BULLS LOSE SUNDAY GAME TO CONDORS

Today marked the second game in the Bulls-Condors series and the last day of the special Sharks Throwback series. The special jerseys were designed to honor the Sharks first two seasons at the Cow Palace. More on that in a bit. First about the game.

Dean Ouellet

San Francisco lost 4-2 to Bakersfield. Peter Sivak scored both goals for San Francisco.

The Bulls have one major problem. They're not consistent. They run hot or cold. One night they can be magnificently brilliant and the next they’re just not together. Such was this afternoon’s game. They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t good enough to win. It wasn’t one player’s fault. It was a collection of miscues, lost passes and slow defense. This isn’t taking anything away from the Condors goalie Brian Stewart, who, with 40 saves, did a great job.

It was a good game for the most part. But the little things hurt the Bulls. Not taking advantage of power plays hurt the Bulls. Not protecting the net at crucial times hurt the Bulls. And communication, always the big question mark, misfired today. Noting that one player, Sivak, scored BOTH San Francisco goals shows how off they were as a team.

There was a good sized crowd for the Sunday Family Day game. I like these afternoon games. It gives everyone enough time to get home, make dinner and a good start for the week. Amy Snow, writer at Fearless in the Fog, also hosts a radio show and promotes Gong Show Gear, was visiting from Southern California this weekend and I had the chance to meet and talk with her. That was a treat! I'll post a link to her writing at the end of this blog. You do need to read it. 

Amy Snow

This was Day Two special Teal Throwback Jerseys, so the those that weren't won yesterday were up for auction today, minus two, which were raffled off. 

The special teal jerseys are nice but, no they are not the Bulls team colors. No, the Bulls are NOT changing their team colors or even thinking about it. No, the Bulls are NOT the baby Sharks. (Someone on Facebook called them that.) What a condescending name! They are their own entity who happen to be an Affiliate of the San Jose Sharks. They are NOT owned by the Sharks.

Rob Kwiet

There are so many misunderstandings caused by these jerseys that I thought it was best to write a little about them here. The jerseys were only available yesterday and today by silent auction or raffle. 

Many San Francisco Bulls fans are not San Jose Sharks fans. You can see plenty of other NHL and other league jerseys at Bulls games. I regularly see Flyers, Canadien, Kings, Bruins, to name a few, at Bulls games. I myself love the New York Rangers. It’s a huge mistake to automatically think that every Bulls fan loves the Sharks. I happen to also like the Sharks, but that doesn’t mean that everyone does. I know several who aren’t and were not excited to see the Orange & Black Bulls in teal.

The crowds this weekend were large but many were not Bulls fans. I certainly hope they weren’t there just to spend money on the teal jerseys. To think that those jerseys went to Sharks fans who don’t care about the Bulls and not to the real Bulls fans would be a shame, in my opinion. I only wish they had placed more jerseys in the raffle, rather than auctioned.

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The Bulls need to push back today’s loss and quickly. They take off on the road later tonight to Boise, Idaho, via bus travel for two games versus the Steelheads, starting Tuesday the 12^th and Wednesday the 13^th. Then it’s one of two games against the Thunder in Stockton, Saturday the 16^th and back at the Barn on Sunday the 17^th finishing the series.  

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To read Amy's great writing, go to: http://www.gongshowgear.com/blog/author/a-snow

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I hope to see you next Sunday, should be a great game!

GO BULLS!!!

BULLS TRIUMPH OVER CONDORS ON THROWBACK JERSEY NIGHT

The Bulls had complete control of tonight’s win over the Bakersfield Condors. Before a large crowd, San Francisco played the way we always want them to play, with strength, communication, great scoring and defense.

It was also the first night of their special Teal Throwback Jerseys. This was done to honor the Sharks’ first two years playing at the Cow Palace. The jerseys are being worn by the Bulls players only for the weekend and then they’ll go up for either auction or raffle. Most, except for four, I believe, will be up for auction.

