Over the weekend, a boy from one side caught a football and stumbled over a boy from the other side.  This started 4 fights this morning which had the police coming to arrest six students, four of which have been expelled, the others we won’t see until after Christmas.  I don’t think that I am a bad person to say it’s a good thing, knowing even only one of them personally but the rest by reputation, but I still feel a little guilty at being a bit pleased that our principal did not cave in the face of pleading parents.  He has a reputation for doing so.

The fights had one AP blocking the Student Affairs Office door, one holding a student in an office, and one holding a student on the main office counter in a headlock as he bled all over her white jacket.  I love that our one female administrator was the one who got the challenge. I was encouraged to hurry to class as they had begun 1st period early because of the incidents…doesn’t it just figure that it was the one morning I was running 10 minutes late?

A bunch of cowardly bouncers decided to put the stomp down on 2 dudes at Jay-Z’s 40/40 in Atlantic City on Saturday night.

Via AHH:

Security guards at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey are facing assault charges after a wild altercation took place at the popular sports bar on Saturday (November 28th).

According to club managers, two men from New Jersey began causing trouble inside of the nightclub, scuffling with bouncers, before being thrown out.

The altercation spilled outside where it was video taped by DJ Zeke, who was celebrating his 25th birthday at the sports bar.

The shocking videotape captures the bouncers kicking punching, and striking two men identified as Tyrell Durant and Leonard Clark.

The brutal clip starts with as many as 10 men punching and striking Clark, who is already on the ground when Durant attempts to intervene.

The group of bloodthirsty men immediately swarm Durant and proceed to assault him as well.

Durant is struck several times in the face and head during the altercation, even though he is clearly subdued by the bouncers, who were in control of the situation at that point.

Even as Durant is subdued, bouncers can be heard yelling “put him down! put him down! [knock him out].”

To add insult to injury, Durant had to be treated at the scene by an ambulance after the rabid security guards sprayed him with a fire extinguisher, before making off with his watch and an undisclosed amount of money.

The manager of the 40/40 Club filed complains against Durant and Clark, who were initially charged with disorderly conduct.

Those charges were later dropped after Atlantic City Police saw a copy of the clip.

Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying the security guards who were involved in the vicious attack on Clark and Durant.

Mediaoutrage-  Definitely a cowardly act.

Most people try too hard at love. Love is not difficult.

Marriage is not a ball and chain. My husband is my best friend. We have years together without major fights, with many wonderful memories, and many more years of those wonderful memories to come. Spend some time finding a friend who can also be your lover, and you have it made. I’m only 20 – I was lucky to find my husband so early in life. It may take you longer, it may not. Just remember that marriage doesn’t have to be the misery it is said to be, and that you can create your own happiness.

(Unknown)

I know. It’s a tired, old thing. It’s not even that much fun anymore, is it? I think we can all admit that it’s become a bit sad and boring at this point. Pathetic, if you will. Predictable. Pointless.

Kind of like a tweeny bopper vampire movie or something.

Anyway, here it is. The latest example of unmanliness from Sean Avery.

I know. Big Yawn. Why bother even talking about it?

Just because we must never forget what a miserable example Avery is of everything the NHL should not be. It should not be a place, is not I believe, where someone can play with that amount of agression and chippiness and never have to answer the bell like a man.

Of course, Sean Avery is not a man. Not in any sense of the word as it can be defined in the NHL or anywhere outside the streets of Montreal, anyway. We know that. It’s been proven beyond a doubt. And if we needed another example, well, there it is. Jumping a Russian non-fighter from behind and swinging away before the guy even knows you’re there. It is an act of weakness and cowardice which will lower the respect anyone might have for him even further down into subterranean depths.

Of course, he knows damn well, given an equal square off, Fedotenko would kick the ever living shit out of him. But we all know Avery doesn’t have the balls to do that. Obviously.

The NHL is a place where men are men, toughness is respected and people play by a Code of Honor. Guys know, from the first days they strap on skates and hit the ice. You play by the Code or you are nothing.

