Not Mike Green

hockey music 101

2010-11-02T22:59:00.003-04:00

Long time, no see, folks. I do apologize for my absence. As the glorious new season has unfolded I have become increasingly inundated with schoolwork and other academic duties. However, I will do my best to keep this venture up to date, considering social media and hockey are two of my great loves.

Today's theme, partially inspired by Puck Daddy's Goal Celebration Rankings, is about arena music. I, personally, am not impressed with "Kerncraft 400" and that really bad "Rock the Red" song that we hear so often at the Verizon Center, so I have a few alternatives for you, handpicked by yours truly. These ten songs remind me of Caps hockey in a big way, and in my not-so-humble opinion, are pretty kickass selection.

(Semi-warning: My musical bias is rather evident in these songs, and some are rather explicit.)

1. "Welcome Home" - Coheed & Cambria

This song is already played on occasion at the VC and other sports events, but it's such a good song that I had to include it.

2. "Holler 'til You Pass Out" - 3OH!3

3. "Chillin'" - Wale

Best DC-themed song by a DC-based rapper ever, and rather perfect for our beloved Capitals. It's also rather easy to change up the lyrics. "His name Mike Green and he came to get it!"

4. "Red Flag" - Billy Talent

5. "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3" - Coheed & Cambria

Strange title aside, trust me. It's awesome. And yes, I really enjoy Coheed.

6. "Yes" - LMFAO

John Carlson's theme song. It's hard to be humble when he does his breast stroke through an underground tunnel.

7. "Prayer of the Refugee" - Rise Against

8. "Uprising" - Muse

9. "Wanderlust" - Every Time I Die

Yes, I know they're Sabres fans. Just go with me, here.

10. "Open Your Eyes and Look North" - Dance Gavin Dance

This song is more personal than anything. I had it on loop the day of Game 7, so now it just reminds me of hockey.

Hope you guys enjoy these songs as much as I do. Feel free to share your favorite hockey songs, because everyone loves new music! (Also, if any of these links are broken or expired, please let me know.)

Great Work, Rick.

2010-08-23T19:37:00.001-04:00

I am interrupting my usual blog content to bring you something that I find hilarious and all too relevant to my interests.

Today is my 20th birthday, but that is beside the point. My dear friend Annie (known in some circles as Coach Rick-Brendan. And by that I mean me.) pointed out that today is also Mike Green's birthday. And I don't mean this Mike Green. I'm talking about NOT Mike Green.

I was introduced to this Mike Green when I drafted him in my NHL 2K8 version of the Dallas Stars (it's kind of the best team ever). I picked our beloved GreenLife52 in an earlier round, and I relished the thought of having TWO virtual Mike Greens on my squad. To differentiate the pair Coach and I referred to him as "Not Mike Green", mostly because of our inside joke that is the namesake of this blog.

Not Mike Green appears to be quite the journeyman, having bounced around a handful of leagues over the years. He currently plays for the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams of the DEL, which, for the record, is the most badass team name ever.

So happy birthday, Not Mike Green. You were born on a very good day, and thank you for perpetuating my ridiculous inside jokes and reaffirming that I chose the right name for this blog.

As Rick Nash would say: "It's like a pun!"

Hockey Photography Tip #4

2010-08-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

This tip is even less technical than my previous one. As many of you know, hockey is a sport filled with what I like to call "wacky antics". Chirping, fights, full-blown line brawls, even teammates just messing with each other, you name it. Antics are all over the place. What else do you expect from a large group of dudes? (I say 'dudes' rather than 'guys' or 'men' or any other masculine descriptor, for that is what hockey players truly are. Dudes.)

Photographs tell a story visually. Relaying a crazy hockey tale is one thing, but being able to show them is another. Which leads to today's tip:

#4 Be on the lookout for interesting happenings

Here we have Alexander Semin and Brooks Laich wishing Mike Green a happy birthday at practice last October. Nothing says "I care" like being tackled to the ground and facewashed.

Practice is the perfect place to capture some candid moments. Players are relaxed and in their element, and usually enjoying themselves. Ever watched a game of Juice Boy? Absolute hilarity.

Sometimes the two seconds you look away from the game is when the most insane things go down. The picture above is from an Admirals-Bears game in Norfolk. The Ads' goon Fritz threw a massive hit on Boyd Kane and shattered the glass right in front of where we were sitting. I was looking at my phone didn't see it happen, but I made sure the aftermath was well documented. So pay attention, people! You never know what you might miss while Tweeting game updates.

In some situations, location is everything. I got this shot of Capitals prospect Trevor Bruess bleeding profusely after getting the you-know-what beaten out of him my Stefan Della Rovere by the dumb luck of having a seat right next to the penalty box. Make the best use of the spot you're in, even if it's just for warm-ups or practice. Watch places like the box or the bench. But most of all, just watch things unfold as they come, and have your camera ready always.