Peter Sivak

I thought maybe I’d bid on Tuckerman’s jersey but then I saw the starting bids were the top bid I could afford, so it wasn’t for me, obviously. And the raffle tickets were $1.00 each, so I only bought a couple of those. The money goes to charity, I’ll have the specific organizations it goes to on my blog tomorrow, so I understand why the amounts are so high.

And to be honest, I like their normal team colors better. The teal was nice, something different, but orange, black and gold are in tribute to the SF Giants and SF 49ers. And the Bulls are a San Francisco team. In fact, I can see them doing something to honor the Giants and Niners in future seasons. Who knows?

Alex Tuckerman

After getting over my sticker shock of the silent auction, I ran into Rich & Nick who had an extra seat where they sit on the glass on the North End.

Taylor Nelson was on the net tonight and did an incredible job, making 34 saves. There were no scores in the First Period. It was a real battle, both sides pushing hard. But then in the Second, the Bulls broke it open with Rob Kwiet scoring the first goal for San Francisco. Marek Viedensky is back with the Bulls and let his presence be known by scoring the second goal in the Third Period. The Condors then got one puck past Nelson, but that was it for Bakersfield. Taylor shut it down tight. Jordan Morrison scored a third point for the Bulls and the team carried it to the end.

Face Off

Some other highlights were Kwiet’s continued defensive leadership and Alex Tuckerman’s impressive hit on a Bakersfield player in the Second Period. Tuck’s becoming a lot more aggressive in his play, being more eager to give it out, rather than take it. And this is a good thing, because he’s strong enough to make an impact. Cody Carlson also did well both on defense and assisting on goal, picking up a point.

Hans Benson, Me & Alex Tuckerman 

The two teams repeat tomorrow in an afternoon game. Puck drops at 2:15pm. Be there!

GO BULLS!!!

BULLS LOSE CLOSE ONE TO REIGN

After being down 0-3 to the Ontario Reign in Southern California, the Bulls hoofed it back to tie up the game only to lose in a Shoot Out last night, Friday, February 8^th. This was the exact opposite of Wednesday’s game and a prime example of what the team can do when they set their sights to winning.

Hans Benson had received a one-game suspension for fighting in the last five minutes of Wednesday’s game, so he was out. This is standard ECHL procedure and to be expected. Peter Sivak was also scratched due to flu-like symptoms. I only hope he’s back very soon. During the game, Jordan Clendenning and Scott Langdon ran into each other and Langdon left the game for a while, but returned, fortunately.

Dean Ouellet, Jordan Morrison and Chris Carlson all scored for the Bulls. Ouellet and Carlson were also able to score in the Shoot Out, though the Reign got one more past Taylor Nelson, who, in spite of this, did a great job.

The one thing that did drag the team down, especially in the beginning, were penalties. They simply must do a better job at disciplining themselves. Games with the Reign are always filled with emotion, so I know this isn’t always easy. The two teams dislike each other intensely. Need I say there’s more hatred towards these two teams than any rival team with the Bulls? Jonathan Lessard broke a pane of glass out with his stick in the Third Period, as an example. However, their heads have to be in the right place, and thank goodness this is the two teams final match up until the playoffs when we may be playing them again.

On the upside, they’re playing like a team once more, which is what they need to do for the remainder of the season. They won’t have any more of those nasty six-day breaks any longer; they seem to hurt more than help.

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The Bulls play two games against the Bakersfield Condors starting tonight, Saturday at the Barn. This weekend the team wear special jerseys in Sharks’ teal, which will go on auction or raffle. So be there for your chance to purchase them!

GO BULLS!

WRANGLE A DATE NIGHT

Valentine’s Day, or, as I like to call VD, is around the corner. Whoopee. I’m not fond of Hallmark Holidays. I don’t think anyone should rely on a day on the calendar to tell their loved ones they love them.

