorical (which isn’t to say T.S. Eliot was being…
Poem: Joey Kocur’s Fist
Gratitude for Sport Literate for publishing this one (2016). Joey Kocur’s Fist Imagine a piano pounded to the point where its ivory bones are chipped. The black keys leaking…
The Glorious Redemption of the Great Eight
5/24/18: 20 years ago was fun, if a bit of a fluke, courtesy of some top teams getting knocked out to expedite our unlikely run. And even then, it was…
The 50 Greatest Hockey Enforcer Names of All Time
I. Hockey rules, eh? ARE YOU WATCHING THE hockey playoffs? Don’t worry, no one else is either. Except for the relative handful of us who understand it’s the greatest, if least…
The Boogeyman, Goonery and Five for Fighting
The ongoing three-part series of the life and untimely death of NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard is an essential piece of reading for any hockey fan. And it's a timely…
Do You Believe In Miracles? (Revisited)
On Feb. 22, 1980, in a stunning upset, the United States Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid, N.Y., 4-to-3. (The U.S. team went on to win the…
On Hockey, Hooligans, Soccer and The Death of a Clown
After my post yesterday, "Back To The Future With Old Time Hockey?", wherein I acknowledged --and celebrated-- the recent trend of accountability and team-toughness in our most misunderstood sport, it…
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Vol. 2
Can we top last week? That's up for the Internet (and the people who appear on it) to determine: Il Buono: Hope Sandoval. I'd love to take credit for…