Hockey Photography Tip #3

2010-08-16T22:15:00.002-04:00

Today's tip is another composition-centric one, but one that I think embodies the whole point of photographing hockey.

#3 Try and capture the sport in action

Isn't why you came to the game in the first place? I will admit, at puck drop the camera usually goes back into my bag so I can focus my full attention on the game, but if I have a good enough view I'll whip it back out to try and capture some of the action.

Hockey, to quote William Faulkner, is "as fluid and fast and effortless as rapier thrusts or lightning," which makes it a challenge to shoot as it is being played. However, you should welcome that challenge, because you will end up with some amazing pictures.

In-game photography requires some adjustment to your camera settings. Bump up your shutter speed to start out with. If your photos look a little too dark after a few test shots, adjust your ISO so more light can enter the camera lens. Also, some cameras have settings for specific scenery, such as the unforgiving fluorescent lights of a hockey rink. If all else fails, don't fret, you can lighten your images in your photo editing software of choice. (More on that later)

In terms of what kind of action makes the best photograph, that's up to you. I like shooting faceoffs, net-crashing, and goalies in action, but almost anything will look great. Experiment with different angles and scenarios. Your patience will be rewarded.

Hockey Photography Tip #2

2010-08-13T17:15:00.002-04:00

It is a rather dreary, rainy Friday the 13th ("Spooky, scary!"). So I figured I would post the second in my series of hockey photography tips. These next few pointers will be focused more on composition than the technical stuff. Everyone's camera is different, and if I'm not careful this could devolve into a rant about how kit lenses are a conspiracy by the camera companies to get us to buy their far too expensive lenses or how some venues (*cough*GiantCenter*cough*) are stupid for not allowing DSLR cameras inside. What are we going to do, sell the pictures?!

But I digress. Here is today's tip:

#2 Try to Capture Players' Faces

I can't tell you how many pictures I have of the back of hockey players' heads. You see them skating in your direction, but by the time you get your act together and take a photo, they've already gone by. Story of my life. At first these back-of-head shots looked kind of artsy, but when I discovered that the only picture I ever took of Brian Pothier was a close up of the back of his helmet, I knew it had to stop.

But on occasion, I manage to snap a clear photo of a player's face. The best advice I have to offer is to anticipate them skating around. Keep your head on a swivel. This is where having your camera settings in order comes into play. If your shutter speed isn't right, all you'll see is an amorphous blur, and not the doggedly handsome handyman captured above.

Another thing to keep an eye out for are players who are standing still. This applies mostly during warm-ups, but definitely use this to your advantage. The lack of motion buys you time to get some really interesting shots.

Happy snapping, and I will be back with more soon!

Hockey Photography Tips: Part 1

2010-08-11T22:03:00.005-04:00

Konbanwa, dear readers. In my last post I asked you to suggest some things that might make this blog more interesting. And in a moment of brilliance, the always wonderful Kathryn suggested that I share some tips for photographing hockey.

Aside from watching the game itself, taking pictures is my favorite part of going to hockey games. Photography has been one of my main hobbies for years now, and I find shooting at hockey games to be challenging (often frustrating), yet a lot of fun. I'm far from an expert, but I hope what I've learned from experimentation and others' knowledge can help you in your photographic endeavors.

So without further ado, Tip #1: Know your camera settings and surroundings

Before you even think about clicking the shutter button, make sure your camera's settings are appropriate for shooting the fastest sport on ice. If your camera has a sports setting, that's a good place to start. However, to get the best photos possible, I recommend working in manual mode. In manual mode you have control over all of your camera's settings. For hockey photography, I have found that the two most important are 1) ISO and 2) shutter speed.

In digital cameras, the ISO setting determines the image's quality. A higher ISO setting like 1600 will result in a more grainy image, whereas an ISO 200 will yield a much sharper image. In addition, the ISO setting also indicates how sensitive to light the camera is. For indoor action scenes like a hockey game, a higher ISO will capture a better amount of light in your image than a lower one. And trust me, you'll need all the help you can get. Hockey arenas have abysmal lighting, and only professionals with their loads of expensive equipment can really capture the light perfectly.

A camera's shutter speed is just that, how fast a picture gets taken. On my Nikon D5000 it ranges from 30 seconds to 1/4000 of a second. A longer exposure will let more light enter the camera, and a shorter one will do the opposite, but at the same time capture a fast-moving object, such as Alex Ovechkin flying through the neutral zone. The key is to find the right shutter speed that will capture an image without the potential blurriness of a low shutter speed or darkness of a high one.

My usual hockey shooting settings are ISO 800 and a shutter speed of 1/200. This can vary depending on the venue and what exactly you are shooting, of course. It's all about experimentation.