Sean Avery is nothing.

‘Nuff said.

V1: There’s nothing left to say, tonight,

So close your eyes, and rest your head,

For when you wake, there’ll be daylight,

A new day comes, a new start now, now, this time, will be, right for sure,

Life is rough, this world is tough,

But that doesn’t mean, we can’t get, though this,

Chorus: So go ahead, now, forget your yesterdays,

Let the old, become new,

Let the past, guide you through,

In a world, that’s comin’ down, on you,

V2: Facing challenges, everywhere, living day by day,

Hoping tomorrow, will bring us joy, letting us, be happy,

Our sorrow is behind us, our future is among us,

Looking at us, we drive each other crazy,

Solo#1: I will be here, always for, you,

My heart is only seeking you, let our fights fade away,

Put our lips to rest, let our hearts heal,

Chorus: So go ahead, now, forget your yesterdays,

Let the old, become new,

Let the past, guide you through,

In a world, that’s comin’ down, on you,

(This song is not finished and is still in the writing stage)

Copyright: Angel Dejesus & Heather Hutchinson

LSF walked away with 11 of a possible 12 medals at the Clash UK amateur MMA tournament (we dropped a 3rd place trophy along the way). Chris White, Sanjeet, Ranjeet Baria and Jacob Constantinou all took gold.

More videos from this event on the Leicester Shootfighters YouTube Channel.

More details, pics and videos coming soon!

The night before thanksgiving I was settling down for a bottle of wine and 30 library books when the phone rang.  It was a young relative in tears.  Seems this person was chased out by zirs father in a tirade of bigoted, homophobic slander. I drove to the suburbs to rescue this teen, certain that the situation would rectify itself.

I’m glad that I can be thought of as a safe person to call in a queer emergency.  I’m less glad that there are still people chasing their teens out into the night screaming right wing talk show ideology.  Family values my ass.  This man is spewing hate in the name of god.  I will not stand for this.

Just when I was easing into a really pity party over my finances, my research, and my general well being someone came into my life needing help.  Help they shall receive.  I’m not going to sit by idly as some deranged man scares his offspring over the struggle for equality.  This poor frightened young relative of mine has nothing but the clothing ze was chased off in.

I thought the situation would blow over but it has not.  This persons adult guardians have disconnected zirs cell phone, frozen zirs bank account, refuses to return zirs homework, and has threatened to put zirs things out on the street.  The adults at the other end of this madness will not even talk to me.

So I started thinking about all the awful things I have had to put up with.  All of the hate, misinformation, hostility, bathroom unpleasantness, and downright fear that has come through my life because of God Lovers like this tyrant of a man.

Every time I experience hate because my girlfriend is trans I say “I’m gonna blog about this” and then I burry it inside me.  The hate hurts so much I can not even write about these experiences. In the last few years I have had people tell me that my girlfriend can use the men’s room because they suspect her genitalia does not look the way they would like, that she can change in the broom closet at the yoga studio, that she shouldn’t be at certain family gatherings, and that she should not be allowed to exist.  One time I was even pushed in the street after we were denied entrance to a Hollywood club.  Seems I’m always in the midst of some anger about sex and gender identities.

Until now the hostility has been about queer adults in my life.  Now that I am holding down the fort for this teen, dealing with rage and bigotry being directed towards a young person I’m so angry I could burst into flames. This youth has been chased from zirs home by adults that zir trusted.  Why is family such a hostile and confrontational experience?  Is nothing sacred?

The temperature is dropping, the atmosphere is changing, and life around us is altering its mood to remind us that it’s that time of year again! Christmas: a time for sharing, giving, loving, eating, laughing, crying, praying, and…stressing. Surprisingly enough, one of our first little marriage ‘tifts’ was over something we both love: Christmas lights. We bought 2 strands of lights for decorating the front porch; as is customary, we plugged them in before placing them to ensure they all were working. BINGO! All set! Low and behold, 40 minutes of hard, light placing labor later, we plug them in. Four sections of lights not working!

