BULLS WEEKLY FEATURING TORREY MITCHELL

It was a rowdy crowd at Pedro's Cantina tonight for Jason and his special guest Torrey Mitchell. Torrey who spent five years with the San Jose Sharks and is now with the Minnesota Wild is a local favorite. He's temporarily with the Bulls, as you all know from my last blog, he made his debut last night.

Torrey Mitchell & Coach Curcio

He's a great player and with this short stay, he'll get a little more attention than he's used to in the NHL, especially with the Wild and big paycheck guys like Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. So, it's nice we can give it to him. Jason with his excellent interview talents was as sharp as ever for an entertaining hour and Torrey was just as equally as great as a guest. After the live online hour, Torrey settled into a side table with his wife and Coach Curcio and his family and played a fun and loud game of bar dice.

Torrey & Jason

After the hour, there was an interview of him on CSN television playing silently on one of the TV screens while a college bowl game was on the other multiple screens.

Torrey was only too happy to talk to everyone, take as many pictures and sign as many items as everyone wanted. He's intelligent, funny, personable and a gentleman. He's an all-around great person. You really should have been there.

Andrea & her Drink!! 

Before Bulls Weekly, I was able to talk to Coach Curcio about last night's game. I told him I was so proud of the team, even with the Shoot Out loss, especially Goalie Taylor Nelson. He worked so hard and played so well. Curcio agreed. "He earned the right to play Friday night," Curcio said.

That's what I really like about Curcio. He doesn't favor anyone. He plays who's playing well. Each player has to EARN their way. That is the ONLY way to run a team, in my book. I respect that.

Friday day is Western night. So, show up in your Western wear and have a great time with us! I have a brand-spankin' new pair of boots I'll have on and just wait until you see them. They rule.

GO BULLS!

BULLS LOSE IN HEARTBREAKING SHOOT

Last night's game was a nail-biter from beginning to end. Unlike the last two-game series, the Eagles this time came not to fight but to play. This was back-up goalie Taylor Nelson's toughest challenge and up until the very end he did very well.

I got upgraded to the BEST seats in the house!

Peter Sivak

Torrey Mitchell scored the Bulls only goal in the First Period, while Colorado's Devin DiDiomete scored their only goal in the Second.

Torrey Mitchell

Joking around during Warm Ups

Defense was strong for both teams. Bulls led in shots to goal 42 at 36. The loss came after many players tried in the Shoot Out. And for that, there is no dishonor in this loss, no reason to feel bad; this was a thrilling game and at least the Bulls get a point out of it.

Face Off

This is the way to play, Bulls! This is hard-fought, battling, never giving up, never giving in hockey! Nelson did an amazing job. He played his best and I'm very proud of him. This was probably one of the most important games of his short professional career.

If there's one area right now that the Bulls need to improve it's in Face Offs. The team doesn't seem to do well in getting the puck off of these and this couldn't be a big difference in tight games such as last night.

He has another coming up Friday against the same Colorado Eagles. It's Country Night at the Barn. Get your nicest duds out and join us for a good ol' time!

Also, tonight is Bulls Weekly and I've heard a couple different things about who is the guest. Needless to say, you should be there. 6pm at Pedro's across the street from AT&T Park.

GO BULLS!

HAPPY 2013!

First of all, Welcome to 2013!

Let's hope it's a prosperous and joyous year for all of us. I'm sure it will have its share of ups and downs, but my wish is that it moves forward and that we all learn and grow. And for the Bulls, even if it is their first year, let them kick butt far into the Post Season!!! :)

There has been some recent news, both good and bad. The good news is Minnesota Wild player Torrey Mitchell has signed with the team. He used to play with San Jose, so he should be familiar to Sharks fans. He is NOT playing with the Sharks again, as some confused Sharks fans thought on the Bulls Facebook page, he is playing on the Bulls. This is a great addition to the Bulls lineup. He will be very helpful to the offense, give some speed and help to the front line.

The bad and sad news is that Thomas Heemskerk suffered from apendicitis over the weekend and has been placed on the 21-day Injured Reserved List. He'll be out for three weeks. Poor Tommy! I feel so bad for him. But, he's in the best of care and we all send him positive thoughts and good energy! Meanwhile, Taylor Nelson must be his best and play his best. I know he's up for the task.