Another thing to consider when photographing hockey is where you are shooting from. Most of my pictures come from warm-ups, as I am but a poor college student and cannot afford the best seats in the house. Unless that house is the Norfolk Scope. (Bless you, non-hockey markets.) So I advise you to get to the game early, and park your butt in front of the glass. Hip-check some small children if you have to. My favorite spot is just off the corner of the rink, where you can see from the goal area to part of center ice. The photo above is a good example of where I was standing. Basically you want to have the best view of the ice as possible, so you can have a wide variety of shots.

I hope these first few pointers are useful. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more. :)

in which i have no excuse

2010-08-09T21:36:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the unexcused absence from the blogosphere. This summer has proved to be busier than I anticipated, and what with many other, more reputable sources covering anything of note that has to do with hockey before I can even get near my computer, I started slacking in a big way. Run-on sentences aside, I am working to pick up some of that slack.

However, I can't do this alone. I need to hear from you, the readers. What kind of content would you like to see on this blog? What can I do to make reading what I write more entertaining and informative? More photos? Hockey-themed cupcake recipes? I'm open to any and all ideas. Leave a comment here or shoot me an email at notmikegreenblog@gmail.com, and please help a fellow hockey lover out! I love to share my thoughts on the things I'm passionate about, but not if I'm boring you guys to death.

In other, more exciting news, I was informed by the fierce and fabulous Better Living Through Bradley that in approximately one (!!) month, our beloved Capitals will be back in town to report for preseason duty! The end is in sight. That is, unless this business with a man I'll just refer to as "Chuck" decides to ruin the fun for the entire league. But I doubt it will go that far. (Please don't make me eat my words, Hockey Gods...)

And now, I will close out this post with a moment of Zen, a brilliant quote found in the comments of Andrew Gordon's latest post on Russian Machine.

"I think a one-legged Andrew Gordon could complete the Haynesworth challenge blindfolded while carrying Coco the Bear on his back.

Like. A. Boss.

development camp: day 1

2010-07-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday, hockey fans. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. This past week was busier than I expected. But I return to you with a report on the first day of the Capitals' annual prospect development camp. Coach and I had a great time watching the future of our team hit the ice. We especially enjoyed standing in line at Panera with the coaching staff and a handful of prospies, but that's besides the point.

So, some observations:

→ I was very impressed with quite a few players. Cody Eakin, Joe Finley, and all of our Baby Russians™ (Kuznetsov, Galiev, Orlov), in particular. Also, a couple of unsigned invites, MacLeod and Burt, stood out quite a bit to me. Those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head, I'm sure there are others who I am forgetting.

→ Finley, who clocks in at 6'8" and 247lbs, looks like he could eat a few of the small children we saw toddling around the ice at KCI for breakfast. Except for the fact that he's really just a large teddy bear in reality. I'm a fan of the Joe.

→ I love how accessible the media that covers the Caps is. Throughout the day I saw people like Tarik El-Bashir, Dan Steinberg, and even Greg Wyshynski wander around the rink, chatting with fans, answering questions and sharing thoughts. It was very refreshing to see.

→ I was also told that Brian Pothier's nickname used to be "Brian Pothead". To say my world has been slightly tilted on its axis would be an understatement. In other words: AHAHAHAHAHA. I never saw it coming.

And now, a few photos. I took 315 pictures today, but due to an uncooperative autofocus lens and some very puck-scuffed rink glass, only a few turned out passably well.

Coach and I loved the back of Grubauer's mask.

Kuznetsov is clearly adding to the adorable factor of our team. I like it. I like it a lot.

Dustin Stevenson is displeased at something.

My boy Zach Miskovic.

Stay tuned for a report from Saturday's Fan Fest! Scrimmages! Fun & Games! Brooks Laich! It's going to be great.

celebrating the birth of a legend

2010-07-04T23:21:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th of July, my fellow Americans. Today is a day to celebrate the history of our great country, but today is also the birthday of someone who I commonly refer to as "the greatest man alive".

Michael Rudolph Knuble may have been born in Canada, but he is a goddamn American Hero. Two overtime wins against the Penguins? 29 goals this past season? At his advanced age? (I kid, I kid.) Mike Knuble's work. He's man enough to admit he enjoys Lady Gaga, like a boss. His pure awesomeness makes me overlook the fact that he was a Flyer a mere season prior. A fact that I am constantly reminded of, as I have a hockey card of him in black and orange sitting next to my computer. But I digress.

As it was once said in the illustrious publication that is The Onion: "Let's be honest: this is one incredibly handsome man." Despite the fact that he broke his face.

I made some patriotic cupcakes this afternoon, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to do a little shout out to our beloved Gramps.