If you’re lucky enough to have someone special in your life, why aren’t you telling them you love them every day? Why aren’t you giving them special things year-round? Do you give your loved one a gift just because a date on the calendar tells you to give?

VD creates so much pressure for everyone. For guys in relationships, it creates the stress of having to buy something. Even if they’re the type who shows their love and appreciation all the time, apparently, that’s not enough. VD says it’s not.

For females in relationships, they’ve nearly learned to expect something. Don’t be like this. Any lying, two-timing scumbag can give a lady flowers. The greatest gifts a man can give a woman are love, respect and loyalty. If you want flowers, buy them for yourself. I do this often. Surprise presents are nice, but not mandatory and how much of a surprise are they on a day when it is expected?

Then there’s the rest of us. I mean us Singles. Yeah, we need the rest of the world to tell us we’re single. We’re very much aware of this fact, thanks. Some of us may be happy being single and some not, but we certainly don’t need VD to ram our social status in our faces.

So I’m not much of a romantic in the commercial sense of the word. To me, integrity and real love are romantic. What is NOT romantic are the pressures and ridiculousness attached to VD. That’s why I want no part of it. Tell your sweetie you love them each and every day. Buy them presents when you want to, or even if you want. Love is the best present there can be, so I’m not sure what else a person needs that they can’t buy for themselves. It’s up to each of us to decide that.

Enough of my sharing time, here we go to Wrangle A Date Night…

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The Bulls lost badly to the Wranglers, 5-0. I blame it on having six days off. The team hardly looked like one. There was little communication between players, bad passing, bad defense and an all-around ugly game.

Martin Lee

The two exceptions were Rob Kwiet, whose defense continues to get stronger, and Sebastien Trudeau, who, in spite of not scoring, looked bright and awake in trying to get a goal.

The whole date night thing didn’t help. The small crowd wasn’t into it. No, I’m not going to raise my hand when you ask for single people. No, I’m not interested in Speed Dating. Speaking of which, they held it, (or at least I think they did), in a room way to the corner of the Barn past the mechanical bull and then the in-game announcer never said where that room was located. Even worse, it’s called the Cactus room, but was misspelled on the game board as the Caucus Room.

SF Gay Men's Choir practicing before the game - performed awesome  Nat'l Anthem!

The Dating Game thing wasn’t a whole lot better. It was one guy asking three pretty ladies questions and then the crowd chose one for him. I won’t go into detail but I’m thinking now that the guy who participated was the only one who signed up.

Dylan King

Ah well, not every promotion is going to be successful and I commend the Bulls for trying something new.

The Guys play Ontario Friday and then a two-game series back at home with Bakersfield Saturday and Sunday. It should make for an exciting weekend.

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I would be remiss if I did not mention the 49ers loss in the Superbowl last Sunday. I’m proud of the Niners. They had a great season and even though it’s disappointing, I can’t help but think that the team is going to be even stronger next year.

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Next game is Friday from Ontario. Listen online at www.knbr.com

Next Home Game at the Barn is Saturday, when they raffle and auction off the special Bulls jerseys in Sharks teal colors. I want Tuckerman’s!

GO BULLS!!!

OPEN PRACTICE

Today the Bulls held an open practice at the Barn. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday morning. The practice included a tour of the locker room area, which I hadn't seen since the season started in early October. Here are some pictures.

GETTING CHIPPY WITH THE REIGN

It’s been a busy week for me. Wednesday night I was at the Fillmore to see the might Testament. What a great show it was! They’re touring now with Overkill, presenting the Dark Roots of Thrash Tour. It was a lot of fun. I’ve been part of the Bay Area metal community for decades and to hang out with old friends was a real treat.

On Wednesday night the Bulls played the Stockton Thunder in that busy metropolis Stockton. (I’m kidding, hardly anything ever happens there.) The Bulls lost in a shootout 4-3. I followed on Twitter and it sounded like an extremely nasty game with lots of fights. In fact, Jonathan Lessard hurt his nose, it may be broken, but I’m not sure about that.

