NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: It's the continuation of this (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9093973#post9093973) thread, but it is NOT Earth II-only. The basis for this thread is that the new Roman Governor of Vancouver goes to a hockey game, and realizing hockey's inherent qualities (such as hitting and fighting), figures that it'd be a big sell in Rome itself, because Romans LOVE physical slugfests (c'mon, this was the society that invented the gladiators. Hockey was almost MADE for them). It'll eventually evolve into this thing where the Flavian Amphitheatre hosts an exhibition game where anyone can attend.

For the record, I'll be using the Vancouver Canucks for this, as well as several RL NHL players (though NOT current Canucks- they're taken from my Canucks I constructed in NHL 2002). Now, in this case, the Canucks are not millionaires- in my situation, Canada was completely destroyed and, with the nation plunged into anarchy, the National Hockey League and its revenues (and thus the players' salary base) were gutted, meaning the players needed day jobs. Also, the Canucks only play provincially (because of border problems), and, while they've been the top team in all of British Columbia for a while, nobody has won the Stanley Cup because no one knows where it is. Keep that in mind because that will play a large part later.

IC:

Lucius Martius Rodemari was having a long day. The new Governor of Vancouver, Rodemari decided that today he was going to check out Vancouver's diverse cultural scene to better understand the city's culture, and part of that scene was hockey. Rodemari had never heard of hockey before (as the game itself only enjoyed a tiny following in the Alps), but was told by a local that he just might like the game if he gave it a chance. The game featured the local Canucks playing a Provincial regular season game against the Nanimo Rovers, with Vancouver needing a victory in the game to secure first overall in British Columbia and thus the league crown. A day earlier they defeated the Burnaby Rockets 6-1 to win the Provincial Cup.

At 7:30PM local time, Rodemari made his way into General Motors Place. As he entered, he looked at disgust at the various concession stands and stores that dotted the arena. "They call THIS an arena?" he stammered as he entered the arena. "This looks more like a shopping mall than an arena- and, worse, I had to pay to get in here. Hrmph."

By 8:00, Rodemari eventually made it to his lower-level seat, located just five rows up behind the penalty box. He had a spectacular view of the ice, but the grimace on his face still wasn't coming off. "I hope the game is better than this pastel mall," he said to himself as he continued to examine the ice.

At 8:30, the game finally began. The two teams set themselves up at the faceoff circle at centre ice, with Vancouver's Joe Sakic and Nanimo's Steve Guolla directly at the centre. The referee, holding the puck in his hand, dropped the puck and the game began. Guolla surprisingly won the faceoff and immediately passed the puck to his right winger Chris Clark. However, Clark's attempt at a cross-ice pass to the left winger Benoit Gratton failed, leaving the Canucks' Per-Johan Axelsson with the puck.

Axelsson managed to skate to the blueline before he met up with Nanimo's Darren Rumble. Rumble proceeded to give Axelsson a crushing hip check, which caused Rodemari to sit up and take notice. "Well, they allow hitting in this game- and how! This could be something I'll learn to like."

After Rumble's bodycheck, the Rovers quickly moved the puck into the Canucks' defensive zone, dumping the puck in after getting to centre ice. Once the puck was dumped in, the Rovers set themselves up all over Vancouver's defensive zone, giving the kind of coverage Rodemari had seen in textbooks regarding Roman military tactics. After some deft passing, Clark managed to fire it home past Cancuks' goalie Sean Burke, giving Nanimo a 1-0 lead.

The Rovers managed to keep their one-goal lead midway into the first period, when they were given the first power play of the night. Then, Vancouver's tough defenceman Scott Stevens was called for cross-checking Clark, a move that infuriated Rodemari who felt the referee was letting the game turn into a "sissy sport". With Stevens in the penalty box, the Rovers exacted revenge, scoring twice to hand Vancouver a 3-0 deficit at the intermission.

"Pathetic, just pathetic," Rodemari said to himself, comments which were overheard. "Exactly," said a man sitting next to him. "The Canucks are showing no heart. They need somebody to get into a fight with one of the Rovers to inject some life into their game."

