S76 PT #1: One night in Tokyo
Due: Sunday, April 14th @ 11:59 PM PST
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NJBadApple
Registered S36 Challenge Cup Champion
If I was a professional athlete, I am already totally out of my comfort zone playing in a city that isn’t my hometown. Maybe I came from Europe to North America. Maybe it was from the US to Canada or vice versa. The chances I'm even in the same province/state I'm from are quite small. Let’s add on the fact that you can be traded from one adopted home to another with no opinion in the matter whatsoever, and you need to be able to enjoy the “now” and not want to get too attached to anything. So - playing 2 games in another country would not phase me. In fact, I would be excited to experience that part of the world. It probably wouldn't feel like a regular season game, but it won't really matter. I'm sure there will be special patches on the jerseys, odd accommodations in the arena, and some logistical hiccups.
Code: Words: 150+
Nike
SHL GM S22, S28, S40, S42 Challenge Cup Champion & Merica Lover
Well it certainly is no surprise that Ho Lee-Smokes is popular in Japan, he does play for team Japan in the IIHF and other international competition. Japan has always been a really wonderful place to visit. Certainly, it is tough to become really famous and have people after you wherever you go. But it is also really fun to be recognized as a professional hockey player in a place where ice hockey isn’t all that popular. As for the game show, of course, Japan is known for some of the more wacky gameshows on the market. That said, I’m not one to participate in a Wipeout like physical experience while I’m out of town traveling with the team. However, this new gameshow that they invited me to is about guessing the prices of local foods. Very similar to the price is right in the states. And because I love the local food-fare, I decided that I would take a chance and join them for an evening of taping. It was a super experience.
Thanks Jove for my sig
leviadan
Player Progression Director be nice to me it's the law
1) Pinli ends up on a reboot of Takeshi's Castle which he's always wanted to be a part of. It's sort of like American Wipeout in that it's a big goofy obstacle course. Anyway I think Pinli would be a big hit on that show because he's a funny looking little guy with a ton of athletic ability. He'd win your heart with his goggles and big moustache then win the course with his insane speed and tree trunk style legs. He'd make lots of funny little gnome noises and he ran around the tracks with the grace only an ice skater can muster. After a clean first place in his first episode he'd then be invited back for the champion's episode later in the season, so hopefully his GM will give him a week off down the line so he can come back and hopefully take the prize for the whole season. Fingers crossed.
KlusteR
Registered Posting Freak Code: Written Option 2: Your team is taking part of this seasons SHL Global Series and they start their season with 2 games in Japan because HO has heard there is untapped market potential there. How does your player feel about the trip? Is it pointless travel to play in front of neutral crowd and missing on actual home opener? Or are they just exited to see the world and thrilled about the opportunity to win over the local fans? Does all this make the game feel more like showmatch than actual regular season game? For Levin, the opportunity to travel to a country that doesn't have the same kind of heavy tradition of hockey as his homeland is thrilling, and he thinks fondly of his time spent in Romania in the off-season, a few years ago, when he helped direct some exercises for 12-year-olds and instantly became a star in the eyes of the town's kids. This time, though, even though Japan doesn't formally have a league of its own, they still have exported many talents to the SHL, and even won the IIHF Gold about a decade ago. Levin revels in this opportunity to play in front of more "neutral" fans, that have less of an attachment to the teams playing in front of them, because it means that he can let his game speak for itself - if you work hard and show them what high level hockey can be like on a regular basis, you can win over new fans, either for your team (which would work very well, seeing as there's a heavy nippo-american contingent in San Francisco) or for the league as a whole. More people who watch and love the game of hockey means more players and higher levels of competition in the future - and that is something that Levin would love to see at some point, even after his potential retirement. (231 words)
Massive Coiler
File Worker Top 100... in our hearts
Written Option 2:
Not playing in front of those absolute degenerates that love and support me in Philly is tough, but no matter what, I've gotta get out there and see the big picture. Which is that I could get such a great sponsorship deal in another country if I absolutely ball out here. I'm doing every bit of media work that I can possibly fit into my schedule building up towards the game to help promote my brand. This definitely feels like the biggest match of my life in terms of the potential money on the line. Not just in the short term. If I become popular enough here, that's a media tour when I retire, potentially. Doesn't matter what country it is specifically, Japan, Madagascar, Chile, I couldn't care any less. Bottom line is that there are people here that could buy my jersey and put money in my pocket. You'd better believe I'm learning all of the local towns and shouting them out on the mini press tour, though.
