ColinDoyle - Yardbarker Blogs

Waiting in the Weeds

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:41:30 -0500

Hello everyone, sorry it has been so long. I have been travelling North America spreading the good word of LAX and haven't had time to keep up with my blogs. The good thing is that I have plenty of new material for my next few blogs. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to hear all about my summer so far.

Cheers,

Colin #7

Drawing the comparison between hockey and indoor lacrosse

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:39:24 -0500

Hey all, just checking back in from California. We arrived yesterday, back from the East. After spending a few days there I remembered why I love California so much. It was cold as all **ll back home!! It was nice to see family and friends and get my mind away from the Stealth for a few days. I like to call it recharging my batteries for the home stretch. As bad as things have been, we still have a shot at the post season and that is all that is on my mind right now....starting with the Mammoth at home this coming weekend. Lets get the HP rockin' for this one baby!!! We need it.

I have some time today and want to expand on one of my video blogs. I always get asked the question; "how is indoor lacrosse like hockey?" I try to answer that question as best I can, but today I'll go in to depth to try and convert some of you beloved hockey fans in the United States.

First off, the game of lacrosse is played in hockey arena's...enough said there. That should be enough to get everyone to come give the NLL a try!! If that doesn't work, why don't you come to see the number of goals scored? I love hockey, believe me it is no secret that I am a die hard Habs fan, even though some of you don't approve!! The one complaint I always hear about hockey is that there aren't enough goals scored in a game. They are working on making the nets bigger and downsizing the goaltenders, neither of which I agree as the game seems healthy to me. Indoor lacrosse will give you goal seekers the goals you need. It is normal to watch a COMPETITIVE 12-10 game. Nothing watered down, but an exciting game with many goals.

If that still doesn't do it, try coming for the physical aspect of the game. There are some "HUGE" hits during a lacrosse game, but come to enjoy the constant physical nature of our game. What makes lax so impressive is the fact that the athletes perform their mastery while constantly being pestered by the defenders. In hockey, there are usually bigger hits, but nothing as constant. That of course changes in the playoffs, as those seven game series' in the NHL truly are the best feats of any athletes.

Lastly, come watch lacrosse because the players leave everything they have on the floor. Yes it is action packed and yes it is a cheaper alternative, but the most gratifying part of watching a lacrosse game is the energy and authenticity the players exude. We don't make tons of money, and we don't have any arterial motives. We play because we love the game and we love competing. I can't say if that is true in hockey or any other sport, but I know for a fact that we are truly honest competitors in an ever increasing fake sports world. The downside of not being considered big time are obvious but the upside is that we have not be influenced at all by any outside interests. We play the game because we want to win it. Not because of an endorsement or because of contract extension. We play because we love the game!!

Take my thoughts for what they are worth, but it is part of our job to sell the American Hockey fan to the great game of lacrosse. I say give it a try and tell me what you think, I think you'll love it!!!

Before I leave I have one last note to touch on. I had the chance this weekend to play in the All star game in Colorado. I have many thoughts about the weekend, but one in specific stood out to me. Of course the fans in Denver are awesome, and of course the skill at the game is unbelievable, but my highlight was getting to play with Minnesota's Nick Inch. This may seem strange to many NLL fans, but I grew up in Kitchener with Nick and had many experiences with him as he grew up in the lacrosse scene. I remember presenting him with the player of the game award when I was a referee and he was a novice aged player. I remember coaching him for many years in Jr. A lacrosse and lastly I remember him getting drafted and finally playing in the NLL. Not only does this make me feel a little old, it also makes me really proud. It was great to see him in the NLL all star game, even though he couldn't bury a goal!! I will cherish that memory forever...Way to go Monkey, you deserve it.

Feel free to check out the video attached to this blog as I talk in person about the comparisons between hockey and lacrosse.

Until next time, stay tuned.

Colin #7

Time to Reflect and get ready to step up!!!