Rodemari's ears suddenly perked up. "Fight?" he said. All he could think about was images of the gladiators back in Rome duking it out in an all-out slugfest, the kind of activity that kept common Romans on their feet. "As in two players fighting each other?"

"Yeah, fight," said the man.
"With their sticks and skates, kicking and screaming until no one's left standing?"
"Well, no, they drop the gloves. Do you come out often?" The man seemed perplexed that Rodemari had never even heard of a hockey fight.
"Well, no. I'm new to the area." Rodemari's excitement was curtailed a little bit, but the idea of boxing on ice tantalized him.
"Anyway, yeah, they fight. With their gloves off. The idea is to beat the other guy up so that you're actually inspired to play, and these Canucks aren't."
Rodemari didn't care about that- all he cared about was the fight. He just had to see a fight. Besides, it'd justify the C8 (OOC: $80 USD) he'd paid to get in.

Eventually, the second period got underway. The Canucks, playing very lackadisial, slumped to a 5-1 deficit, with Sakic finally getting the Canucks on the scoreboard at 16:21 of the period. However, shortly after Sakic scored, the Canucks allowed a breakaway where Gratton potted his first of the night, giving Nanimo a 6-1 lead.

It was at that point when the game's first fight broke out. Stevens, upset at his team's lack of energy (and with Clark, who'd already incurred three high-sticking penalties by that point), decided to drop the gloves and challenge Clark to a fight. At this stage, Rodemari leapt from his seat (as did the rest of the arena) to cheer on the fight, growing more depraved with bloodlust as the fight carried on. Eventually, Stevens knocked Clark to the ice amidst a thunderous applause from the crowd, none more enthusiastic than Rodemari's. "This is definitely what I came to see!" he shouted with glee, standing and clapping with excitement after watching the fight.

Stevens' antics ignited the Canucks, who went on a tear afterwards to ring up three quick goals by 8:21 of the second to reduce Nanimo's lead to 6-4. By the end of the second, the Canucks successfully reduced Nanimo's lead to 6-5, creating genuine excitement in the crowd, including Rodemari. Of course, he didn't care that Vancouver was losing- he was still enthused about the fight, and the fact that Stevens himself flattened several Nanimo players who tried to get across Vancouver's blueline.

The game eventually ended 8-6 in Vancouver's favour, with Brett Hull scoring the winner midway through the third and Mattias Ohlund scoring an empty-net goal to seal the win and the Provincial title. However, Rodemari did not care about the game's goal-scorers- he wanted to talk to Stevens. After the game, Rodemari caught up with Stevens as he was exiting GM Place with Sakic.

"Mr. Stevens, what an incredible performance you gave today," said Rodemari, trying to remain formal but revealing his inner excitement. "The way you hit people- man, it's such a thrill!"

"Thank you," said Stevens. "Say, aren't you the Governor?"

"Yes I am, and I give hockey my Governorial stamp of approval. You guys play such a great game!" Rodemari finally let out his excitement, with an ear to ear grin covering his face.

Stevens and Sakic then walked away into the night, both confused at how such a noble politician could get so, well, "fanatical". Of course, Rodemari had his reasons- he'd just seen a fantastic game where there was tons of hitting and a few fights, with a game that combined physicality and speed to perfection. "The Romans are going to love this!" he thought, as his limosuine drove back to his residence. "Tommorw, I call the Aedile and make those players millionaires!"

TAG!

I like! So that's why you have fights in hockey. I've learned something about hockey today. Keep up the good work!

LOL this is funny RomeW.

Most amusing...

:headbang:

:p

TAG!

I like! So that's why you have fights in hockey. I've learned something about hockey today. Keep up the good work!

OOC: Thank you. That's the general idea- physical play in hockey is usually meant as an emotional boost, since it can ignite the bench and (if the hitter plays for the home team) the home crowd. Thus, fighting and big hits become tactical ploys, and, besides, if you had a pair of huge defencemen that can (and do) level anyone that they'd come across, it'd instill a lot of fear in the opposition.