jjlangabeer
Registered Dream Daddy
It has been awesome the time spent here in Japan and loving that the crowds have truly taken us in as their own. The best part was we got invited to participate in the TV show of our choosing and it was simple for me, but under one condition, the whole team got to join in. There reason why that is important is because my request was to be part of the greatest game show ever. I am not 100% sure what they called it over here in Japan as I do not speak the language but of course, in the States, it was called "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge". It was a blast for the team watching each other get crushed by boulders, take our turns on some of the craziest obstacle courses, and see all the ridiculous challenges they put us through. Of course, yours truly was able to "win", which I don't think is winning with this show, but overall it was a blast and the perfect bonding opportunity for the team.
HE SHOOTS HE SCORES
JOHN LANGABEER NETS IT AND TIES THE GAME!!!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AND HE SCORES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!! JOHN LANGABEER JUST SCORED THE 2 BIGGEST GOALS OF HIS CAREER IN A MATTER OF 10 SECONDS!!!!!! WEST KENDALL TAKES THE LEAD!!!! S41 Challenge Cup Finals Game 7, Game Tying and Game Winning Goals.
Operation Ivy
Registered Posting Freak
Written Option 2
If I heard my team was playing in Japan to open the season, I would be thrilled to hear it. First of all, I have never been to Japan so it would be a really exciting opportunity to see a new country for me personally. Japan is a country I have always been intrigued by, and this would be a great opportunity to see what it is all about. More importantly though, this series would give us an awesome opportunity to grow the SHL and Texas Renegades brands internationally and in a major global market. I like to imagine that the Japanese fans would decide to sport the famous black and silver of the Renegades as they pick their team to follow, and if we are there for that opening series it is only more likely that will be the case. I can't speak for all of my teammates, but I am confident anyone would be really excited by this chance of a lifetime to grow our game and recognition.
Evil_AllBran
Graphic Graders Posting Freak
Shiamus
SMJHL GM Senior Member
Lily Jin Morrow is super popular in Japan through her band NMIXX, so Japanese media was very excited to be able to get to know her in a different sense of the world - as an up and coming star hockey player! Rather than sing her heart out in a series of karaoke Variety shows, NHK Japan decided to get Lily onto a sports themed show called ROSHABO.
The best way to describe the game show which is ROSHABO is like rock paper scissors with a twist. Lily will play rock paper scissors with a TV Host, with a bucket and a hammer in between them. On each round, the player who wins the round will try and grab the hammer and bonk the other player on their head before they can grab the helmet to put over their head. This tests Lily's reaction time, which proved to be amazing as she won every round! She did great on the show, and it sounds like NHK Japan will bring her back for a season 2 sometime in the future. 178 words
lore
SMJHL GM Daft Chipmunk
Written option 2:
Viktor Hargreeves has been based in North America for much longer than he spent where he was born in England, so he very often forgets a world outside of Canada and the US exists in an object permanence sense. He's very much a "take me where I need to go, I'll do what I need to do" and nothing else really registers, so he'd likely only notice the plane ride taking longer than usual. Even so, Viktor knows how monumental it can be for kids in particular to have the rare chance to experience what may end up being their favourite sport. He wouldn't even be in Japan with SFP if not for a similar initiative that came to his hometown to show off the sport of hockey. So yeah, Viktor would absolutely showboat for the crowds, but not like in a "low stakes exhibition way" so much as a "up 3 games to none in the playoffs" kind of attitude. Code: 161 words
MuNk22
Registered Senior Member
option 2
Personally, I'd be ecstatic to go to Japan for a game. A Global Series match up in Japan would be a huge opportunity for Leonard Wood. Wood would likely never get to visit Japan without the game of hockey bringing him there. So he wouldn't miss it for the world. It doesn't matter that Japan is not really a hockey country. I think their sport is baseball, I believe. But Leonard Wood would be excited about bringing the game of hockey to new eyes with a chance to grow the game. Sure, he might miss the local fans back in Colorado but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Also, traveling to Japan could seriously mess up Leonard's schedule. That may negatively affect his on ice performance. But Leonard Wood is young and he will recover quickly. Hopefully he will also get the chance to explore the country a little bit while he's there.