God Bless America.

the end of an era

2010-06-29T18:51:00.001-04:00

Today, Dallas Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk announced that there would not be a spot on the team for Mike Modano next year. Which is hardly surprising to anyone. After the sendoff he gave the league at the end of the season that reduced the both of us to tears, most think (or at least hope) he will hang up his skates for good. But there is the chance that he signs with another team in a Bourque-ian move. I hope he chooses the former, personally. He's too classy to pull a Brett Favre on us. Plus I want to see him and Brett Hull bro-ing it up around the Big D when they're 80.

Mike Modano has been in the league longer than I've been alive. As a child living in Dallas he was my first exposure to hockey outside of The Mighty Ducks. I remember the Stanley Cup being on display at the summer camp I went to in '99. He made hockey a viable sport in my home state and inspired a whole new generation of American players. No matter what he ends up choosing, he'll never be forgotten.

thoughts on the draft

2010-06-27T16:23:00.001-04:00

For my first post of actual substance, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the draft. Unfortunately I was only able to catch the first round, but I scribbled down a few notes as I watched:

→ I never really had a vested interest in Taylor vs. Tyler, but I wasn't surprised at all to see them go to Edmonton and Boston, respectively.

→ However, I am very excited to see Gudbranson go to Florida. He's been compared to Chris Pronger, who I am not all that fond of on a personal level, but I love his style of play. Minus the elbows to the head, of course. It'll be interesting to watch him develop.

→ Cam Fowler should have gone way before several of the guys who were taken in the top 10. But it was rather appropriate that he went to Anaheim, I think. His favorite player, Scott Niedermayer, was there to greet him and give him a jersey, and with the Ducks' offensive defense rather depleted, Fowler is a great pick for them.

→ Speaking of the Ducks, Bobby Ryan is NOT from California. He's from Cherry Hill, New Jerthy. Hasn't Pierre McGuire beaten this into everyone's head by now?

→ While we're on the subject of American hockey players, I'm so, so happy to see Jack Campbell go to Dallas. (I grew up in the Big D, so I consider the Stars to be my second team.) With Marty Turco's banishment and Kari Lehtonen's tendency to break in half, they're going to need some reliable, Amurrican, goaltending.

→ "We have a trade to announce..." The only thing Bettman should be allowed to say. Ever.

→ Of all the teams, Jarred Tinordi HAD to go to Montreal. My disappointment, let me show you it. Side note: The Habs keep defending Carey Price as their #1 goaltender. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

→ Brian Burke is a good and great man and I will fight anyone who thinks otherwise.

→ These boys are nearly 2 years younger than me. I feel like the biggest creeper.

→ Finally getting to the Capitals after 3+ hours. It warms my heart to see that all of our recent 1st rounders (Ovechkin, Semin, Green, Schultz, Fehr, Gordon, Carlson, etc.) are still in the system.

→ Totally called GMGM's choice of Kuznetsov. We've had pretty good success drafting Russians in the past, so I hope he's no different. He'll probably continue to develop in the KHL for now, unless the brain trust feels the burning need to buy him out early. We don't really need him right now, though, since we've signed Johansson and are looking to sign or trade for a center. But still, welcome to the family, Zhenya.

Yep, he'll fit right in.

hello pretty birdy

2010-06-25T20:31:00.001-04:00

Welcome to "Not Mike Green"! This is my venture into the world of hockey blogging. Here I plan on sharing my thoughts on the sport from what I hope is a unique perspective, and have a little fun at the same time.

So let's see, a little bit about myself: I'm Katherine, I'm a rising junior in at the College of William & Mary, and I enjoy hockey. A lot. I also enjoy music that gives me headaches, things that are purple, and photographing the most inconsequential moments of my life. But I digress. Let's talk about my hockey history, albeit brief.

Not too long ago, I fell in love with a group of young men who like to call themselves the "Washington Capitals". They won me over with their silly hairstyles and weird sense of humor, but more importantly, it's what they did on the ice that sealed the deal. Since then the Caps have become practically my family by proxy, and the friends I have made through our mutual love are some of the best people I know.

I adore the sport as a whole, as well. If there's hockey on my TV, I will watch it. During the Olympics I stayed up until 2AM watching Latvia and Belarus duke it out. There's nothing sexier than a good backcheck. I could go on for a while.

So where did the blog get its name? Well. After the first game I ever attended at the Verizon Center, my friend Annie (hereby known simply as "Coach") and I were standing outside watching players drive out of the arena. With every fancy car that passed us, we would say in a singsong voice "Not Mike Green~!". Until the man himself and his Lambo rolled out, of course. Anyway, it was our first hockey-related inside joke, and it reminds me of all the amazing times I've had and will have as a hockey fan.

As I type this inaugural entry, I'm watching the future of the sport being written in the entry draft. I'm also becoming increasingly concerned as my personal favorite prospie, Cam Fowler, has been passed up a few too many times for my liking. But I'm excited to see who our fearless GMGM picks in about... 3 hours if this pace keeps up.

More thoughts on the draft and many other things to come. Thanks for reading!