Now, I should point out that is the North American way- European hockey is different (at least it used to be). In Europe, where soccer is king, a lot more emphasis is placed on passing and speed, and thus physical play is almost non-existant. It should also be noted that in European hockey fights are rare, because physical play itself is rare. Thus, some see European hockey as evidence that hockey itself does not need extreme physical plays such as fights (and, besides, football can be just as physical but fights are rare there), while others argue that fighting devolves the game into a carnival sideshow that takes away from hockey's intrinsic beauties. I personally would rather watch a hockey game without fights, but I understand that if hockey can get that physical then fights are almost inevitable. However, knowing that in North America that hockey can get incredibly violent (through fights and the emphasis on physical play) and knowing that the ancient Romans themselves loved physical sports (one story has a Roman crowd forcing several Greek flutists to box because they couldn't be bothered with hearing them play music), I figure that North American hockey would be a big sell in Rome itself, where this thread is going.

IC:

Rodemari woke up bright and early the next day at 6AM. He barely slept that night because he was still excited about the hockey game- he just knew that it'd be a huge sell in Rome, so in his hasted, he called Aedile Videllia Catrania to organize an exhibition game in Rome itself.

"Hello? I hope this is important- I'm having lunch right now," said Catrania.
"Hi, Videllia? We need to do something- and fast. I've just discovered this great game called 'hockey' and I just HAVE to bring it over to Rome. The Romans will LOVE it, I swear," said an excited Rodemari, despite the fact he still didn't have his morning coffee.
"Really? Can I ask what time is it over there?" Catrania exhaspirated.
"It's 6AM, why?"
"What are you doing up at 6AM? Don't you have any sense?"
"Well, yeah, but I just had to tell you about the game. This game I went to- Vancouver and Nanimo- was just brilliant. There was tons of physical play, lots of checking, and a few brawls too. It's just like the gladiators back home, only that they have sticks instead of swords."
Catrania sighed. She wasn't a fan of the gladiators because they were very violent and cringed at the thought of another bloodsport being imported to Rome, but figured that if it would become an economic boon for Rome, it just might be worth it.
"Okay, I'm in. Reluctantly," she said.
"Great!" said Rodemari, barely concealing his excitement. "So when will the game be held?"
"I think we need to plan that," said Catrania.

Rodemari and Catrania then spent the next half hour planning the event themselves, getting on and off the phone repeatedly so that Catrania could check out the Flavian Amphitheatre's event schedule. Once they picked a date, they sent a message to the Vancouver Canucks informing them that they'd been invited to play in the exhibition game and got in touch with some British Columbia referees so that a Roman team of gladiators could be constructed to face off against the Canucks. She then issued the following statement to the world:

******Official and Open Communique To The World From The Roman Government******

On July 1(OOC: NOT in RL time), we will be holding an exhibition game of ice hockey at the famed Flavian Amphitheatre. The purposes of this game will be to advertise this game to a greater audience, one that we hope that will include the whole world. The game will be broadcast live on international television by the famed hockey announcers Bob Cole and Harry Neale who will be brought in from Canada to do the English-language feed, as well as by Patrimus Maxarmus who will do the Latin feed. Your nations are free to send broadcasters if they want for your own feeds.

The game itself will feature the Vancouver Canucks, Canadian champions for over five straight years, against a team of Roman gladiators, who have been taught all the rules of ice hockey. We hope you will be in attendance.

Signed,
Videllia Catrania,
Aedile for the Imperium Romanum
June 21, MMV

Game publicity photo: Scott Stevens examines the developing play in front of him.

http://www.geocities.com/dadothegreat2003/scottstevens.png

(OOC Note: if I need to remove the above photo, let me know- the base photo is from the Canadian Olympic Association which allows its photos to be redistributed for personal, non-commercial use only, and I figure this site is non-commercial, but if there's problems let me know and I'll correct it)

OOC: Just a special note: the terms “patrician” and “plebeian” are still used in Rome to describe the “upper” and “middle” classes respectively, although they are no longer political groupings. Also, the “Canada” that appears here refers simply to British Columbia, because “British Columbia” makes no sense when the territory is actually Roman.