High Stick King
Registered Posting Freak Quote:Written Option 2: Your team is taking part of this seasons SHL Global Series and they start their season with 2 games in Japan because HO has heard there is untapped market potential there. How does your player feel about the trip? Is it pointless travel to play in front of neutral crowd and missing on actual home opener? Or are they just exited to see the world and thrilled about the opportunity to win over the local fans? Does all this make the game feel more like showmatch than actual regular season game? When Jarrow first heard about the trip he relished at the chance to visit that part of the world but more so because he is a proud ambassador to the game. Since he himself discovered it as a child, he has always wanted others to see it the way he does. So exposing more people to the game is always a high priority to him. The skeptical part of him however is concerned that the games they are playing aren't exhibition games but actual season games. With the idea being that they are more meaningful and therefor a better representation of the game to the Japanese fans. Jarrow believes the opposite as it is likely going to greatly diminished the quality of the game by the players experiencing jet lag. Unless everyone is getting there with a week to adjust, it is going to be a sloppy couple of games. There were concerns amongst the team about having to not only play 2 games after a long trip with a dash of culture shock but also returning home and playing the next games. That's a real whirlwind of a start to the season. Things can go bad very quickly under those kinds of conditions. The vibe of the trip is definitely excitement with a lot of nervousness.
kit
Registered S28 Challenge Cup Champion and Shatman
Inactive forever is stoked to play in japan. While forever is a fan favorite in chicago, its nothing compared to his appeal in japan. Hes shocked that the SHL used the words "untapped potential" in regards to his home country because hes found over the years that the love he gets from japan is massively more than the love he gets in the west. Forever upon hearing this news immediately sets up a fan meet up. Hes known for being quiet and reserved, but the thought of giving back to his fans in japan is something that he could just not pass up. To forever it feels just like a regular season game, because thats his mindset. Every game is as important as the next. But he may get a little boost from his family and friends who come to see him at the global series. Overall hes super stoked
Affiliate of:
bobdigi9
Media Graders Senior Member
Written Option 2
Hockey is one of the most global sports on the planet. The NHL boasts players from 18 different countries. The SHL has that many and more. And while sometimes it's hard for North American professional sports to concede that anything exists outside of their borders, they've come around a bit more on the idea of expanding their horizons. So why not Japan? Look, it's not traditionally a country that most associate with hockey, sure. But that's the whole point, isn't it? Global Series games in Europe are great and gives fans there the opportunity to cheer on their compatriots. For countries like Japan, the potential is completely untapped. Whether you're appealing to an existing fan or getting someone who has never even heard of hockey to watch, having more people get into the sport is never a bad thing. For those who might argue that they're missing out on their home opener, the fact of the matter is that your team is ultimately going to play their first game at home at some point. What does it really matter. Add all of this to the fact that it gives the player what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Visiting a country for potentially the first time, being an ambassador for their team and the sport, and the cultural exchange that occurs between the players and the fans. I'd find it hard to believe that any player would be against the idea of participating in games such as these. While the travel may not be ideal, it's nothing compared to the experience gained. さあ行こう (Sāikō)
the5urreal
Trading Card Team Posting Freak
Option 2:
Coming up through the ranks, Atticus Hale was fortunate enough to take part in games as a member of team USA so he has been able to see different parts of the world. However, he has never been to Japan and it is one of the countries on his bucket list to visit. He is extremely excited to be able to visit the country and be a part of the SHL Global Series of games. Even though Atticus believes it is extremely important for the fans in New Orleans to be involved in the SHL and hockey in general, it’s even more important for the SHL as a whole to expand their presence and influence to other parts of the world. It may be years before the impact of the SHL Global Series is seen but it has the potential to bring an influx of new talent from other countries. The hype and excitement of the beginning of the regular season will still be there for fans back home. Two games does not make or break a season. Even though they will be played in another country, they will still feel like actual regular season games given the interest level of the host country. [204 words] |
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