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:39:02 -0500

What's up yard? Just checking in after an awfully tough weekend out East. We lost back to back games in Boston and New York this past weekend, the second in heartwrenching style. I am frustrated and dissapointed with how we are doing, but I need to find a way to stay positive and keep this thing moving toward a playoff spot.

I am heading out to the all-star game tomorrow in Denver and am excited to take part in the festivities, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bogged down with the toughts of our season. I am going to take the rest of this week and all of next week to reflect and think of how I can be better and I think my teamates are all doing the same thing. In hopes that we come back fresh and positive after the break.

The good news is that we have three straight home games agains division rivals. A good run here in March will put us right back in the swing of things. We still control our own destiny and is sport that is all you can ask for!!!

The all star game will be cool as the fans in Denver are the best in the game. They will make this one hell of an event even though it will be weird to have them cheering for me (as a member of the West) rather than against me. The weekend all starts off Friday evening with a meet and greet between the players and fans followed by the skills competitiion. Saturday has the Hall of Fame introduction ceremony as well as the game itself at 7pm. It will be great to see all the all stars as well as the many first timers that I am looking forward to meeting. I will check in next week again to let you knwo how it went. The timing is perfect as I really want to enjoy a fun weekend away from all the issues we are having in Stealthland.

If you noticed I found the time to do some video blogs as well on the right hand side of my page. I talk about many things, so feel free to check them out as well.

Too bad the Canadiens didn't do anything yesterday at the trade deadline, I thought adding some grit would have helped down the stretch, but I trust Gainey knows what he is doing.

Until next time, stay tuned.

Colin #7

Big Weekend

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:27:02 -0500

Hey all, as always I hope all is well in the Yard.
I just have a minute, but I wanted to drop by to let everyone know that we had a big win this past weekend at home against the Mammoth. ?We beat them 14-9 and had some help in the other games, so we are now in a playoff spot in the West. ?We travel to Boston on Friday to play them Saturday night and then off to New York to play the Titans on Sunday evening. ?Needless to say it is a big weekend for the Stealth.
I've got tons of new video that I shot on the weekend that I will be posting over the next week or so. ?I will drop by once more once we arrive in Boston.
Until then, stay tuned.....
Cheers,
Colin #7

Back at it!

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:32:22 -0500

Hey all, I'm sure all is well in the Yard. ?Checking out the site today I noticed all the great athletes that have been checking in lately...WOW, what a lineup! ?It is great hearing from all the other athletes and fans and getting their perspective on the sporting world.
In my world, it is back to the grind after a week off. ?After our tough loss to Portland two weeks ago, we all took the week off to re-group. ?For me, it was up to Lake Tahoe and then to Vegas for four days. ?It was a great trip, and Brooklyn loved the bright lights of Vegas. ?It was?awesome?to get away, but now I am ready to get back at it. ?We host Colorado this weekend for what?essentially?is a third place battle. ?They have been hot lately and will be ?a tough opponent as they normally are. ?There won't be many?surprises?for either team, as we know each other so well.
In Stealth land we have been struggling a bit to find our identity. ?I still believe once we do, we are going to be a great team with a really good shot at making a run at the title. ?With that being said, if we don't we may continue to struggle. ?This will be a big weekend for us, as we strive to find our grove. ?It is certainly not time for panic, but this win at home would go a long way for us!!
On Saturday night the HP?Pavilion?is also hosting Joey Chestnut (A Yardbarker athlete) as he tries to break the record for eating macaroni. ?I myself am a big eater and I am really looking forward to seeing him get after the macaroni. ?I think if I get my shot I am going to call him out in the Pizza bracket, cause I love my pizza. ?All in all it is going to be a great night at the HP, so I hope to see a bunch of you out there supporting the Stealth as we start to make our move in the NLL Western Division.
Nothing for top five lists today, but I will find some time to have a look at some of the books your guys offered in your responses!!
T'ill then, all the best.
Cheers,
Colin #7

Finding our Stride and a little bed side reading!!