Also, I'm starting the game itself tommorow (RL time), but people will still be free to attend after it starts. For now, post that you'll accept the invitation and come to the game, and, if you want, you can write up an article for the game itself.

Romans and “This Thing Called ‘Hockey’”
The Roman Free Press, June 21, 2005
(Editorial)

Scott Stevens. Get used to that name because, in the coming weeks, you’ll be hearing a lot of it, so much so that you may even turn off your TV in disgust.

Stevens, a dock worker by day and an ice hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks at night (well, evening, but you get the idea), is being billed as the Canucks’ star player as the Canucks come to Rome itself for a highly-billed “exhibition” game at the famed Flavian Amphitheatre. The Amphitheatre, which has been used for figure skating in the past when Rome hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960 (you remember- that day when supposedly upright Romans threw particles onto the ice because the figure skaters wouldn’t box), will again be retrofitted with ice, but this time with a much thicker ice surface and the whole arena open to the public (free of charge) in an attempt to “sell” the game of hockey to sports-mad Romans.

Given the context, Stevens’ presence as the main attraction is hardly surprising- he’s the leader in hits on the Canucks and is renowned in hockey circles as one of the hardest hitting players of all-time, the perfect choice for a Roman public known to fall head over heels in love with anything extremely physical, such as rugby and the now world-renowned gladiators. In fact, according to sources hockey’s main selling point happens to be the endorsement “fighting” has within the game, attempting to paint hockey players as people who are skilled boxers too.

To be fair, the game’s promoters are making references to those points of hockey in an attempt to distance the game from American football, whose all-too-frequent stoppages lulled the Plebeians to sleep because they couldn’t be bothered to watch a sport where the action comes in five-second intervals and most of the game is “played” with the players just talking to each other. Plus, there’s also an attempt to advertise the fact that hockey does penalize its more burlesque acts, such as using the stick as a weapon, which is meant to ease the concerns of hockey being painted as simply “too violent”. Those same concerns were ones that were raised that prevented American wrestling from successfully crossing over into the Roman mainstream and which forced several rule changes over 1500 years ago (such as using wooden or blunt swords) so that the gladiatorial combats don’t result in deaths.

Of course, one wonders why hockey’s finer points- such as speed, agility and finesse, known to those who have seen it played to sparse crowds in the Alps- are being overlooked in an attempt to turn the game into something more akin to those gladiatorial combats. True, hockey has several physical features that would make gladiator fans howl in joy, but hockey also has plenty of features that make it more than just a physical slugfest, sharing many characteristics with soccer (such as speed and grace). Soccer, long the world’s most played sport, has only managed to really take hold on the Patrician class of Rome, not because of wealth (in fact, soccer remains one of the least expensive sports to see in Rome itself) but because the majority of Plebeians still can’t be bothered with a sport that isn’t violent at least on some level. Hockey has the potential to appeal to both, much how rugby has, and, while its finer points are being advertised so that the Plebs don’t think it’s just wrestling or football all over again, the advertisements still focus almost obsessively on hockey’s physical aspects, and we think this does a grave injustice to a sport that can be understood on a far deeper level. Plus, it’s not like the Canucks don’t have skilled skaters who can score just as well as Stevens can check- Brett Hull and Joe Sakic have built considerable careers as offensive playmakers and goal-scorers, and while they’ll be the key cogs when Vancouver plays a Roman team of gladiators on July 1, you don’t hear much about them, unless it’s in some greater context where Stevens himself is included.

So Lucius Martius Rodemari- the Governor of Vancouver and the one who is responsible for importing the game here- has a choice: either he can choose to simply advertise hockey as “gladiators on ice” (which is what he’s doing) or he can make hockey a distinct sport altogether, one that combines the physical toughness of the gladiators but also the inner beauties of soccer, the way that hockey should be remembered.

