hockey and the sims

[oanja]

They have called Granlund 'Finnish born' in both the Caps and Canes games. (I've been stuck with the home team announcers) What is that supposed to mean? Why isn't Finnish enough? O_o I mean it's not like he moved away from Finland when he was a kid or anything. I think you could maybe call Haula Finnish born, I mean he's been playing in the States for a long time. (did he just come to play college hockey or was he there before that, I have no idea)

Also, why is Coyle on the first PP unit, I don't like it. It was working before Coyle came back, why change it now?

The game is tied 2-2 right now, but the Wild isn't playing well, so I'm expecting them to lose this one too. Crap. They seem to suck on the road this year.

I was playing the Sims earlier today and it froze. Second time it's happened since I got the supernatural expansion... coincidence? I don't think so. (it's never happened before) I'm kind of annoyed about it, because I had just managed to have this single mother seduce the repairman and they just got married and then I wanted to expand the house, because she was pregnant and then the game froze while I was in build mode. I guess I should just save more often, but the Sims takes forever and ever to save and it's so boring to wait for it to do that.

Comments

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

I think the -born thing is just to add another second of commentary when the commentators aren't sure what they're going to say next. But, like all their weirdly specific time fillers, it does make it sound like they're specifying for a reason. It's very odd to listen to.

(ETA: That was a gorgeous game though, by both sides. Super fun to watch.)

[oanja.livejournal.com]

Definitely, especially because it's not like they do it about a lot of players. Last night only Granlund and Brodin got the added -born title. I guess it has something to do with being a young player maybe and I bet they only do it about foreigners.

That was a super sloppy game by the Wild. :D They've been a pretty good possession team this season, so last night was not a good game for them I think they only posted like 47% corsi. Also a lot of our defense men had bad nights playing.

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

Huh, really? That does make it grosser. I don't know about (I assume?) the Wild comms, but I have heard it said by USians about guys living and working in the US. About everyone, honestly, except guys who actually have complicated citizenship papers, because that would make too much sense.

Well, compared to the defensive failures I follow regularly, I assure you that was a model of responsibility. Tight D is so dull to watch though. Last night was just pretty!

[oanja.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard it anywhere else than in game commentary and I guess I just hadn't heard anyone being called Canadian born or american born. :D It just sticks out when it's about your players.

It just usually leads to Suter playing ALL of the minutes and that can't be good in the long run. ^_^; It can be boring to watch, if it's not your team. Like caps fans were complaining about how the Wild played boring hockey, but when I was watching it I was all 'Yeeah you go guys!' so it depends. And personally I don't like those run and gun type of games that end 5-7 or something. (so which teams do you follow?)

I guess there is some truth to how they say Western conference teams play more defensive style of hockey, but not so surprisingly it also works. (if you look at how the West is dominating right now) Even teams like the Hawks and Sharks have good defensive players (can't say that about the Avs, so who knows why they keep winning)

Sorry that got long...

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

For sure. And if it is only being used for non-North American players, that's definitely something to side-eye.

True, it's definitely a matter of taste. I like run and gun, which is why I mostly watch Canes/Oilers/Pens/(Avs last season, but we're on a break now because the way they handled the Varlamov situation left a bad taste in my mouth.) The Wild aren't especially bad for boringness, but I really can't stand e.g. the Blues aesthetically, even though I can acknowledge that they're pretty good, and my teams would fail less hard if they worked more on D. Not that I can explain the Avs, except that their D is terrible, but their forwards are increasingly defensively responsible? Also, black magic/sheer blind luck. I'm just saying.

Suter's ability to play all the minutes is hella impressive though.

(Not long at all! It's good to be reminded that other people do enjoy watching careful D more than I do. :))

[oanja.livejournal.com]

I'm going to keep my 'eye' on it and see when it pops up. I'm sure they don't mean anything bad by it, but it is a bit curious.

Have you been a hockey fan for long? I don't mean this in a bad way, but I've noticed that in the hockey fandom most people like just those teams you mentioned (plus the Hawks obviously) and I've wondered if it's because of the style of game they play (high scoring and kind of reckless). I don't care for the way the Blues play either, or Nashville, but I bet I would if they were my team. :D

I grew up on international hockey, which I think is European in style and those games almost never end up with a very high score. (if they did, something went seriously wrong, or people were playing against like Italy or something)

Yeah that Avs thing was super classless. And just in general how it was handled in the hockey media. Yuck. =(

Suter is some kind of a cyborg I bet. He played like 23 minutes in one game and everyone was like 'whoa is he hurt?'

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

Very curious. I'd be interested to know if it pops up again that exclusively.

No offense taken. I got into it just under 2 years ago via RPF and highlight reels, and it probably is easier to get into that style of hockey as a beginner. I'm not very good at having "my" teams, especially not in a geographic way (I'm actually from Toronto! The number of fucks I give about the Leafs is nearly nil. :P) so I tend to pick my viewing based on what I enjoy watching rather than learning to appreciate a particular style because I'm attached to the team. Not that I don't get attached to teams, but it's easier for me to like them AND watch them if they play prettily: I'm actually writing Predators fic right now, but I still don't watch more than a handful of their games, because they're not my favourite aesthetically.

I also quite like international hockey though. It's not so much the scoring as it is the increase in passing that I find more interesting to watch. I admit, I haven't watched as much of it as I have NHL hockey.

It was gross in a lot of ways. :(

Being a cyborg would explain so much about Suter! I'd read that fic, for sure.