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:20:31 -0500

Hey all, hope all is great in the yard!! ?Things on my end have been crazy busy, but they have been great.

The weather in the Bay Area has been top shelf, and after our big win last Saturday we are starting to find our stride. ?For young teams, it is very important to find out who you are and I think we started that against Edmonton last weekend. ?I don't think we saw their best, as they did play the number one rated Bandits the night before, but they are a talented team. ?We had nine or ten different goal scorers, a solid, aggressive defense and?awesome?goaltending from Matt Roik. ?It is my hope that we come back with the same effort this weekend in Portland. ?They have been playing very well and are a very BIG team. ?They have 6 or 7 guys that stand over six foot two!!! ?This game is going to have a playoff atmosphere as both teams will be aware of the magnitude of the game. ?

Other than playing, I have also been very busy helping out with our Sticks to Schools initiative. ?Sticks to Schools is a non profit organization that the Stealth helped begin a few years ago. ?Myself, Kyle Sorenson, Jeff Zywicki and Rhys Duch go to different schools around the Bay Area and introduce the game of lacrosse. ?The program finds sponsors to sponsor schools for sticks and balls and the three days of instruction led by myself. ?We have been doing one almost every other day and it is great spreading the good word of lacrosse. ?

I also have an update on my book, "Belief Breeds Success". ?It is almost ready for release, as I plan to have it out by the end of February. ?It is my first person account of our 2008 NLL season. ?I talk about everything from relationships with coaches and?teammates?to past experiences in my lacrosse career. ?For those of you interested in the NLL, especially the Stealth you may enjoy the read. ?It is a very in depth and honest account of our success and our failures last season. ?I can't wait to hear some reviews from all of you upon its completion. ?

As always I will check back with an update after our big game, but before I leave you today I will leave you with another top five list. ?This list will be a bit different than most. ?It is not necessary a top five list, but it is a list of the last five books that I have read. ?I am just getting back into enjoying reading in my spare time again so any suggestions will be gladly accepted.

Enjoy the read, GO STEALTH.

1. ?A long way gone: ?Ishmael BeahThis book is the story of boy soldier who overcomes the fighting in Sierra Leone. ?It was a very informative and honest read about a very big problem in many parts of the world. ?i quite enjoyed it!

2. ?The Assault on Reason: ?Al GoreI really enjoyed this one. ?It is Al Gore's synopsis of the State of the United States. ?It talks about George Bush's leadership and the failed attempt at democracy. ?It does call on a lot of?conspiracies?and?negligences?of the past government. ?I am not completely in tune with the true State of the Nation, but I found it very informative. ?As a Canadian, it really touches on many issues that I was not aware of. ?I would gladly read another book by him.

3. ?Failed States: ?Noam ChomskyThis book was one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. ?I picked it up at an airport on a whim without knowing much about who Noam was. ?It turns out he is pretty good with words!! ?Some of what I read, I had to read twice as it was a very educating read on many fronts. ?The book basically addresses how the U.S.'s foreign policy has led to the many issues facing the country today. ?It talks about how democracy is not the goal in Iraq, rather a compete change in regime. ?I very much enjoyed this one!

4. ?King of Russia: ?Dave KingThis book is about a year coaching in the Russian Super Elite league. ?This was the inspiration to write a journal type book of my own. ?It was a gift from my father last Christmas and I really enjoyed the read. ?It is relatively easy to follow and give the reader a really in depth look into the differences from North American hockey to that over seas.

5. ?Green Day: ?Rebels with a Cause: ?Gillian GearI loved this read. ?It talks about the rise to fame of the great band. ?It touches on many Bay Area spots that have meaning to the band. ?I found that neat as I now know the area a little better. ?I also have a heavy connection to their video library and their many meanings over the years. ?I know this band very well, but this book gave me insights that I had never known. ?Very much worth the read for any Green Day fan!

