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Friday, November 23, 2007

Marmots find Sportscaster, now need Network


Victoria, AP -- In an rare move of high-profile negotiation, the Victoria Silver Marmots Oldtimers Hockey Club has acquired former SportsCenter Anchor Craig Kilborn.

"Now we're in the market for a network to host us. We've been winning a lot of games, and getting on Network Television might enhance our fan base enough to make the beer companies notice," commented Brad Bryan, current Manager/Player for the Marmots. "We've been darn close to getting a beer rep on the team for almost two years now, and we're getting desperate. If we have our own anchorman and Network show, we figure the beer companies will practically throw the beer at us."

Not everyone on the team shares Bryan's excitement. Bret Champoux, an enforcer defenceman for the Marmots, has recently been on a fairly tight training regime, and thinks that the focus on beer is perhaps misplaced. "I really only have one beer, if any, these days after the game. Let's face it, it's not that healthy. We should consider getting Tazo Tea, or even O'Douls. It's really regressive."

Jim "Mummy" Swan, one of the more compassionate, caring players on the team - hence his moniker - feels caught in the cross-fire on this. "More goddam beer, I say! And if the Cleaner is too much of a wussy to stand it, well he can take his Tazo and ref the game for all I care." With punctuating clarity, Swan impressed upon this reporter the need for tolerance of all views.

Still, the recruitment of Kilborn bodes well for the Marmots cruise for beer, since Kilborn's ill-fated experience at SportCenter has been chalked up to reports of a perhaps overweening fondness for the beverage. See this report from CNN on Kilborn's "Gin-Soaked Experience."

"I'm sure the Cleaner will come around on this one. Even when he drinks tea, he can still put down more than any of us," prophesied Bryan, and then he waxed historical: "The jury is out until the beer arrives. Hasn't it always been that way?"

Stay tuned.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Grey Leafs and Roadhogs the latest Victims of Silver Marmot Rage


Victoria, AP -- With only three losses this season, the Victoria Silver Marmots have been devastating their foes of late. The Grey Leafs fell to the VSMs 5-1, with the Archie Browning Arena Zamboni driver noting that he only needed flood half the ice. The Roadhogs gave the Marmots a much tighter game, but felt the Marmot bite with a 2-0 loss.

"It's the new jerseys," claimed Jim "Mommy" Swan. "We used to be good, but we were never this good. It's all confidence. Sure, the guys are still doing 50 or 60 crunches and Russian thrusts before the game, but it's all different now."

Bret "the Cleaner" Champoux agrees. "Me, I've never been a real joiner. Played my own style of game, y'know? I mean, I see a guy taking unfair advantage, and I get in there. Play my game, have a beer, go home, see? But when I saw these jerseys, I knew then and there that my time as a Marmot would extend into perpetuitation. [Someone named "Waldo" yells from the other side of the dressing room: "perpetuity". Cleaner replies: "f*** off."] I stepped up right then and there and said 'I want to be the jersey guy.'"

Now that the Cleaner is the jersey guy for the Marmots, there are questions about whether other Marmots will step up with similar signs of solidarity and Marmot devotion. Grammar clarifier Greg "Waldo" Oikawa was not to be left behind: "I'm heading down to U-Brew, and I want to bring in some of that cheap-ass tasty brew so we can pay down those beauties!" Similar chants and cheers could be heard.

But all of this is background to the new style of play that seems to be gracing the Marmots this year. "I don't want to speak too soon, but I think this year could be our year at the Pacific Cup," claimed Tim "Mits" Ewanchuk. "We've got two recent import champs on the team, and they now know what it means to take a team all the way. I even heard that Sleepy was the top scorer and MVP for the whole tournament! Read it in Hockey News! And Bryan, well, we all saw him face off against Cliff Ronning in that Alumni game. Pretty amazing. I think we're a shoe in."

True enough, Mike "Sleepy" Cronquist and Brad "no nickname" Bryan moonlighted for the dreaded Screefers at the Lumberjack Cup in early November, bringing home the coveted CARHA Labatts Blue jackets. "They're nice," commented Sleepy.

"I love the jackets, but I just love the way Sleepy lit that tourney up! I mean, that's a team of Lloyd's treeplanters from way back, and now we're winning hockey tournaments. I just wish Sleepy would tell me what I gotta do to get him to light it up for the Marmots like that," wondered Bryan, clearly flummoxed. "If he wants development permits or to curry favour with some city council somewhere, he should just say the word. I want to see him play like that - and I'll do what needs to be done."

The Marmots square off in a scrimmage next week, working on their infamous, deadly, and very secret "Plan B." Only a few teams have seen it, but oldtimer hockey fans everywhere should get ready to experience Plan B at the Pacific Cup. "We'll be laying it on thick," promised Bryan.

Friday, November 02, 2007

New Jerseys!

Attention Marmots: the new jerseys are here!!!


And here:


To be unveiled, officially, at a private screening on Tuesday, and then on ice against the Roadhogs next Thursday... ! I'll find some socks.
-- Bull Dog