Jonathan Lessard in full face mask 

Thursday night’s game was against the Ontario Reign. I took a friend who had never been to a hockey game before. He had a great time and wants to go to more Bulls games. It was the last Thirsty Thursday and the team gave away cute orange plastic cups.

I sort of knew this was going to be a nasty game. Even before the warm-ups started, the Reign tried to push the Bulls’ buttons, nearly starting huge a fight between the two teams.

Pre-game Chippiness

Unfortunately, the Reign outplayed the Bulls for most of the game. They’re a tough team, tied for top of the Western Conference with the Alaska Aces. It got ugly in the Third Period though when Alex Tuckerman gave a Reign player a nasty hit along the boards. The guy took personal offense for it, so they fought it out. It looked like Alex got the best of him. But, the guy wouldn’t shut up!! He was chirping all the way to the Box, and was still blabbing away once the door was shut.

Alex Tuckerman

In fact, AFTER the game was OVER, and the penalty box door was open, the Reign player kept yapping, so much so both teams wanted to fight each other again. The ECHL really needs to give this dude a fine or suspend him from a game or two. There was no excuse for that kind of behavior.

The Reign beat the Bulls unfortunately, 5-2. Peter Sivak and Dean Ouellet both got goals in the Third Period and San Francisco tried to stage a comeback, but couldn’t do it.

The Bulls have a few days off. Next game is February 6, Wednesday, versus the Wranglers, when the team holds their Wrangle a Date. Yeah, I know, but what can we do? Haha!

And this Sunday, the 49ers go to the Superbowl!! This is a huge deal for San Francisco, so I’ll write about that Monday! Go Niners!!!

GO BULLS!!!

OUR BULLS HOCKEY TEAM

I read some guy’s hockey blog a few weeks ago and he said that he’d rather write about ice girls because he thought that hockey players were stupid. Sorry buddy, but I think we ALL know who the dim one is, and it’s not hockey players! Not sure why he was even writing about hockey if he dislikes the athletes involved, but that’s none of my business.

My friend Matty had his Eleventh Birthday yesterday. He’s a stage 4 cancer survivor and every day is a battle of some sort due to his health problems.

Matty loves hockey. He lives and breathes the game. I tweeted the Bulls players and asked them to tweet Matty to wish him a Happy Birthday. He was so surprised that many of them did, including Coach Curcio. Matty and his family were really touched by the team’s warm-heartedness and I’ll never forget it. To a good kid who doesn’t have a whole lot of great days, they helped make his birthday a Great Day.

Of all the players I’ve met, spent time with, none were stupid. None were nasty or self-centered. The Bulls players are as cool as they get.  

So, don’t go telling me how stupid athletes are, especially hockey players. You say that to my face, you’ll be lucky to get away with a stern talking to.

In AMAZING Bulls news, the team took 2 games out of a 3-game series from the top team in the ECHL, the Alaska Aces. I wrote about Friday night’s game already. Saturday night’s game was close with the Bulls losing 2-1. The game was an exciting battle throughout, but the team just couldn’t get pucks past the Aces’ goalie Gerald Coleman.

Today’s game seemed more like a mission than just a game. The San Francisco team was determined to win. Dean Ouellet ranked a score first, followed by two goals by Peter Sivak, giving him a team high of 21 goals. D. Ouellet has 20.

Jordan Clendenning got into a nasty fight as well. I sure wish the Bulls would FILM Bulls’ fights! It would be awesome to watch and rate them on www.hockeyfights.com!

The game was so close through the entire 60 minutes. It ended at 2-2 in regular time and went into Overtime. Sivak dropped in the first goal and the Bulls win 3-2!

Next Bulls game is in Stockton Wednesday, January 30^th. Next home game is January 31^st against Ontario. We got this.

GO BULLS!!!