There is my list, I hope you?enjoyed?it and I look forward to hearing some of your thoughts. ?

Cheers,?

Colin #7

Slow Start

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:17:16 -0500

Hey all, I hope all is well in the Yard. ?I thought I'd stop in today to get everyone caught up with what has been going on.
First off, the Stealth lost another nail biter this past weekend in Calgary. ?We came out really flat and gave up an early 5 goal lead. ?Once we found ourselves, we were able to battle back and come within one goal twice. ?Once in the third quarter and once in the fourth. ?I'd love to say we played great, but the truth is the slow starts are killing us. ?We did bring some positives from the game, and we are chomping at the bit to get back home and play a revamped Edmonton team this coming Saturday at 12:30 noon.
Some of the positives that we did take from this game are obvious and some are less obvious. ?First off, our goaltender Tyler Richards stepped in for the final three quarters and played extremely well. ?It was his first taste of NLL action and he played really well, and gave us a chance to win the game. ?Offensively, Rhys Duch, Tom Johnson and Alex Turner have all given us some big time play. ?On the defensive side of the ball, rookie Brett Manney has played really well and really hard. ?With more experience, he is gong to turn into a very nice defensive players. ?Kyle Hartzell has also been a?vacuum?on the carpet, picking up 12 loose balls for us. ?We do have plenty of work to do, but the truth is that Calgary is the cream of the Western Division crop, and we have to improve to be able to beat them...especially in their own house!
Around the league it really seems that Buffalo and Calgary are the teams to beat early. ?Both teams have run the table to this point, and both show no signs of slowing down. ?We are going to continue to improve, as we are still dressing 5-6 rookies nightly. ?They will improve as will our vets and we will go on our run very soon. ?I am?still?very confident in our team, and I can't wait to play again. ?Saturday can't come soon enough!
Outside of lax, I have been busy working on our Sticks to School program here in the San Jose area. ?So far, we have been able to help get lacrosse sticks in the hands of over 300 kids in the Bay Area. ?The program is going very well, and we are working very hard to spread the good word of lacrosse.
I am also hoping to put the final touches on a Stealth field lacrosse camp here in Pleasanton, California over the Spring Break in April. ?I will have confirmation on this very shortly. ?I have also finished a book that I wrote on my account of the 2008 NLL season. ?It is called "Belief Breeds Success" and should be?available?to those interested by the end of January. ?It is a first hand account of the NLL season through my eyes. ?It is a combination of journal and memoir and tells the story of the 2008 San Jose Stealth, through my eyes. ?I will let you all know when and how you can track down the book.
Lastly, the big game is finally upon us. ?The Super Bowl will finally be played this Sunday. ?I didn't get my picks in this past weekend, but to tell you the truth I expected Philly versus?Pittsburgh. ?I was 50% once again. ?This week, I will make my play nice and early....I will take Pitt. in a route!! ?Enjoy the game, and feel free to give me your thoughts in preparation for the Stealth/Rush game as well as the Super Bowl.
Instead of my usual top five list, this week I will talk a little about my lax stick. ?I have had many questions about it in recent blog's, so I'll do what I can to answer those for you all. ? I use a Gait Torque, black head. ?I do not die them, they are a limited addition black Torque available to 100 luck kids in Canada. ?My sticks are strung by my Rochester Rattler teammate, Peter Milliman. ?He has been stringing for me for the past three seasons. ?I use four shooters and a mid to high pocket. ?I like to use "Canadian" soft mesh and I like the ball to hit the top of the head ever so softy upon release. ?I will post some pictures of my Torque later on in the week. ?If you have any more?questions?about my Torque, please ask and I'll do my ?best to get that info to you.
I will check in again before our game this weekend, until then...GO STEALTH!
Cheers,
Colin #7

Tough Start

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:20:35 -0500

Well, as always I hope all is well in the Yard!