[oanja.livejournal.com]

I just got into NHL hockey during the lockout, so you have me beat. :D And I look at the "my team" thing loosely, I mean I'm Finnish, so I don't have a local team (obviously). It's just that I've adopted the Wild as my primary team and even though I'll cheer for others, it's definitely not the same.

I'm actually warming up to the Leafs right now, thanks to Steve Dangle and they have some interesting players, which makes it fun to follow them a bit.

What kind of Predators fic?

I can't wait for the Olympics! Waaah~ :D But yeah, the worlds were the big deal here, when I was growing up. When Finland won the gold in 1995 the whole country went bonkers for a few days. I was seven back then and I still remember it.

But I feel it would make him even more boring as a person, so I don't know what kind of fic it would be like...

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

But it sounds like you watched it at least a little bit before that? I really only just started knowing anything at all when I got into RPF. I couldn't have even named Crosby before that, which takes some doing when literally 5/6ths of the Canadian population watched that Olympic gold medal game (I wasn't one of them.)

I suspect 24/7 will be able to make me care slightly, but right now, mostly I just laugh at their statistics/their coach's explanation of head injuries. /o\ (I do read all fic indiscriminate of team though.)

Longfic! About Shea Weber and Seth Jones! :D (The age gap does indeed make me feel terrible, lolsob.)

Ah, neat! Canada saves its caring for WJC and the Olympics, which is going to be interesting now that I actually have a reason to pay any attention at all.

Hmmm, that's true. I don't know if you read the fic where Kris Letang is a cyborg, but now I'm imagining the version set in that universe, where cyborgs aren't actually more able than humans. Mostly it involves Suter being sulky that everyone thinks that explains it when it doesn't at aLL, thanks.

[oanja.livejournal.com]

No, I had never seen a NHL game before that. They don't show any games here on the free channels and before I didn't have the money to pay to see games (also I didn't know people were doing sreems) and you know the time difference thing. I knew who Crosby was though and some other players by name and knew a few teams (especially those that had Finns playing for them) But wow, you're definitely a rare Canadian if you didn't watch the last Olympic hockey games. :D

Yes, I bet that'll be fun. Haha~ the culture with people running that team seems... unique. I mean how they used Grabovski and the whole toughness wins games attitude. :D (I kind of want to write a Kessel/Bozak fic next, they fascinate me quite a bit.)

Ooh, I'll have to read it once it's done, even though big age gaps aren't really a thing I like, but I'll ignore it for the pairing.

Yep, there's a definite culture difference there. But I hope you have fun watching it this time around. It can get intense. Like for me the worst thing was back in 2006 when Finland lost the gold medal game and players were actually crying on the ice. Wow, I still don't like thinking about it. >_<

I haven't read that, can you link me?

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

I meant seeing any hockey: it sounds like you watched Worlds at least? Unless I'm misinterpreting, sorry. It's very understandable to not have seen NHL games from Finland!

The team culture just seems kind of awful right now. Entertaining from the outside, but it's hard not to worry about those guys getting hurt and it not getting dealt with. (I would definitely read it. They're so delightfully weird about each other.)

I hope people do, haha. :) Age gaps aren't really my thing either so hopefully it comes out as not-creepy as it was intended.

Oh dear, that does sound difficult to watch. I admit, I'm looking forward a lot to the number of fluff pieces that will exist, because that's always such a boon for fic.

It's this one (http://archiveofourown.org/works/547192). It's Sidney Crosby/Kris Letang, super cute, and there's some fun world-building. :D

[oanja.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah I've watched hockey since I was a little kid. :D Heh, sorry for misunderstanding you. Happens all the time...

Yep, it would be pretty hard to be a die hard fan of them.

I'm sure people will read it, and as long as the age difference isn't played up for the kink value I will definitely read it.

Good point! And I'm sure it'll be easier for a Canadian, I mean everyone seems to think they will win again.

Thanks for the link, I don't think I've ever read this pairing before. :)

Speaking of fic, the idea I have right now is a Princess Diaries AU. Not like a word for word thing, but the general premise that someone is secretly royalty or that they find out they are a prince like happened in the books/movies. And then go from there, like could they keep playing now that everyone knows? What if they were already dating their teammate? I think it would be fun. I just can't decide which pairing would be best for this.

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

No, no, totally reasonable; it gets confusing sometimes in this fandom whether people mean hockey fic-fandom or watching-fandom.

I was honestly surprised that there wasn't rioting after the playoffs last year, though I suppose the one thing about Toronto is that it's big enough and full of enough immigrants who give zero shits about hockey that it's a bit hard to get that sort of thing going.

Yeah, that's not really my kink either. I just like the narrative of the two of them (Seth's kind of replacing Ryan! Who he has roomed with at Team USA events! And then he spent the early part of the season living with Shea! So many possibilities.) Hopefully it succeeds in acknowledging the age gap, while making it clear why that doesn't matter to them.

I suppose so, though I'm also just really bad at nationalism so I have more feelings about specific players rather than Canada winning.

You're welcome! I ship it pretty hard, tbh, they seem to be good friends and very sweet about each other.

Hmmm, interesting! It would be funniest, I think, if it was one of the players who was most staunchly Canadian/USian, because of how annoyed they would be, though I'm not sure exactly who. And then I guess it would depend on whether or not you wanted to go in a direction where they had to take up responsibilities, or just in a direction where they got chirped for it forever and spent a lot of time arguing over security measures. (I, er, haven't actually seen the movie though. Only gifsets.)