Tag: sports (Page 1 of 27)

Four Questions With…Joey Westmoreland of GameDay Rugs

17 October, 2010 / Kat

Many of you have never had the pleasure of experiencing my football clad home. I have football plates, glasses, bowls, spreaders, toothpicks, platters, crock pots…it’s a little obsessive. I don’t think my husband necessarily likes it, because when we moved into our new apartment after we got married, he asked me if I was “really going to hang onto this stuff.” I told him that I collected these items in the event I ever get to hold a Buffalo Bills Super Bowl party, and I think he felt so much pity for me that he relented. (He did make me get rid of the football themed sofa throw pillows, but I agreed with him that their time had come.)

So when the folks at GameDay Rugs approached me last week and asked for a plug, of course I said yes. GameDay Rugs is a new online retailer selling team related rugs for both indoor and outdoor use. While they have started with some of the larger college football and basketball teams, they are working on expanding the line to include additional college teams and professional teams.

Clemson Football Rug

I interviewed GameDay Rugs Account Manager and die-hard Clemson football fan Joey Westmoreland about the company, his products, and Bills rookie CJ Spiller (yes, I had to go there.)

Kat: Why did you decide to get into the sports rug business?

Joey: Sports are my life, so I was very fortunate to have been brought into the business by a friend while GameDay Rugs was still in the concept stage. I had seen what the parent company had accomplished with Astroturf and knew, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, that I wanted to be part of this.

Kat: What is the most creative way you’ve seen one of your rugs used?

Joey: Actually, I was at the NC State v Boston College game this past weekend and walked right passed two little boys, they were maybe 3 or so, and were perched on one of our football field area rugs playing their own game right there on the concrete, moving small helmets around as if they were players. Also, I’ve seen a circle Alabama rug used as wall art, but the tailgating child’s play takes the cake as most creative use.

Kat: I have it on good authority that you are a Clemson fan. I’m a Buffalo Bills fan, and we’re hanging a lot of hope on Clemson grad CJ Spiller. Do you have any thoughts on him?

: GameDay Rugs NC State Field Rug

Joey: I think he’s a super guy who will represent the Bills with the integrity that he’s demonstrated to date. The fact that he came back as a Senior speaks volumes of who he is, how he represented Clemson and how he will represent the Bills organization. His record, being chosen Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, and the fact that his jersey is being retired are testaments of what he’s meant to Clemson football. In my opinion, your hopes are well placed, and you have nothing to worry about.

Kat: Your company has a good selection of football schools. Any plans to expand to other schools and or other sports teams?

Joey: Absolutely! We take daily steps toward expanding our line, and offer a way on our site to collect fan suggestions for additional teams, although it takes time to get new designs approved by the universities and the CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company). Keep checking back often as new designs are constantly being added and we have some great plans for future product lines.

GameDay Rugs has a free shipping promotion ongoing through October 31, 2010. Visit their site at GameDayRugs.com.

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Legal Note: I did not receive any compensation from GameDay Rugs or any affiliated party in exchange for this blog post.

A College Hockey Geek’s Guide to Day 1 of NHL Free Agency

1 July, 2010 / Kat

Derek Stepan is just one of 8 former college players listed in today's Transactions. (Photo: BroadwayHockeyDaily.com)

Thursday’s start to the NHL Free Agent signing period was a nice pace of busy – just enough to keep die-hards engaged, but not so much as to seem like free agents were being tossed like slippery fish in Pike’s Place Fish Market in Seattle.

For us college hockey fans out there, many of the giant moves of the day had little to do with college hockey alumni. That isn’t to say that college hockey alumni stayed still – some moved, one officially left early, and we found a blog favorite swapped right before bedtime on free agency eve. A few quick notes for college hockey fans looking to keep up with Day 1:

– University of Vermont hangs with the Gophers and Badgers. Of the eight college hockey players (my own hand count – feel free to call me out if I’m wrong) changing hands or signing deals since late Wednesday evening, two were from the University of Vermont: Martin St. Louis (whose four year contract extension with the Lightning was previously announced but officially went through today) and The Swedish, blog favorite Viktor Stalberg (who found himself a part of a giant deal where he was swapped with others by the Maple Leafs in exchange for Chicago Blackhawks Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt, a Colorado College alum.) The Catamounts tied with the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota for the most amount of former college players listed on the transaction wire in the past 24 hours (2 each). Now about that “former players” bit, Badgers….

– Derek Stepan officially ended his college career today. Stepan, the WCHA leader in points and assists this past season, ended his collegiate elgibility by agreeing to terms with the New York Rangers (quite the college hockey friendly franchise, eh?) He played two seasons for the Badgers, and captained the victorious squad at this year’s World Junior Championships. Not a shocking early leave, but still a early college departure in a season chock full of them…

– The State of Hockey gets one of their own. St. Cloud State alum Matt Cullen was signed to a three year deal by the Minnesota Wild today, after playing with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators this past year. Cullen is from Virginia, MN, giving him what is sure to be the “Little Boy In Minnesota” dream trifecta: grow up in Minnesota, play college hockey in Minnesota, then play professional hockey in Minnesota. Awww. I’m such a sucker for those stories.