First off, let me say Congrats to my boy Rickey Henderson for being selected to the Hall of Fame. ?It was great to hear the experts sing his praise. ?Too often we only hear about one side of Rickey...his perceived "arrogance" seemed to always have the spotlight, so it was nice to hear people talk about how great of a baseball player he really was. ?Congrats Rickey, you are one of my all time faves and it is well deserved. ?I for one can't wait to here his speech!

We had a tough weekend to start the season to say the least. ?We lost both our weekend games, and are now 0-2 to start the season. ?Calgary beat us at home 12-10 and Minny beat us there 10-7. ?There were some good things that came from the weekend and we are going to build on them, but it still stings right now. ?Unfortunately it won't get any easier as we welcome Rochester and Gary Gait to town this weekend. ?We are going to have to get better!!

As far as the NFL goes, I had a 50/50 weekend getting both the Eagles and Ravens right but losing on the Chargers and the Panthers. ?I really thought Carolina was the best team left, but I guess I was wrong. ?That was the one game I thought was a guarantee...That is the NFL for you!! ?This weekend I am going to ride the Eagles and the Steelers. ?Big Ben impressed me this weekend and we all know how good that Iron Curtain is!! ?From there we'll see who I pick to win the Super Bowl!

Since I am fairly depressed about our past weekend I am going to spend some of my free time watching comedies to get my spirits up. ?What a segeway to my next top five list:

Top Five funny movies:

1. ?Dumb and Dumber: ?What else needs to be said, this is the all time classic. ?Jim Carrey at his best!

2. ?Revenge of the Nerds: ?This "classic" will be watched generation from now and still have the same appeal. ?I still try to watch it once a year....Okay, twice!

3. ?Beverly Hills Cop: ?I love Eddie Murphy, and he is at his best in this one!! ?Loved the sequels too, but this one still stands up the the best ever.

4. ?Best in Show: ?I saw this on a whim, and a recommendation from Pat Coyle (who knows his movies). ?Am I ever glad I did, this is a classic, witty comedy. ?

5. ?The National Lampoon Vacation series: ?I just happened to see Vegas the other day and it reminded me of how much I love these movies. ?The original vacation is always the best, but you can't have Christmas without a little Cousin Eddy!!

As always some that didn't quite make the cut:

Blazing SaddlesTommy BoySomething about MaryMe, Myself and IreneWaiting for GuffmanKingpinBad SantaCable Guy

I could go on all day I guess.......

I hope you enjoyed, I look forward to seeing everyone's lists as well as getting in the WIN?column?this weekend versus Rochester.

Until then,

Cheers,

Colin #7

The NLL season is upon us!!

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:43:56 -0500

Hey all, hope all is well in the Yard. ?Let me start off by saying I nailed all four winners last week in the NFL wildcard weekend. ?It was a good weekend for me, but too little to late as the pool I am in was already over...I guess I can still have pride, can't I?

This weekend, I like some underdogs as well. ?I think the Eagles are going to go in and beat the Giants and I think the Chargers are going to win in Pittsburgh. ?I also think Carolina will walk all over the Cardinals and the Ravens are going to eek out a win in Tennessee. ?We'll see how much I really do know!

As far as the NLL goes, week one is behind us already and we are beginning to prepare for our first weekend of games. ?We are home on Friday to Calgary and travel to Minnesota on Saturday for their home opener. ?We will be in tough on both accounts, but it is?imperative?that we get the first one at home. ?They bring a massive lineup of firepower including Josh Sanderson, Tracey Kelusky, Kaleb Toth, Curt Malawsky and Jeff Shattler. ?They will be ready to go, as will we!! ?It will be a great test to start the season.

Minny has already won its opener in Portland, and seemed strong in doing so. ?I expect a very close affair in Minny on Saturday night.

