Goon's Ramblins 7-08-2006

This weeks Installment of Goon’s Ramblings

Goon's World Hits the Dirt Tracks
To some people’s shock: From time to time Goon's World will also cover racing during the summer. The off season can be very depressing, all there is to cover during this time transaction of former NCAA players and UND Fighting Sioux players leaving for greener pastures of professional hockey. The Goon enjoying dirt track racing and can be found many of Friday nights sitting in the stands at River Cities Speedway enjoying a Mike’s Hard Lemonade or a Miller Lite and watching racing. River Cities Speedway
Although River Cities Speedway is not Knoxville Raceway it does offer a good race program at an affordable price $12.00 a ticket if you buy them at one of the stores that sells race tickets. The El-Roco sells race tickets in its liquor store.

Player Leaving for the Pro’s
While it appears that Wisconsin up to this point had gone unscathed by players leaving early for the pros it is now being reported by the Wisconsin State Journal that Badger underclassman Joe Pavelski is considering a jump to the next level.

Center Joe Pavelski, a junior-to-be who led the Badgers in scoring the last two seasons, is engaged in talks with the San Jose Sharks that could result in him signing an NHL contract this summer.

This development would be a serious blow to the Badgers hockey team, Pavelski scores big goals at big times and is one of the more talented underclassmen on the Badgers hockey team. While I hate to see players leaving college early I don’t fault these kids for taking the money or entertaining the idea of improving their lot in life.
Elliot staying at Wisconsin for now?
The same newspaper is reporting that Badger Goalie Brian Elliot will be staying put in Madison for his senior season.

There is further evidence that the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team will retain the services of record-setting goaltender Brian Elliott for the coming season. Elliott recently took part in a prospects camp sponsored by the Ottawa Senators, who picked Elliott in the ninth round (291st overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
Elliott, 21, was one of four goaltenders at the camp, which requires that U.S. college players or prospects pay their own way in order to retain their NCAA eligibility. A senior-to-be, Elliott showed Ottawa officials why he set UW records for goals-against average (1.55), save percentage (.938) and shutouts (eight) last season en route to being a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Bill Elliott, Brian's father, said he spoke with Senators officials during the camp, and they said they were happy with how his son was developing at UW. "He's going to be back there (at Wisconsin)," Bill Elliott said of his son.

While I earlier I had put Elliot on the Watch it was done so as more of a fishing expedition due to boredom. I was even quoted in Wisconsin Hockey Blog I personally predict that Elliot is still about 60/40. Elliot holds all the cards and I doubt that the Senators would risk losing Brain if he is not signed by August 15th of 2007. At that time Elliot could take offers as from any club if the Senators don’t sign him.

Golf Etiquette
Most of us are not scratch golfers or will we ever be. We play golf for the love of the game and as a way of killing time. It’s a hobby. Nothing makes me more upset than slow play and golfers with bad etiquette. I like to play quick and do not let the grass grow under my spikes.

Recently, I had the misfortune of following a very slow group of players. There were four older gentlemen all walking and all were having trouble staying the fairway, most of the time they were touring the fescue and taking forever on each hole. The course I play is Kings Walk Golf Course in Grand Forks, ND Kings Walk and on a windy day It can be very challenging and very long, its not for the faint of heart. When the wind blows the greens speed up and it can be possible to go driver, three wood eight iron to reach a 400 yard par 4. Using long irons and woods increases the possibility of a wayward shot and a high number. The grounds staff has smartly put red hazards stakes by the fescue on some of the harder longer holes, however, this doesn’t keep players from spending forever looking for their balls in the long grass of the courses various hazzards. My suggestion is when the course is busy and you can’t find your ball in a reasonable amount of time, take your drop and stroke and move on don’t continue looking for a ball that is not going to be found. The balls that go into the fescue grass become buried under the long grass and won’t be found unless you step on it. The difference between a bogey and a double bogey is not going to affect your score that much nor is it going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.

When your playing group is slower than the group in front of you let them play through. Remember as each group stacks up behind you on the tee box your slow play is affecting others speed of play as well. In other words your throwing their games off too. Don’t glare at people when they hit into you, pick up your speed of play. Don’t take their balls or hit it back at them, its only going to cause more problems and cause more shots to be hit into your group. It should take no longer than 2 hours to play nine holes of golf.

Lastly when you finish putting, put the flag back in the cup and clear the green, don’t count strokes or put your score on the card, do that on the next tee. As soon as the green clears the group behind you will be ready to shoot their approach shot and the people on the tees behind them will be able to hit their tee shots.