Your list for Day 1, with help from TSN.ca (Happy Canada Day!)

– Toronto swapped Viktor Stalberg (UVM-Hockey East) and two others for Bill Sweatt (CC-WCHA) and Kris Versteeg from Chicago.

– Martin St. Louis (UVM back during the ECAC days) signed a four-year contract extentsion with Tampa Bay.

– Derek Stepan (Wisc.-WCHA) agrees to terms with the New York Rangers officially, thus ending his elgibility two years early.

– Matt Cullen (St. Cloud State – WCHA) signs a three year deal with the Minnesota Wild.

-Adam Burish (Wisc. – WCHA) signed a two year deal with the Dallas Stars after spending three seasons with Chicago.

– Jordan Leopold (Minn. – WCHA) signs a three year contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

-Jonathan Matsumoto (Bowling Green – CCHA) signed a two-year, two-way contract with Carolina. He’s spent his four pro seasons in the Phantoms organization in the AHL.

-Paul Martin (Minn. – WCHA) signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, after spending his entire pro thus far with the New Jersey Devils. (I initially forgot this, and didn’t see it listed when I was investigating the TSN transactions list Thursday evening, but big thanks to Laurel for reminding me.)

Casino: The Boston Bruins Version

21 June, 2010 / Kat

Source: BostonBruins.com

While making my first ever visit to the landmark Kowloon Restaurant this weekend, I happened upon information about the Ice & Dice Casino Night event happening this Wednesday night (June 23). Sponsored by the Boston Bruins, the event will benefit the Bruins Foundation Pan-Mass Bike Team, which in turn benefits Dana Farber Cancer Institute. (‘Tis the time of year for Pan-Mass fundraisers – I just attended a great one at The Bell in Hand last Thursday evening to help out my friend Chris Villiani’s Pan-Mass team.)

From 7-11pm Wednesday night, Bruins alums and Bruins Foundation volunteers will play blackjack, craps, roulette and poker while raffling and auctioning off sports memorabilia. I also imagine some PuPu Platters, Saugus Wings and Fog Cutters (my husband’s favorite Kowloon drink) might also be involved…

Tickets are $30, and are available by emailing foundationevents@bostonbruins.com or calling 617-624-1889.

Happy Retirement, Gibran Hamdan

6 June, 2010 / Kat

Photo: BuffaloBills.com

A quick note to wish the only recent Buffalo Bills quarterback not to give the fan base heartburn a good retirement. Late last week, Gibran Hamdan, former Bills third string quarterback, announced his retirement from football at the grand ol’ age of 29. Hamdan had been released by the Bills midway through last season, having taken only two NFL snaps. He had signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in March, and had been competing against Cleo Lemon and Ken Dorsey – two quarterbacks with NFL experience – in training camp.

I wish Hamdan had been given a chance to take a few snaps with the Bills (his two NFL snaps were with Washington). He had shown his worth in NFL Europe (where he was a league MVP in 2006), and had a few inches on Ryan Fitzpatrick and a bit more sturdiness than Trent Edwards. All things considered, Hamdan was the only Bills quarterback of the past two years not to evoke any ire in the fanbase (because he didn’t play, but still.)

WGR 550 reports that Hamdan aspires towards a broadcasting career – not surprising, given that ESPN football writer Tim Graham once remarked that Hamdan was one of the “more passionate and insightful interviews” he had done on the beat. Happy trails, Gibran Hamdan. Best of luck in your future endevors.

This Week in College Hockey Withdrawal: May 5, 2010

5 May, 2010 / Kat

Let’s skip this whole “BU no longer has a team” talk. We’re just eliminating all the taller players – it works for BC after all. There’s so much I would love to say about the Saponaris being dismissed from the Boston University hockey team, but it’s all already been said.

Merrimack's favorite hockey player: The Flying Frenchman Stephane Da Costa

Da Costa is busy reppin' France. (Photo: Merrimack Athletics)

With that out of the way, here’s my newest idea to keep me blogging every single day: This Week in College Hockey Withdrawal. Because the Pittsburgh Penguins may have a whopping 14 ex-college guys on their active playoff roster, but that only makes me miss college hockey more.

– The University of Maine officially released their 2010-11 schedule on Wednesday. One of the surprises for me is that the Black Bears and BU will not face each other Valentine’s Day weekend, which is unusual. 2010-11 is Maine’s year to host two games in that matchup, and they will do so on January 28th and 29th.

– Merrimack’s Stephane Da Costa is a part of the France squad at the IIHF World Championships that start up this weekend. Da Costa’s brother, Teddy, who usually plays in Poland, will also play on the team. Da Costa and his fellow Frenchmen skated an exhibition against the USA (a team which has only two players that didn’t participate in college hockey according to the sharp fact finding of Joe Yerdon) on Tuesday. Those two non-college guys on team USA (Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno) each had two assists in the 3-1 win.

– The guys over at BC Interruption find themselves talking college hockey when discussing the “Boston College to the Big Ten” rumors. Would an Eagles move to the Big Ten force the conference to add college hockey? My question: Would a big money conference like the Big Ten even want to do so in the age of Title IX? Also, who says it would be worth the conference’s while, given that the popularity of college hockey dropped off after its 2009 surge?