Rink

A s I sit yet again at my keyboard conjur- ing up ways to entertain the masses in 600 words or less, I wrestle with a deadline rapidly looming. I spin my imaginary wheel of subjects and come to the conclusion that … I got nothing. Nada. Zilch. Should I address the NHL's inabil- ity to crack down on headhunting? I've probably read 40 articles in the past month on the game being too violent and how the powers that be need to intervene to "save" the game. Likewise, I've read a number of articles that claim big hits are part of the game and the nambi-pambis need to embrace the game's development from a finesse sport to gladiators waging war. Players are bigger, stronger and faster, and it simply is what it is. Do I really want to be just another guy fortunate enough to have his own public forum to throw out another opinion on a subject that already has too many? Do I write something witty about my March Madness bracket? Is there even any humor in not having a single team I destined for greatness not make the Elite Eight? My three-year-old picked three in the Final Four, and the five-year-old actually picked the winner, but cheered for the wrong team during the game. I guess he's more concerned about the color of the uniform than the name on the front of the jersey. I even debated about going at the RINK editor again, but I got cricket noises from my last rant about getting revised and edited in a prior Knife. Apparently you can't use * * * * * * * * (Editor's note: word removed to avoid offending the masses) as an adjective, verb or noun. Cue the angels rejoicing and the heavens opening up! I just received a for- warded e-mail from my pal Mr. Wescott regard- ing the manifesto he received from a concerned reader about the diminishing dynasty of the true warriors on the ice: the maintenance guys. Apparently these warriors took offense that Mr. Wescott dared to author an article suggesting that perhaps there was a safer way of performing their jobs. In between the 1,500-plus words of insults, sarcasm and general ranting, this warrior actually made a valid point: ice rinks are dangerous places and employ- ees need to be adequately trained. Too bad the concerned reader would never better himself with professional training. Take the challenge. Make a contribu- tion to our industry's future by insisting on sufficient training to operate your building safely for your employees and your customers. There are plenty of opportunities to accomplish this over the next year. See you at NARCE! ★ Want to join The Knife Nation? Call the STAR offices and find out how! ? the final cut by Johnny "The Knife" Monteleone STARrinks.com ■ Just livin' the rink life. Musings and Ponderings 62 R INK MAGAZ INE May/June 2011 ? ?

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