Following an old trick from my father, I meticulously checked each bulb to ensure it was nice and snug in its socket: still no-go. Mike decides these lights were a poor purchase choice and that we’ll invest in new lights tonight. Sure, no problem, except… he wanted to leave the lights strung up until we got the new lights! (For those who know me, you already see the issue; I’ll spell it out for those who have not figured it out yet: this will drive me insane.) A half-finished project is an unfinished project, and my brain cannot wrap itself around this concept for some reason. The lights cannot stay on the house if we are not going to use them! Mike is leaving for the afternoon with Brad to see a movie in Orlando (Boon Dock Saints 2, for those who are wondering.) This means, the lights will sit on the house while he is gone, and I am asked to enjoy my afternoon in the house working on whatever I choose. Not going to happen…

Result: a loud, yet rather disappointing, disagreement in the house of Simpson. After three years of being together, the fact that I cannot sit around while a project goes unfinished has somehow managed to escape my poor husband’s attention–he paid for it, sorry to say. Twenty minutes later, the lights are being pulled off the house and thrown into the garbage can; apparently, neither of us want a memento of today’s stupid disagreement, and we have an unspoken mutual agreement upon principal that these “mini-lights” have no home among Simpsons.

Here I sit, 4 hours later, contemplating the events of the day. I ponder many things, but this above all else: if this is the content of our worst fight in one month of marriage, especially when so many other opportunities for disagreement have arisen and been ignored, then bring on the Christmas decorations, because we can take on anything!

Ahh Thanks Giving. A time when families gather around and celebrate. It’s a holiday meant to appreciate the birth of this country, thankful we don’t live in a place controled by a dictatorship.

Well that’s not how my family does it. For us, it’s a time for the repulicans and democrats on my mom’s side of the family to fight about their different polical views. With my dad it’s a whole other can of worms. My dad wasn’t even born here. He was born in Ireland, and lived between there and Scottland until he was a teen. Then he moved to America, became a citizen and joined the Navy. He shouldn’t even give a shit about thanksgiving.

For my dad, the holidays are a power struggle. He wants myself and my brother and sister to spend the holidays with him. Not because he wants to be close with his children, but because it will piss off his ex wives.

You see, my dad is schizophrenic–the paranoid type, with multipals to boot. The holidays with him are like having a plethora of extended family in one body. My brother and sister are still young and affraid, but I’m use to his craziness, so I’m the one who has to be the mediator.

I refuse to bring my children around him because he’s been violent with my younger siblings in the past, although I’ve never been around to see it. I left home at 14 and lived on the streets, but before that I lived in a group home, so I wasn’t around to witness his psychotic breaks. When I was little, I would just hop on my bike and hide in the woods behind our house until his fits were over.

I’ve had enough drama in my life and feel it’s time to break away from it all. I decided to spend the holiday with my mom this year. My dad was a freak about it, texting and calling over a hundred times to tell me what a heartless piece of shit I am. After all these years of emotional abuse, I’ve grown a hard shell so his outbursts no longer effect me.

After this year, I will make my own holiday traditions involving no one else but myself, my children and maybe a few close friends. Holidays shouldn’t be a time of stress and hate. I plan to break that cycle.

Saw this video over at one of my favourite MMA blog sites Fightlinker.

I’m already pumped for the Dan Hardy vs Georges St Pierre fight but whoever put this montage together has done a sterling job.

The date hasn’t been officially announced yet but rumours  around ‘tinterweb are that Hardy will face GSP in New Jersey at UFC 111. The GSP vs Hardy New Jersey event is expected to take place at the Prudential Center, which was home to UFC 78 in November 2007.