The Stealth are starting to stack up pretty well. ?We finally had Paul Rabil in camp this past weekend and he will add a huge dimension to our team. ?We are big, strong, and fast and the rest will fall in to place as we progress throughout the season. ?I am REALLY looking forward to seeing this thing some together this year. ?I really do think we have a lot in place for a solid 2009 run......again, I guess we'll see.

This years version of the NLL will be one of the toughest ever to predict. ?There has been so much turnover around the league and injuries have already had a huge impact on many teams. ?There seems to be no consensus favorite, with the exception of the Bandits ?in some peoples predictions. ?I think for the first time in a long time, the East and West are even with as many as four teams in each division having a legitimate shot at winning their division. ?This is going to be a great year for the NLL.

I also had a request from one of my readers regarding a list of top 5 pump up songs. ?Here is my list with a short explanation behind each.

1. ?Lets all make believe - Oasis: ?This is one of my favorite Oasis B-sides. ?It really gets me fired up as I love the beat and the vocals.
2. ?Ha, Ha your dead - Green Day: ?Another rarity from Green Day. ?It can be found on their b-side album "Shenanigans". ?I love it, especially when I have a hate on.
3. ?Holiday - Green Day: ?Green Day music really does it for me on game day, and this beauty simply has whatever it is that fires me up. ?Great Guitar, great lyrics and a great sound.
4. ?Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve: ?For some reason, this methodic tune from the Verve get me right. ?I love the musical introduction, it really gets me going. ?This is more for a laid back pump up.
5. ?Sit Down (live) - James: ?This version of this song is outright awsome!! ?The build up and the music itself along with live interaction makes it one of my favorites to listen to when I need to get ready.

I hope you've enjoyed my list and I look forward to hearing some of your favorites as well. ?I will need some of these to be going this weekend as we prepare to begin our drive for the 2009 Title!!

I will hit you guys up once more before the weekend and then will keep you all abreast with how we made out.

Until then,?

Colin #7

Happy Holidays

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:17:31 -0500

Hey sportsfans, I need to appoligize first for being so long between my blogs. I have been busy beyond belief over the holidays!! First and foremost, I hope everyone had a great Christmas season. I know I did. Brooklyn got spoiled over the holidays but had a lot of fun waiting for HO HO!!

I have so much I want to talk about, so I am going to keep this one short and build some suspense for my next few editions!

On the Stealth front, we played a great exhibition game in Colorado last week. We looked very strong and saw some great things from some of the newer players and some even better things from some of the vets. I will talk in depth about this next blog. We also signed Paul Rabil over the weekend and expect to have him in camp this coming weeekend.....that is huge news!! I will also touch on this next time around.

The NLL is aobut to kick off this weekend in Florida with the Rock playing the Titans. I should have time to give my thoughs on the NLL this coming season as well.

I am also putting the finishing touches on a book I wrote about the 2008 NLL season. I think I am going to have it published in the next few weeks, so it should be availible to all of you very shortly as well. I will also dedicate a full blog to this very shortly.

As far as life goes, my family and I are gettting ready to move back to Northern Cali this coming Friday. SInce Brooklyn can no longer sit still, there should be some good stories about that trip as well......

I have also had some requests for top five lists. I will start adding one to each of my blogs. I will start with my favoirte "pump up" songs as per request next time I drop in.

Laslty, I have assembled a funny video of the Stealth video shoot from a few weeks ago. I will have that up by the end of next week.

In the sporting world....where do I start. I finished my NFL season with a a 3 and 7 week dropping completely out of the top five and runining what was once a promising year. I love the PHilly did to T.O. and the Cowboys this week and I like the Panthers to win the Super Bowl.

Stay tuned, you will be hearing from me quite a bit in the next little while.