Emperor Tyruss A. Buben of The Imperial Empire of Buben had been a long fan of the game of Hockey since his fathers first and only trip to Canada before the days of leadership change. The speed and finese coupled with the brute strengh impressed him enough to convince his father to begin small leauges around the nation upon there return for the devolopment of future players for a possiable national leauge.

The Emperor through was all growen up now and so was the leauge's started many years ago. All sorts of junior levels established produce decent quailty forwards and defencemen with NHL(?) scouts only now starting to look at the talent.

Word of the game being brought to Rome sparked intrest within the Emperor for his leauges once more. Seeing many Gladitor fights from feeds beemed all around the world, he figured the combo of the two was a natural pairing, and hoped to be there in person for the historic game. That said his staff prepare a personal request to view the game and to talk with Roman leadership after the game.

NHL(?) scouts

OOC: Well, one of the main goals of this thread is that eventually a worldwide professional league will be founded, because in this scenario the National Hockey League has been dissolved due to political problems in Canada and the US (long story short, you can't have a huge, continent-wide sports league if the nations that house it are in turmoil). It's part of a Roman reconstruction program in British Columbia.

Anyway, for your part, those scouts can simply be Canadian, because the NHL teams are all still in existence despite the fact they have no league. Other than that, good work.

*bump* to get people to come to the biggest game of the century!

The Cottish ambassador would like to attend the hockey game along with his son and two security guards.

OOC: Awww. I have a national Ice Hockey team, and I thought we could play. Phooey....

IC: Offical Response by the Grand Duke of Neo-Carthage, Alphonse of Zarzis

I will personally attend this game.

The Empire of Layarteb will provide a representative to the game.

OOC: Awww. I have a national Ice Hockey team, and I thought we could play. Phooey....

IC: Offical Response by the Grand Duke of Neo-Carthage, Alphonse of Zarzis

I will personally attend this game.

OOC: Don't worry, I'll open this up to club teams after the game- so you'll get to play. I promise.

The Game- Rome HC vs. The Vancouver Canucks

The Arrival

As the Canucks entered the famed Flavian Amphitheatre, they were awestruck. “This truly is more magnificent in person,” said centre Joe Sakic. “You hear so much about it on TV but it’s nothing compared to what it’s like in real life.”

“I know,” said defenseman Scott Stevens having a look around. All around them the sights of the Amphitheatre caught their eyes. The statues of the Emperors! The gold-plated façade on the walls! The spoils of wars past! The Amphitheatre was grander the more they thought about it, with the realization that perhaps millions of gladiators had fought in this very building for over two millennia.

One spoil especially caught Stevens’ eye: it was a Jewish menorah, with underneath it a plaque describing the significance of its presence. “In front of you is but a fragment of the spoils that Emperor Titus I brought back with him from Jerusalem following the famed First Jewish Revolt in AD 70. It has stood in the Amphitheatre ever since (except for a brief period when the Vandals had it after the Sack of Rome in 455), and serves as a reminder of the very beginnings that this famed building originated.

“However, in the aftermath of the brutal Holocaust, the Amphitheatre has been made home to the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah for Jews all over the world, with the largest synagogue in the Roman Empire being located directly south of the Amphitheatre, built in honour of the Jewish people, to add to similar programs where mosques, Buddhist Temples and other religious buildings have been built all over the Empire since World War II. This menorah thus also serves as a reminder of Rome’s continued pledge to uphold not just the rights of the Jewish people to practice their religion, but also the rights of every Roman citizen to do the same.”

“Touching,” said Stevens to himself. “I could grow to like this place.”

By midday, the Canucks were on the ice taking their practice shots, warming up for the game. During the practice, several fans went to the ice to greet Stevens, representing the Canucks’ first autograph hunters since their arrival in Rome.

“Monsignor Stevens, can you ah please sign autograf?” said a fan, who knew very little English.

Stevens chuckled. “Sure, and you can call me Scott. I’m not a Monsignor yet,” said Stevens with a smile, signing the autographs for everyone present. The rest of the team lined up and followed suit, with the fans eventually able to get a team photo of the Canucks to take home. The Canucks then continued with their practice, and then exited the ice at 3PM to make way for the Roman team.