Happy Actual Thanksgiving!  So what is everyone thankful for today? I am thankful that so far my wisdom tooth removal healing seems to be doing fairly well…Oh, and of course my family and friends and just about everything else in my life right now

I had a really good post thought out last night but the unfortunate thing is I decided to sleep instead hoping I would remember in the morning.  I know I never remember in the morning but I had hope that maybe I would this time, I was wrong.  I have vague memories of what I wanted to write about but don’t know exactly.  I really should start taking a notebook to bed or something…

So hubby and I got in a fight yesterday.  It was one of those that was kind of inevitable, he had stress building up over the month and had a bad day and I had my long day as well.  We started a discussion and we just sort of kept getting worse.  Someone would say something, then the other would get defensive and say something snippy and we just kept one upping each other until I hung up on him.  Not the most mature thing but honestly probably the best thing.  I realized that it wasn’t going to end happily and well no matter what either of us said so the best thing to do was just end the conversation got worse.  We continued talking through text, like we used to do.  Whenever the fights got bad we stopped talking and texted, it cleared away the defensive bs because we had to stop and think about what we were typing and we took out the random voice tones that can be taken wrong.  We texted and started talking and got some things out and most importantly apologized.  I grew up and realized it wasn’t all his fault and apologized for my part.  I knew I had been bad and snippy so I tried to make up for it.  He responded to my apology and we managed to somewhat salvage the night.  We tried the whole phone call thing again, considered the first one a do over and so we talked and had a decent conversation.  When I was about to go to bed he sent me his apology and even though it was delayed I kind of liked that better.  It meant he actually thought about it and most likely meant it.  It wasn’t prompted wasn’t forced, it was meant.  It was progress, when we fought before it used to be about who could win.  It used to be just angry, each person put up their defenses and attacked.  It’s finally different, a step back and actually be able to stop ourselves before it is that bad and apologize while actually meaning it.  Any apologies from before used to be superficial, just because we knew they were supposed to be said, I like meaning them better.

Mother likes the fact that we – as a family – are know as a gentle educated family. She hates it if people think otherwise.

I think everyone ought to know we are all anything but gentle all of the time with each other. Of course, we are educated: I have a degree in Computer Engineering and my sister displays her Masters Degree in Statistics with the air of a conjurer who has just made the whole world disappear. Mother too is a double graduate and Father is well-versed in printing technologies. Well, Father doesn’t have a degree; it’s a diploma he earned. But then at least he earned that. I know of Fathers who have merely earned rotten abuses because of their alcoholic habits – My Father has none of those habits.

So, we are educated, but we cannot spend an evening without a quarrel. We argue and we do storm out of the venue of the conversation, but come a knock on the door, we morph into the most amiable family you have ever come across. We are all smiles and we will go out of our way to ensure that you think that there’s not a split in the seams formed by us being stitched together.

But come sometime unannounced and invisible to visit us and you will see what we actually are.

Mother dreads this being discovered and so, always ensures we never quarrel outside the house. Father does make a wan face and at times spoils it so bad, we have difficulty figuring out whether he is thinking or is just in a bad mood.

Well, Mother hates it when he makes those faces but she cannot do anything about it. So, she pretends to assume that no one will notice them and sallies forth as if her family were the best in the world.

I have told so many times to get rid of this best-family title that she so assiduously sticks to. But no, she never will.

Mothers! I think they are born to nurture and born to care. But I also think they are born stubborn!

One of the greatest Muay Thai fights of all time.

Like two weeks ago, I received a call from a guy that I hate, [PP]. We went to the same under-grad school, and he was my ex’s roommate. They lived in the same building as me, but below me. This guy really sucks. He is what I have deemed an insecure badass. He always acted like he was awesome and a lot of people liked him, but this was not the case.  He seems to thrive off of drama, and loves to stir shit up just to  be the center of attention. I also had the pleasure of working with him. He didn’t bathe often enough and smelled really badly, our boss at work actually ended up saying something to him about it.Well, things between the ex and I were pretty toxic, and [PP] would tell everyone at work and school about my life’s drama and mess. I don’t really talk about personal stuff at work, it is work, and I don’t think it is appropriate. But he would say stuff about my life when I wasn’t at work, and people would tell me later what he said and discuss my issues with me. I am not okay with this at all. I prefer to keep my personal shit to myself. But [PP] had a big mouth. So I called him out on it, and we got in a huge fight. I basically told him that I would pretend like he didn’t exist and he better do the same with me. He did a few other douche bag things, and after that last conversation we never spoke again.