Have a great New Year,

Colin #7

Well on our way

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:50:17 -0500

Hey all, hope this reaches everyone well in the yard. I am sorry it has been a while, but things have been crazy! I am out West again spending the next two weeks in beautiful Northern California. Beautiful, but a little cool, but certainly better than the 4 feet of snow I hear I left behind me in Canada. Anyway, the Stealth finished up on our second weekend of training camp this past Sunday. Again, we looked good and fast. We had Eric Martin and Tim Booth back in camp along with everyone else from weekend number one. I believe we are due to put our 23 man roster in today, so we'll see what things look like this time tomorrow. I am really getting excited, as we are extremely big, fast and talented. I am also really liking what I have seen from our new offensive guys. Duch and Turner are fitting in nicely and I think we are going to have a really good thing going out our offensive door this year. There still has been no sight of Rabil or Huntley, but I will remain confident that their arrival will come and we will only benifit when it happens! I will keep you posted with their situation as it progresses, but I am sure hoping we see one, if not both of them this weekend. We are back at it for our first weekend as a team this weekend and we will start working through systems and special teams. With so many faces gone from last year, we will look different everywhere. On another note, it seems as though there may be some problems in Chicago with the stability of their ownership. I hope they can work it out, shortly as I'd hate to have yet another dispersal draft. Although, it would indeed make our team another player stronger along with every other team in the league. But I sincerely hope they find a way to stay afloat, because the league needs them to stay put for the year. The Stealth 7 Academy concept is really coming together and my hope is by this time next week I will have some dates and events that I can share with all of you...I am really excited to get them going, as I can't wait to work with the kids in Northern California and help make them better lacrosse players. I will be sure to keep all of you up to speed with the Stealth 7 Academy. That is what is going on in the Stealth world as it is really an exciting time!! I am sure as the week progresses I will have more information, so I plan on checking back in with all of you later on in the week. Stay tuned!! Colin #7

Happy Thanksgiving

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:24:04 -0500

To all my American fans in the Yard...HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We celebrate ours in October (in Canada), so I will be thinkng of you as I watch the Lions get demolished by the Titans. We all have something to be thankful for, and for the Lions they are thankful that this season is almost over. All the best, enjoy the holiday. Cheers, Colin #7

Training Camp Week #1

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:02:02 -0500

Well, the first and usually most nervwracking week of training camp is behind us in San Jose. The team met this weekend on Friday to have our physicals done in Pleasanton, then off to Silver Creek training facility for two sessions on Saturday and one early Sunday morning. My first impressions are that we are going to be bigger and a little more athletic this year, and that our offense is going to have a different flavor to it. With so many new faces, many Stealth fans may wonder who everyone is, but we looked solid in our first weekend together. Many of the new faces showed particulary well. Duch and Turner look to be great additions to our front door as both had fabulous weekends. Both kids can score and seem to be willing to go the the right places to score. I was excited to see both of them in action finally. Again, on a bright note both our second year offensive guys looked great. Both Tom Johnson and Frankie Res came in better than last year. They both will be counted on with the departure of some of our veterans in the offseason. So far, so good. On the defensive end, we have many new faces, most of which are American. Thus the learning curve will take some time, but as the old saying goes..."you can't teach size"!!! The two big bodies of Lutz and Walton seem to be enjoying thier transition to the indoor game. Hartzell also played well as did the others. The most important thing was that they all enjoyed themselves and they all want to get better at the game. This will be key for our success. As for the vets, what can you say. Everyone was in shape and had a renewed excitement to get things going. Z played awsome, as he usually does and the defenders (Sorenson, Hodgson and new face Grimes) all played with intensity. They're will be no shortage of leadership on this team, I can already tell that. As for the old faces...We will miss them all and it was odd not having Dawson, Wiles, Panarelli, Fairlie, Morris, Heffner, Rosy and of course Coz there but I wish them all luck in their new surroundings...they will be missed. It was also our first session with our new Coaching staff with the exemption of Bobby Allan and Art Webster. As we move on we will learn more about the direction of the team and the coaching styles of Jeff Dowling and Chris Hall, but both were great this weekend as we accomplished alot in a short amount of time. One thing to keep your eyes on if you are a Stealth fan is the goaltending race. All three guys seem to be poised to take over as the number one guy. This should be great for our team!! We meet again after Thanksgiving, and I will keep you abrest to any issues that arise between now and then. I hope that we can get the Hopkins kids signed in the meantime, as they will add tons to our lineup. Unitl then, Colin #7

