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Interesting Presser Questions (Part 2)
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Interesting Presser Questions
Part 2


As you may have noticed from a previous post, Rinky has a deep interest in the questions that members of the Fifth Estate have asked him during his admittedly short career.


What is a fun fact about Rinky McDangle ?


What isn’t funny about an Irish hockey player ???  The country of Ireland does not have an indoor ice surface.  There was one in Dundalk that operated between 2005 and 2010 when it closed and has not since reopened.  Ice surfaces in Ireland are usually set up on a temporary basis around Christmas and are used for about 7 weeks.  How could there realistically be a professional hockey player that spent his childhood and youth in a country without a rink.  Pure natural talent, I guess Smile


What was the last earworm you had that lasted way too long ?

About 100 years ago Germans coined the phrase “öhrwurm” or earworm to describe a song that gets stuck in your brain.  Science has come up with other terms to describe this phenomenon such as “stuck tune syndrome” or “musical imagery repetition”.  However, the image of a worm crawling about in one’s brain was macabre enough for it to stick.  One of the triggers that produce earworms are songs that connect to events in one’s past or memories.  That being said, the last earworm that I could not get rid of for days was the tune “From Red Deer to Margaree”  done by The Grievous Angels and more recently The Skydiggers. 
 
Thunder Bay is two hours from sight
We left the flat land late, late last night
As sunlight rises in distant sky
Says” Good Morning” to our tired eyes
You grin at me and I know that it’s all right
This reminds me of a time when we were first married and to make ends meet I was working and taking courses seemingly all over Ontario.  Nikki came with me on most of these trips and I can still see her grin in the morning light.  And, Ya, I knew it was going to be all right.  Fortunately for us both, that lifestyle only lasted for a few very tiresome months.
 
Do you think professional athletes should get to complain about their job ?

The journalist who asked this likely had a very negative opinion about the salaries generated by professional athletes.  In my opinion, if an organization feels that whatever you bring to the table is worth millions of dollars, then so be it.  This is quite apart from working conditions.  Professional athletes are still human beings after all and should be able to voice their concerns about their working environment.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions ?


Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.


Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!


Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.


Oh, Rinky, why is the Sky blue?


Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.


Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind; you see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.


And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)


Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…


Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at ?


This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens fairly often (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.


You have one 10 seconds left in the period, game on your stick which teammate are you passing too?


My immediate instinct is to think, “Fuck that !”, and shoot.  However, if I didn’t have a real opportunity to score I would dish to Jack Nishimori.  That guy can score !  Players who are elite and who play to win always want the puck on their stick.  It’s the same in many sports, good basketball players want the ball, football players want the ball when the game is on the line.  


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How would you describe yourself if you had to use a quote from a movie?


Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) in Frday Night Lights sums up how I approach every game, every day.  He said “ Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn't one more thing you could have done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman, you're perfect!”


We all strive for perfection, pro athletes seemingly more so because they are expected to perform at the top of their game each and every time out.


What is the most important part of being a good teammate?


Wow!!  Where to begin on this one.  There are many traits that make a good teammate:


A.)  Develop real relationships


You don’t have to be best friends with everyone on your team, but developing a relationship with each of your teammates and knowing them off the ice will strengthen your relation and communication when it counts.


B.)  Be Willing To Play Any Role


Great teammates are willing to do whatever it takes to help their team win—even if it might not be a role they initially envisioned themselves performing.


C.)  Lead By Example


Actions speak louder than words. You don’t have to be a “rah-rah” guy to be a great teammate, because how you carry yourself says more than anything. Examples of actions that have a positive impact on those around you include:
  • You’re one of the first in the building/park and one of the last to leave.
  • You hustle back on defense and are consistently ready to perform your role on that end.
  • You stay engaged on the bench and support your teammates.
  • You encourage all teammates, not just your closest friends.
  • You listen to the coach when they speak and are able to execute the game plan they outline.

D.)  Always Have A Positive Attitude


Mistakes happen. Great teammates stay positive when they make mistakes themselves or when their teammates come up short. Are they encouraging a teammate who makes a mental error to forget it and focus on the next play, or simply chewing them out? And when a teammate scores a great goal or makes an awesome play, are they giving praise and energetic feedback or simply acting like nothing happened?
Players might not think these little details matter, but the truth is they form the foundation of successful teams.
 
E.)  Go The Extra Mile
 
Perhaps the biggest foundation of being a great teammate is setting a great example for the other athletes on your team.
With that in mind, great teammates must be willing to work hard on improving their game outside of mandatory activities.
Hard work is contagious. If your teammates see how hard you’re working, they will want to do the same. Don’t wait for someone else to set the example.
 
 You show up to the training camp in terrible condition, what is the excuse you use?
 
There is no excuse in this day and age for not showing up to training camp in the best possible condition.  There are so many other guys out there that want a job, you just can’t take whatever talent you have for granted.  Gone are the days when hockey players, in the off-season, hit the links as much as possible and worked on their “Molson Muscle” !!
 
What inspired your username ?
 
So, ya, I have an odd username.   Eynhallow is a little-known, uninhabited isle in the Orkney archipelago, just north of Scotland’s mainland. It is known as a place of pilgrimage and ritual, folklore and ghosts.  You would be hard-pressed to find Eynhallow on a map as the isle is quite tiny measuring a mere 0.29 square miles.
 
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You can only visit Eynhallow on one day a year when the Orkney Heritage Society organizes a summer trip to the island.  Even if you had your own boat, landing would be extremely dangerous due to the tidal channels surrounding the place.  Abandoned in 18541, it is thought that Eynhallow housed an 11th century monastery.
 
 Eynhallow has its fair share of mysteries. Orcadians grew up listening to stories about the haunted island. According to legend it was under the spell of mythical sea trows – evil Norse spirits who would make the island vanish into thin air should anyone attempt to set foot on it. Others were told more fantastical stories about the finfolk, or mer-people: watery shape shifters who only came on land in summer.
 
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How do you come back after a bad game?
 
In a recent interview Connor McDavid said that after a really good game he was restless.  When he had a not so stellar outing he slept like a baby.  I think after a lacklustre performance it is best to get on to the next game, or the next period or shift.  You can learn from mistakes, but you can’t dwell on them.
 
 What do you hate most and love most about your current car?
 
Well, I have a Mustang and I love the handling and torque,  But why did Ford ever put in a back seat.  It is so tiny that only a very small child could fit back there.  If I ever managed to get into the back seat it would likely require the “Jaws of Life” to get me out !!
 
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Where would you like the next expansion team to be?
 
 I can make a case for the Swords, Ontario location.  Firstly it is in Ontario and we have beaucoup hockey fans in Ontario.  Located in the Muskokas, 2.5 hours from Toronto, and about the same from Sudbury.  1.5 hours from Casino Rama and a little over an hour from Algonquin Park.  So, in short, centrally located.  The site would require an arena and a Convention Center to make it truly viable, but because it is way out in the country, parking would be a non-issue.  May I present :
 
[Image: Ht91BUuoKsct-YybBhG93DvxSpKuTG2TQsEXlhk2...E6WBAUL=s0]
 
Who's one of your favourite breakout candidates for this upcoming NHL season?
 
Don’t you just love the way these young guys can light it up ???  My candidate, if I had to choose just one, would be Kirby Dach of the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Chicago Blackhawks center scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 18 games after missing most of the season with a wrist injury. Dach will benefit from skating on a line with elite right wing Patrick Kane,
 
That’s all for this installment.  Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for more. 
 
Word Count = 2340

[Image: Rinky-sig.jpg]
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