So like I said, he called and I was pretty confused as to why this douche would try to call me after years of not speaking. Well, I found out why yesterday. I  went to eat lunch with a friend of mine that works with [PP]. Turns out that he is now trying to apply to the school that I am currently going to, and was just wanting to “patch things up.” AKA wanting me to put in a good word for him. When my friend mentioned that she was seeing me, [PP]made some snide comment about me, so obviously he still doesn’t like me, but isn’t against using me. Funny, you are complete and total bastard, but when you want something, you’re willing to call me out of the blue, well [PP], don’t worry. I have plenty of stuff that I can tell the students on the admission panel about you, stupid fucking gobshit! In fact, I would be more than happy to tell them what I think of you, so don’t worry, I have more than a few words saved up to describe you. And don’t worry, I will. I have asked my friend to inform me if he is given an interview at my school just so I can be sure to vouch for his character And yesI am spiteful, just to prove it check this out, I am that spiteful!

FIGHTSHOP are please to announce a sponsorship deal between FIGHTSHOP and two of the UKs leading up and comers in the UFC, Ross Pearson and Andre Winner.
We will be providing the guys with Sandee kit and other stuff over the next year and working closely with them, their training team and management, giving as much support to the guys as possible.

We have a lot planned for 2010 so stay tuned but for now here are some photos form UFC 105 (thanks to Sherdog)

Ross Pearson UFC 105 Mancheser

Ross Pearson UFC 105 Manchester

Ross Pearson UFC 105 Manchester

Andre Winner UFC 105 Manchester

Andre Winner UFC 105 Manchester

Andre Winner UFC 105 Manchester

Whoever said that the standoff at the end of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly obviously hadn’t seen this epic duel. What Ennio Morricone’s film score masterpiece was to the 20th century, so “Don’t move the boat!” shall be to the 21st.

Two years from now, you’ll be watching Woodpecker Vs. Snake adapted to the big screen with a $300 million operating budget, directed by Michael Bay and starring Will Smith  as the Woodpecker and Eric Bana as the Snake, with a surprise cameo from Jack Nicholson as “Don’t move the boat!” guy. Mark my words.

(via Lindsay Robertson)

When i first thought of writing this blog, I wanted this to be my punching bag.. er.. sounding board for all the pain I am going through in my newly married days. We were fighting like crazzzzyy… We are 2 very (very very…:) .. ) different personalities.. One is ancient, rigid and responsible while the other is modern, flexible and care-free.. Imagine the kind of clashes that are bound to happen with 2 such people. The clashes did happen and how… But, by the time I actually got to create the blog my anger and dejection had subsided, romance sweeping these feelings way way away from me.. And so the intro post happened… Between then and now.. there is no constant mood and thus the title of this post.. We fight and we kiss and make up.. We fight while kissing and kiss while fighting.. lol.. but thats whatz happening..  and thank god for that!!!

The bad side of the whole thing is it just puts like 2000 questions in my head (I am a thinking person you see.. ) and i start jumping to conclusions.. and then i wonder maybe I am making a hill out of a mole.. i really dont know.. So tell me people.. are crazzy fights commonplace or do they indicate something more????

When I was 16, I fell in love for the first time. He was two years older, a senior when I was a sophomore. Eventually, he left for college. It was heart wrenching. Intense. I felt a hole growing inside of me, an emptiness and a palpable terror that this was the end.

My parents actually let me visit him a few times at school. Maybe twice. I’d stay hidden away in his male-only dorm. We’d party with his new college friends and have a lot of sex. He was my first. I was ill-equipped for the fall out, but I’m glad my first time was with someone I actually loved.

