Merrill-y All the Way….? (*sigh*)
We’re mere moments away from an Edmonton Rush news conference, where the team will officially welcome former Portland Lumberjax defenseman Brodie Merrill and present him with a Rush jersey. Suit up, Merrill!
They’re also going to announce the assistant coaches for the upcoming season.
Sadly, we will not be present, because as I mentioned here, we have jobs that keep us busy, all day long. But that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about you, Edmonton Rush. That doesn’t mean we don’t love you.
Rush bosses say Merrill is “considered by many to be the best player in the NLL.” He was recently acquired in a dispersal draft, from the now-defunct Portland Lumberjax.
Merrill made headlines earlier this month, when the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association tried and failed to earn him unrestricted free agent status, after the Portland Lumberjax folded.
I know absolutely nothing about either lacrosse or hockey, but I’m anointing Brodie Merrill the Ray Bourque of lacrosse.
That’s right, I said it.
Rush Trade
Courtesy edmontonrush.com
Edmonton Rush forward Mike Hominuck has been traded! He’s going to the Toronto Rock in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2009 NLL (National Lacrosse League) Entry Draft.
Hominuck first came to the Rush from the Minnesota Swarm halfway through the 2008 season. He went on to be Edmonton’s top scorer for the season.
The Edmonton What-Nows?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Edmonton Swastikas.
HOW HAS THIS NOT COME UP BEFORE? Surely, in this whole big, wide internet, somebody has like a great grandma who told them stories of when she used to play for the Edmonton Swastikas (if that’s the case, you had better email me, stat, with some details) – and you were all like, “I’m sorry great grandmother, WTF did you just say? No, no, keep talking, I just have to put this on the internet for EVERYONE ELSE TO ENJOY.”
Yep, I realize that back in 1916 the Swastika was a symbol of good luck, and hadn’t received basically the WORST P.R. campaign of any symbol ever. But somehow, that just makes this even better.
There’s a post on Yahoo sports post with more details here, including how back in the day “Swastikas” was actually a really popular team name. This kind of smacks of “A League of their Own.” But with hockey. And swastikas.
…so, will “Crackercats” be some kind of ethnic slur a hundred years from now?
E-ville Roller Derby: Putting the “fun” in fundraising.
As I mentioned previously, the purpose of my harrowing adventure in north Edmonton was to attend last night’s E-ville Roller Derby exhibition game.
We’ve already told you about the E-ville girls’ fundraising efforts to send three players to the upcoming Rollercon roller derby conference in Las Vegas. They’re at it again this Saturday, this time with a Garage Sale (at 12512 130 Ave., from 9:00am – 5:00pm) and Car Wash (at the Calder Domo – 12920 – 127th Street ).
I hung out and watched the game – and let me tell you guys, it was a seriously good time. I also got a chance to chat with some of the ladies (Ann Halen, Trailer Trish and CeeCee Sickness) during the intermission. They told me a bit more about Rollercon, their fundraising efforts and their respective cleavage – but that last part didn’t make the cut (sorry, boys).
SAYYY, by the way, the first person to leave a comment with the street address of the arena featured in this story wins a shiny new E-ville Roller Derby t-shirt (green, men’s, size large). Winner will be contacted by email. If you’ve won in the last 30 days, you can’t play again (sorry Derjis.)
Seals Hand Caps Back-to-Back Losses
Yikes. Tough weekend for the Edmonton Capitals. My brother Paul was there on Saturday night to take advantage of the team’s Saturday Night Movies promotion (it was “The Sandlot” this week, which I haven’t seen in forever. FORRR-EVVVVV-ERRRR).
In case you didn’t know about this, after certain Saturday night games, the Caps let spectators down on the field to watch a baseball themed movie on a giant screen. The next one is on August 1, when they’ll be showing “Mr. Destiny”. And before you judge, remember there are a finite number of baseball themed movies. I’m telling you about this late into the season, after they’ve already shown “Field of Dreams,” “A League of Their Own,” and “The Natural.” Let’s just be glad that, as of yet, “Mr.Baseball” hasn’t made the list. (more…)
I’m a Lumberjax and I’m O.K.
If you’re not following Edmonton Rush news (hey, some people like sports that don’t involve footballs and pucks, really) you might not know they scooped up some players from the defunct National Lacrosse League (NLL) team out of Portland, the Lumberjax.
There was also a trade today. Wow, lacrosse is busy.
Look at him "rush" around. Get it? Rush! (Photo: Chris Scherrer)
According to the Rush, they took a man “considered by many to be the best player in the NLL” with their first dispersal pick (the first overall). That would be Brodie Merrill.
Merrill’s even been to Edmonton before, since he was drafted #1 overall back in 2005, when the draft was held here.
Also picked up dispersal-wise is former Rush(er?) Matt Disher, a goalie, and D-man Pat Jones.
The Dispersal Draft done the Rush management said “You know what? We’re having too much fun with all this moving and shaking.” So they swung a trade.
The multi-player deal with the Minnesota Swarm sees the Rush send forward Ryan Benesch, defenceman Scott Self, and a 2009 first-round pick to the Minny, for forwards Scott Stewart, Ryan Ward, and Justin Norbraten and defenceman Richard Morgan.
Stewart and Morgan didn’t even get to try on their Swarm jerseys because they had just been acquired in the Dispersal Draft.
Who knew there more than two sports teams in this city?
And, of course, here’s the inspiration for the headline.
Hot Girls on Rollerskates want your Recyclables.
That’s right. The luscious ladies of E-ville Roller Derby are having a bottle drive this weekend, to help fund a trip to VEGAS, BABY, VEGAS!
They’ve been chosen to be a part of Sin City’s mammoth Rollercon convention, and they need to raise some scratch, stat. So if you have a big pile of empties you’d like to get rid of (I say “if” knowing full well that you obviously do, because it had to be said, because frankly your house is starting to look disgusting, you filthy pig), help them out!
The Derby girls will pick up your bottles (including milk jugs and tetra packs) from noon until 5 on Saturday. To arrange for pick up, send them an email here or check out their facebook page here.