California Livin'

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:27:57 -0500

Hey all, what's up in the Yard. Just settled in for the Pistons/Celtics game and it looks like my PIstons have some work to do to be able to hang with the big dawgs! I still like the look of the Pistons, but they need to get a big man at the trade deadline and we will be fine. I have been in Califonia all week working with the Stealth on some really big ideas for the upcoming season. I'll have to wait to tell you all what we are looking to set up, but you will be the first to hear when we get them in place. It is now, later Thursday night and before I settle in to the "Office", I figured I'd tell you my thoughts as I prepare for our first weekend of training camp. We start tomorrow night with physicals and a team dinner. After that we go twice Satruday and once Sunday morning before going our own ways for Thanksgiving. I suspect we'll still be a few guys short this weekend as we are still awaiting the signing of Paul Rabil and Kevin Huntley, two of our first round picks that have yet to sign. They are going to be an intergal part of our team, but I understand they are still coming to terms with the team on their contracts. I look forward to getting them signed, we will be much better off with both of them. That being said, there will be plenty of new faces in town for camp and I can't wait to meet them all and see what they are bringing to the table. This is an exciting time of year, and I will give a full report when I land back home on Monday. I spent the week in the office working on different initiaitves and I can say this with the upmost certainty; Our office and office staff is going to be top notch this year. Our owners are making a concerted effort to make the Stealth a success. They are doing their part and as players our part starts first thing Saturday morning. Stay tuned for you full camp report on Monday morning. Cheers, Colin #7 By the way, if you are looking for five good songs for your ipod, please get these songs if you don't already have them. They are not new, but I can't get them out of my head. I did check out The Kings of Leon song and yes, I really liked it as well. Thanks for the recomendation! 1. Love is Noise-The Verve 2. The Pedestrian-Foxboro Hot tubs 3. Time to pretend-MGMT 4. Hey Ma-James 5. Society-Eddy Vedder

Almost Go Time!!!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:45:59 -0500

Hey all, what's up in the Yard! All is well on my end, getting ready for training camp and a week out in the Bay area to prepare for the season. I leave Sunday and we start camp the following Friday. I am looking forward to getting out there and seeing what direction our team is going from a business side as well as from the team side. I have heard that we have moved into new offices and have some real top notch people working in the ticket department and the marketing department. That is good news, as they start to spread the good word of the Stealth and of the NLL. It is great to hear that we are heading in the right direction, I look forward to seeing it for myself. I am also now going to be involved in helping start camps, clinics and leagues through the Stealth. My job next week will be to start putting things in place to have all of them up and functional for the winter season. I am really stoked to get this going, as I think Northern California lax is taking off and I want to see the players in the area get better and begin getting recognized for their play. I have lots of ideas and I can't wait to get started...once we do, I will be sure to let all you know where we are heading. From a team perspective, I want to see how all the off season moves will affect our team. We traded some pretty key guys and have brought in some real potential, so I want to see the new "flavor" of the team. I think we are going to be great building on last season's success. We have a new coach and likely a new mentality, so things will certainly change for the Stealth in 2009. I for one can hardly wait!!! For all you Stealth fans, make sure you are getting your tickets for the upcoming season because I think it is going to be a very exciting year!! I'll touch back when I get out to San Jose, in the meantime stay well. I've attached a photo of me trying the surfing thing while in Hawaii...not bad for a first timer, but certainly not a natural!!! Cheers, Colin #7