Anyway, after a weekend spent being very grown up at school with him, I returned home to the life of a high schooler. When I left for school on Monday morning, a small flattened box fell unnoticed from my backpack. When my mother held it up later that day and asked me if the Today Sponge was mine, I blushed and fumbled for words, saying simply, “No.” She smiled knowingly and dropped it.

Later that evening, she nagged at me to do something, I can’t remember what. Something small. Trite. Normal. But her nagging was incessant, and I hated her. So I told her to go to hell.

My father jumped to his feet, coming to her aid. He looked at me disapprovingly.

“You can’t talk to your mother that way.”

My two younger brothers were there, in the background, maybe watching TV or doing homework or playing Mario Brothers. But their presence made my mother’s response even more humiliating. She looked at me but spoke to my father.

“She can say whatever she wants now that she’s fucking her boyfriend.”

She practically spit it, it was so venomous. So hateful.

My father turned to her, obviously appalled. He gasped her name. I don’t remember if I hit her. Maybe she hit me. There was a tussle of some sort and my father and the older of my two younger brothers held her back from me. As I walked up the stairs, tears streaming down my cheeks, she yelled, “SHE’S TURNED INTO A FUCKING WHORE!”

It is my ugliest memory.

We’ve talked about it, especially when things have gotten particularly bad between us. When we are nearing “estranged.” Somehow, when things go sour between us, it is this fight that springs forth in my mind. It epitomizes all that is wrong with us. I am always the one to bring it up. She has never apologized.

And I know I don’t deserve a pass. You’re not supposed to tell your mother to go to hell. Clearly, I was wrong. But what she did left me wounded in a way I can’t quite describe. And her inability to acknowledge it has strained our relationship.

It seems that parents have an astonishing power in shaping their children. My father often says that everyone’s an example, for good or bad. Parents included. So we look to them and decide, “Yes, I’ll take that with me.” Or “No fucking way will I be like that.” Or more often, “I don’t want to be anything like my mother but oh fuck how’d I end up just like her.”

It is this power that frightens me most when I think of my own children. Who am I shaping them to be? Am I breaking their spirits? Berating them with my criticisms and orders? Do I love them enough? Am I giving them enough to make them confident, whole, happy? Do they hear often enough how wonderful I think they are? And what about what I do, what is that teaching them? Which of my many dysfunctions am I passing along inadvertantly?

I think of that fight, the damage it did, the still present need almost two decades later to hear her say she’s sorry, and I hope I’m not like her. At least not like the her that fought so ugly, that sank so low. At least not like the her that says “I did the best I could” or “nobody’s perfect” in place of “I’m sorry.”

But I worry that I am like her. That I can be just as ugly. That I can hurt my kids just as badly. That I will hurt them that badly. That I fail to recognize when I am wrong, wrong, wrong. That the script is somehow written already….

A teen boy is punching a girl while on a school bus.

My first question is:

• What the fuck is the bus driver not pulling over?
• Why the hell no one is getting help?
• Out of all these kids, Why fight the girl?
• Why did it take so long for another girl to even break up the fight?

But the killing part is that right at the :22 mark the other girl just walks up and says “Chill out Terrell, stop..fa real..before you get in trouble” and then walks back to her seat. The boy stops. If that is all it took then she should of jumped in like :22 seconds ago.
WTF?!?!?

Do you have arguscussions or discussionments?  Question mark, right?

Most of us communicate in one of four ways:

We start talking, we open up, we listen and we learn about each other

We start arguing, we end arguing

We start discussing, we end up arguing – Discussionment

We start arguing, we end up discussing – Arguscussion

The best of these is when we talk, open up, listen and learn.  It’s hard because how many of us listen only for our turn to talk or overtalk our spouse? How many times do we REALLY listen?  Remember, hearing is the physical act of taking in sound.  Listening is physical, emotional and spiritual.

If you can’t start and end communication easily, then at least have an arguscussion.  Start rough, finish good.

Good life, good love,

CH & the IW

Two more students training at Leicester Shootfighters won fights on Saturday, this time at Clash of Warriors 8: Battleground held at the Victoria Leisure Centre in Nottingham.