Andrew Crescenzi & Taylor Nelson

Today, Union Square, Downtown San Francisco hosted its first annual Polar Bear Skate to raise money for the SF Zoo. It was a fun time. Skaters had the choice of dressing in beach wear while skating. There was going to be a dunking of Bulls players, but apparently they couldn't get the permits together in time. The players were relieved, it was cold out today.

Danill Tarasov

Jordan Clendenning

They did a rather lame version of Chuck A Puck instead and called out puck numbers, but no one wrote down theirs. Come on, if we bought 6 pucks, how are we supposed to write down all 6 numbers? Oh well, the money went to a good cause, the zoo is worth it.

Taylor Nelson

There was a huge crowd and the skating session was sold old before I got there. Everyone had a nice time.


There are two games at the Barn this week, both with the Colorado Eagles. If you remember, this team loves to fight and play dirty. If you want to see some games with action and root for the Good Guys, the Bulls, to win! Join us! Let's get lots of fans supporting them!

Also this Thursday at Pedros is The Bulls Weekly. Jason will have another great guest. I think I know who it is, but I won't say just yet, as it is a surprise and should be a very entertaining show.

GO BULLS!

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR 2012

New Years Eve is an odd date in the hockey calendar. It's just when things are heating up. It's about mid-season and the teams are battling for positions in the post season and then here come the Holidays! They throw some off days into the regular schedule to remind us that all in life does NOT take place at an ice rink, even though we may want it to.

This New Years, like every other one before it, also has me reflecting what has passed during these 365 days. It's been a remarkable year.

Every one of us Bulls fans are extremely thankful of course, for this new, wonderful team we have! I remember meeting Coach Curcio and Rawhide at a sportsbar in Park Merced last January. They were promoting the Bulls during the Forty Niners-Giants playoff game. The game didn't turn out so well, but the Pat Curcio's plan and vision of a San Francisco hockey team certainly did. Since then, the large amazing staff has worked endlessly to promote the team, smooth out any wrinkles and do everything they can to make the experience the best it can be for the fans. And the public is getting it, slowly, slowly to be sure, but they are understanding that there is hockey right now, and it is not the Sharks!

Of course, the lockout is the pink elephant sitting in the middle of the room no one wants to talk about. Too controversial! Everyone's sick of hearing about it! They need to just get back to work! Fire Bettman! We're heard them all before, haven't we? Did the lockout help the minor league teams? Yes, it did. It helped to make many people aware that there are other leagues and teams still playing hockey. So, even though it is detrimental to the NHL brand, and drove fans away from the majors, the lockout created a niche where there may not have been one before or where the timing to start a new team may not have been right earlier.

Outside of hockey, we San Franciscans were also blessed with an incredible baseball team. The Giants took their second World Series title in three years. I was so happy, probably more so than the first time because that win was more stressful than this sweep of Detroit.

On a personal level, it was a year of great personal growth. I continued my running through most of it, even though there were a few times I had to stop due to illness or injury. Even with those unplanned interruptions, I feel stronger in every way now than I did 12 months earlier.

For 2013, I am looking ahead towards:

- The Bulls in the playoffs for the Kelly Cup
- Seeing my SF Giants also making another World Series run
- Is it the 49ers year finally?
- Continue my running, increase my mileage and eventually complete a marathon

And most importantly, improve, improve, improve. No matter what we do, we continue to get better, be positive and look forwards. I see great things on the horizon for 2013. It will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Happy New Year!

GO BULLS!

SF BULLS MEET THE BEARS....AND THE PENGUINS, TIGERS, ETC...

Or: AN EVENING AT THE ZOO WITH THE BULLS

My new friend at the SF Zoo 

Last night the Bulls hung out at the San Francisco Zoo in one of the final nights of the Zoo Lights. With lots of zoo enthusiasts and Bulls fans, it was a delightful night for everyone involved.