At 6:30PM, the Canucks and Romans both entered the ice to a rapidly filling up arena in order to warm up for the game. Some of the world’s most prominent politicians were in attendance, such as the Cottish Ambassador to Rome, a representative of the Layartebian Emperor and the Emperor of Buben, Tyruss A. Buben, as well as the Romans’ own Emperor Rodin Hartian. At 7PM, the game finally went underway.

Period No. 1

“Hello hockey fans,” intoned announcer Bob Cole, brought in to announce the game for the English-language feed. “We have a beauty of a game tonight, featuring the Canadian champions Vancouver Canucks against-” he paused for a minute when he realized that the Romans had not given themselves a name. He turned to his analyst, Harry Neale, to clear the confusion.

“Harry, do the Romans have a name?” said Cole.
“No I don’t think they do,” said Neale. “I know, it’s very odd.”
“You’re telling me. Anyway, it’s the Vancouver Canucks against the Roman Hockey Club here at the Flavian Amphitheatre, and we’re glad that you can be with us today. Here are the starting lineups:”

Vancouver:

D Scott Stevens
D Mattias Ohlund
L Per-Johan Axelsson
C Joe Sakic
R Brett Hull
G Sean Burke

Alternates:
D Janne Niinimaa
C Brian Holzinger
F Darren McCarty
G Jani Hurme

Rome:

D Cornelius Parnax
D Marcus Crivaldalli
L Lucius Remanderanus
C Cris Cornelius
R Paul Sulla
G Ryan Crysages

Alternates:
D Marcus Castrigyres
C Paul Parnax
F Alex Radisius
G Dominic Ridez

“Harry, any thoughts before they drop the puck?”
“Well, the Roman team looks very big, which figures since this is a club of gladiators. However, because of their size I’m not sure if they can handle a guy like Sakic or Hull, who are considerably fast skaters and extremely great stick-handlers to boot. The Canucks seem to have the skill advantage here, and with the presence of Stevens- who most of the Romans anyway are here to see- they should be able to handle the physical punishment the Romans will throw at them. Of course, seeing the teams at warm-up, it also looks like the Romans won’t be an easy team to beat, since they also have some skills as well. Just look at Paul Sulla- he could very well be one of the game’s best physical forwards today. However, I’m not completely convinced that this Roman team has enough skill to be able to beat the Canucks tonight.”
As Harry finished, the referee made his way to the face-off circle to drop the puck. “The puck is dropped and here we go!” said Cole.
“Sakic wins the draw. Hull- he passes it to Axelsson. Axelsson has it now. He doesn’t see an opening so he passes it back to Sakic, who attempts to skate across the blueline- oh! What a hit by Parnax!” The crowd erupted in thunderous glee after that hit levelled Sakic, showering the ice with cheers as the Romans obtained the puck.
“Parnax has it now. Parnax- over to Crivaldalli. Crivaldalli rifles a pass to Sulla but it’s picked off by Axelsson who is skating in all alone. He shoots- SCORES! (Crowd erupts in cheers). The Canucks lead it one to nothing!”
As the Canucks celebrated on the ice and as the replay started being shown on TV, Neale chimed in with his analysis. “Crivaldalli didn’t aim his pass well, allowing Axelsson to get the puck with the Romans well out of position. He caught them flat-footed and made no mistake with the shot and that’s why the Canucks are up one to nothing right now.”

The two teams eventually made their way back to centre ice for the ensuing face-off. Sakic again won the draw, but Sulla intercepted his pass to Hull. However, as Sulla crossed the blueline, Stevens gave him a thundering hit, which ignited the crowd even more. “What a hit by Stevens!” intoned Cole, who was getting as wrapped up in the game as the crowd was. “My, what a doozy we have here!”

Just barely five seconds afterward, Remanderanus started hacking at Stevens with his stick in retaliation for the hit on Sulla. Stevens, now worked up, dropped the gloves and challenged Remanderanus to a fight. Here, the Roman crowd erupted in bloodlust. “Listen to this crowd! What excitement! Look at them go! Stevens and Remanderanus, trading hits, raining blow upon blow! Oh! Remanderanus falls to the ice a defeated man!”