Mahmood Besharate put on an excellent display in his MMA debut stopping the very tough Irish fighter Bernard McGuigan with low kicks in the 2nd round.

In a co-main event, Karsten Lenjoint took the Clash of Warriors British Featherweight title buy defeating Jurjis Karpenko by tap out due to strikes in the first round.

Both fighters put in excellent performances and it was an honour to corner and work with them. Congratulations from all at the gym.

Mahmood after winning his MMA debut

Karsten with his Clash of Warriors British Featherweight belt

I’ve finally submitted my third article at Alltern8 about LARPing and Dating. It’s a constant thing to hear people mention how they can never meet a significant other during a LARP. While I’ve seen it happen countless times! To open some eyes about scoring a date at a LARP I’ve written:

Article:

LARPing and Dating… Not a Myth

LARPing is a social event. I know! Can you believe it? Being a social event there tends to be some social interaction between people. Usually awkward, not looking in each other’s eyes, shifting your weight from feet to feet, and you can’t remember what you talked about after you walk away. Did I even introduce myself? What class is she?
Yup, that about covers a conversation between two people that are use to interacting with a screen between themselves and humanity. But you are subjecting yourself to actual social event outside of your basement so that alone is something to be proud of.
Most players when they think about the stress of carrying on a conversation do not even think of forming a relationship with someone unless they can call to trade Magic cards. Furthest from their mind is starting a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.
And yet when guys gather around to plan an outing to the local LARP just the mention of lady LARPers have them cheering each other on, slapping each others back and drawing up intensive plans of who is wingman. But they are usually the first ones to mumble a hello and hightail it out of there to the first girl LARPer they come in contact with.
There are many girls out there that have the same reaction! We plan on meeting a lot of guys but it becomes overwhelming when we finally arrive to the camp. If you don’t have the confidence of a movie star the reactions you receive are intimidating enough to send anyone running for cover. And if you have the confidence to actually receive and handle the attention accordingly you become ‘untouchable’ by the guys who are nervous around confident girls and the stuck up princess to the rest.

To continue reading please click here!

A brief note in Wednesday’s Globe explains that Cam Janssen asked Shawn Thornton to drop the gloves before the opening face-off of Monday’s game vs. The Blues in St. Louis and Thornton said no.

I am of two minds about this.

On the one hand, I consider Shawn to be one of the brighter tough guys in the league when it comes to picking his spots for a fight. I think it’s something that Claude Julien preaches as well; knowing when it will benefit your team and when it won’t. Consider the circumstances in this one: St. Louis came into the game struggling, looking for a spark at home and Janssen wants to provide it right off the top. Coach has given him the start and he’s lined up against his equivalent, Shawn Thornton. From his point of view, the perfect spot for a go.

Not so from a Bruins perspective, perhaps. The B’s come in having won three straight for the first time all season and have done it on the road. Thornton could argue that dropping the gloves at that point against such a formidable opponent would do nothing but benefit the Blues, playing right into Janssen’s strategy. Thus, he declines the offer.

Fair enough. You have to respect that approach. Certainly, I think visiting teams do exactly the same when in Boston knowing damn well that the B’s are a team that can really feed off of emotion, especially at home where the crowd loves nothing more than a good fracas on the ice. In fact, there’s a rich tradition of it. I bet if you ask Thornton, he could tell you about any number of times that opponents have declined his own requests the way he did Janssen’s.

Of course, the other way I look at it is that it’s a fight I would love to see. Thornton is as experienced and tough a fighter as you will find at his size, 6-2 217, and matches up well with Janssen, 6-0 210, in terms of class. Janssen has had some classic fights this season and earned a coveted spot on our Fight Page a number of times.

Chances are it would have been a beauty.

Chances are.

But we won’t know, at least not this season. That was the one and only time the two teams will meet in 2009-10. Unless one of them gets traded or they meet in the Stanley Cup Finals, it shall not take place.

Good strategy or opportunity lost? You tell me.