Fun time at the SF Zoo

Kris Belan & his family who were visiting from Canada

I arrived a little early so I could check out some of the animals beforehand. I realized that I had not been to the zoo in many years, so it was fun to see some of my favorites. As the exhibits closed, the sun set, the lights popped on and the public turned out for live music, hot drinks and more of our favorite bulls players. Also there were Rawhide and the Cow Belles.

Justin Bowers & Peter Sivak

Signature Table

Jay telling Bulls fables to the kids

Group Shot! 

Next up on New Year's Day Is Polar Bear Skate and player dunking at Union Square! Be there! Also this week is SF Bulls Weekly!!! I must apologize to Jason for giving this the WRONG NAME. It is SF BULLS WEEKLY!!!! I think I know who this week's guest is, but I'll leave him as a surprise. He's a great, great player and should be an excellent guest! Be at Pedro's this upcoming Thursday!

GO BULLS!

HOLI-DAZE

It's been a wild, woolly and very busy Christmas season with lots going on for our Men in Orange, Black & Gold. The team spent Christmas in a variety of ways. Some players went home for a few days, while a lot of them rented a couple cabins at Lake Tahoe, enjoying some great new snow. Coach Curcio and his family relaxed with some well-deserved downtime in Las Vegas.

With Christmas over, the team was back to work. SF Bulls Live took place this past Thursday with Taylor Nelson as Jason's guest. It was a nice big crowd at Pedro's for the lively interview.

Taylor Nelson & Jason Lockhart

The team handily beat the Las Vegas Wranglers 4-1 in Friday's game, the last Bulls' game of 2012. It was a packed house, as the team held a terrific promotion getting over 8,000 hockey fans into the seats. And what a great crowd! I hope lots of these new fans come back, because they were outstanding! Radio Disney was there before the show for the kids, and each child got a killer new t-shirt!

Coach Curcio at pre-game talk

Coach Curcio gave a pre-game talk as well. That was excellent, as it's always a treat hearing him speak about the team and take questions. He told the crowd when his idea of starting a new team here began (three years ago), how long the team plans on staying at the Cow Palace (at least 5 years or so) and what the team's biggest weakness is (having a large number of rookies without the experience to maintain leads in close games). If he holds another talk like this again, I highly suggest joining, because it is well worth your time!

Tuckerman, Crescenzi & Benson

The game was a great one, exciting and well-played. Great scores by Dean Ouellet, Rob Kwiet, Alex Tuckerman and Peter Sivak made for an excellent offensive effort. Hans Benson is back on the ice, which makes a huge difference. Another major effort Friday was by Kris Belan. One of the Wrangler players made a very dirty hit on our Captain Justin Bowers. Belan didn't hesitate to knock him with his stick in the next line. Don't you DARE mess with our captain!

One COMPLAINT I do have about last night....the glass was STILL fogged up when the first period started. I understand the Barn is old. I get it. However, the glass MUST be cleaned BEFORE the game. Having fogged up glass at gametime is clearly unacceptable. Please, Maintenance Folks, I beg you, take care of this ahead of time.

Me with Hans Benson & Danill Tarasov

Later today, the team will be at the San Francisco Zoo signing autographs at their light festival. So, stop by, check out the lights, the animals and say hi to the Bulls!

New Year's Day, the Bulls players will be at Union Square for the Polar Bear day at a special dunk tank where we can dunk the players! I am really looking forward to this. Check out the excellent Bulls website Community page for more information.

And FINALLY, the Bulls website will be linking up with THE BULLS SHEET! So we'll have lots more readers and more comments from you!

I'll be writing my final post of 2012 on New Years Eve and will give you my thoughts of this past year and what I look forward to in 2013.

GO BULLS!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Bulls Christmas logo (courtesy of SF Bulls Facebook fanpage)

It’s been one amazing and great FIRST SEASON with the Bulls! The San Francisco Bulls have the best fans there are!

It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been lots of fun!

I look forward to seeing a lot of you at upcoming games as well as SF BULLS LIVE broadcasts and public appearances.

Thank you to all of the players, trainers, coaches, staff, writers and most of all the FANS! You RULE!!!

Enjoy the Christmas season and I hope 2013 brings you everything your heart desires!

GO BULLS!

Martha 

ALex Tuckerman and Marek Viedensky