The referee then signalled the two players to the penalty box, and gave Remanderanus an extra two minutes for roughing, which launched a torrent of boos from the crowd. “Well, they didn’t take that well,” said Neale.

On the ensuing power play, the Canucks again struck at the Romans. “Hull- he passes it back to Ohlund. Ohlund can’t see a shot so he passes it to Sakic. The Romans need to get organized here so they can block the shot. Sakic- to Niinimaa. Niinimaa shoots it- blocked by Crysages. The puck bounces to Hull as the Romans can’t get to it. Hull shoots- SCORES! It’s two, nothing Vancouver!” shouted Cole as the Canucks built an early lead on the Romans.

“I’m beginning to wonder how much training the Roman team had before they came to this game, because they’re playing extremely sloppy,” said Neale. “Look here, they’re again not organized in this power play and it’s hurt them again. That puck was theirs for the taking but nobody even tried to get it except Hull, and now it’s 2-0.”

The Canucks proceeded to continue their onslaught on the Romans, wracking up 27 shots on the team during the first period alone and building a nice 5-0 advantage at the break. The Romans were instead piling up penalty minutes, giving the Canucks power play after power play that helped them pad their lead. At the intermission, the Canadian broadcast team brought on its famed “Coach’s Corner” segment with studio host Ron MacLean and former Boston Bruins coach Don Cherry.

Cherry- as he almost always does- began the talk, in his usual shouting tones. “Well, I haven’t seen a game like this years,” said Cherry. “A hard-fought, physical game featuring some superb hockey by the Canucks, but where’s the head at for the Roman team? Man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team more stupid than them.”
“They could just be rusty,” said MacLean.
“No, this ain’t rust. It’s stupidity. Now, FOR ALL YOU KIDS OUT THERE, there’s nothing wrong with playing smart, physical hockey, but you have to use your head! Look at this (tape plays where Remanderanus clubs Stevens). Look (counting the blows)- one, two, three. That’s only going to get you into penalties! If you’re mad at somebody, use your body- don’t use your stick! Remanderanus got two minutes for that, and he put his team even deeper into the hole!”
Cherry lowered his tone a little bit, then continued. “Mind you, he put up one heck of a fight against Stevens. He’s good for a Roman.”
“Well, let’s hope that the Romans’ heads don’t go roaming in the second period,” quipped MacLean to end the segment, with Cherry groaning at yet another bad pun. The game was going to come back on in a few minutes.

Although entries to the current tournament have recently closed, we would like to draw the attention of Rome to the Don Cherry Cup, Nationstates' first and only international Hockey Tournament.

A link to the current instalment an be found here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441916).

Although entries to the current tournament have recently closed, we would like to draw the attention of Rome to the Don Cherry Cup, Nationstates' first and only international Hockey Tournament.

A link to the current instalment an be found here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441916).

I intended this to be a *club* tourney instead of a national one, but I lost interest in this thread when I didn't get a lot of responses...

I intended this to be a *club* tourney instead of a national one, but I lost interest in this thread when I didn't get a lot of responses...

just saying, if you're interested in sports RP, the team of gladiators could certainly compete.

just saying, if you're interested in sports RP, the team of gladiators could certainly compete.

I might give it a go. I'd just be very new to the sports RP.

I might give it a go. I'd just be very new to the sports RP.

I'll drop you a line when sign-ups start for the next one. If I remember to that is. ;)

I'll drop you a line when sign-ups start for the next one. If I remember to that is. ;)

Thanks. Is there any place I can go to learn how to do sports RPs?

Thanks. Is there any place I can go to learn how to do sports RPs?

well, you can look at some exampes once the competition gets under way, they'll be on that link. Your last post is a pretty good example though, that's basicly what we do. You can also carry a storyline throughout the tournament. Any of the World Cup threads are also a great place to see sports RP in action. I think there might be a page on Sports RP on NSwiki, but I'm not sure.