My favorite sport. A comparison of the division in the NHL.
Comparing NHL divisions [Infographic]
April 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Nine Inch Nails Glowing Hockey Music Video
March 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Tomas Jurco is one of hockey’s viral video sensations. The AHL Grand Rapid Griffins forward, aDetroit Red Wings prospect, has been called “unbelievable” and a “magician” in those YouTube clips that feature his sensational offensive skills.
If he wasn’t also called “electrifying” before, he is now.
Here’s Jurco in an incredible, must-see video produced by the Griffins, skating in a darkened arena with glowing luminescent wire wrapped around his body – scored with “17 Ghosts II” by Nine Inch Nails.
It’s pretty much the closest we’ve ever come to the marriage of TRON and hockey.
[pb_vidembed title=”” caption=”” url=”http://vimeo.com/61659067″ type=”vem” w=”680″ h=”383″]
NORTHERN LIGHTS feat. Tomas Jurco from griffinshockey on Vimeo.
How did this eerie, hypnotic clip come about?
Ryan Gajewski, video coordinator for the Griffins, said the inspiration came from other athletic activities.
The Griffins had been thinking about long exposure images inside a darkened arena, with LED lights on a puck for example. The shots would be wide so the lights would trail behind the puck.
(Yes … an actual glow puck.)
With that already percolating in his noggin, Gajewski one day saw his friend wrap his bike in electric luminescent wire. His immediate thought: “Man, it would be cool to wrap a player in that …”
Along with that idea, he also found a clip featuring a snowboarder using the material to glow in the dark while boarding down a mountainside, showing the potential for the idea to work in motion.
The Griffins – who have tinkered with Go Pro cameras in the past to bring fans into the action during practice and feel like a flying T-shirt – afforded Gajewski and his team creative freedom and financial backing. Each six-foot strand of the wire costs $6, and the team used 17 total to wrap around Jurco.
“We could have used 100 more of them,” said Gajewski.
Jurco was chosen for his trick shot reputation. But there was one problem: He couldn’t perform the same stick magic due to the wire being wrapped around his lumber.
“We had to do it on the blade. We couldn’t use Jurco for his Jurco-ness, as we’ve done in the past,” lamented Gajewski, who also couldn’t illuminate the puck to a desired effect.
Still, the finished product is amazing, adding to Jurco’s already considerable online viral video legend.
The Future Of How We Watch Hockey
February 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment
A lot has changed in the world of broadcast sports television over the years. Decades ago, when the first televised NHL broadcast hit the airwaves in Canada, fans gathered around their black/white one-tv-per-household (average) television sets to see a Nationally telecast game one night a week. It was a way for families to share quality time and enjoy live action from the comfort of their own homes. An unprecedented phenomenon.
Today a typical household is comprised of multiple technological gadgets per family member. Relative to decades past, our modern possessions make what our parents and grandparents used look like archaic objects mentioned only in museums and textbooks. Not only do we have large, light, skinny, High definition televisions, we are spoiled rotten with lightning fast computers, gaming systems, wireless personal devices and “smart” phones.
The way we watch sports on TV is evolving at a similar pace. The production of televised sports is a billion dollar industry which strives to bring their audiences the most entertaining and compelling productions possible. Yet, with all of these strides over the years, there are still several areas that could use improving or adjusting to keep up with our constantly advancing user-interactivity needs.
The following infographic demonstrates a handful of ideas that the NHL can strive towards to improve the common fans viewing experience in an ever-advancing technological world. Most of the ideas in this infographic show ideas that are simply amalgamations of technologies that are already in place but are not in the control of the user but rather strictly under the rule of the broadcasters. This, we feel strongly, is soon to change.
source: NetSurfMedia via SilverOak
The Great One’s estate on the market for $14.9 million
January 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Being a member of NHL royalty obviously has its perks, and for “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky, it involves being the owner of a sprawling estate located in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Situated in the gated community surrounding Sherwood Country Club, Gretzky’s mansion and lavish grounds recently were put on the market. Asking price? $14.9 million.
Built in 2002 by Gretzky in partnership with “architect to the stars” Richard Landry, the main home by itself measures a whopping 10,815 square feet, but the many buildings and associated amenities that surround it on the 6.5-acre plot, including two guest houses, is where the high asking price is truly legitimized.
As described in its listing, via Zillow.com:
A timeless estate, offering the utmost in luxury, with a chic Metropolitan vibe. Designed by famed architect Richard Landry, this newly remodeled spectacular home offers privacy and security, set on a 6.5 acre promontory within the prestigious gates of Sherwood Country Club. The residence includes 6BD, 8BA, over 13,000 SF with 2 guest houses. A gated entry leads you to a circular driveway with a scenic backdrop of the majestic mountains and breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Sherwood. Exquisite attention to detail and artisan craftsmanship is found in each and every room. Amenities include a master suite with sitting room and dual baths, screening room, fitness facility, office, championship tennis court, outdoor entertainment area wood burning pizza oven, wood and gas BBQ, promenade terraces and gardens. Located within the 24 hour guard gated Sherwood Country Club Estates, home to the world famous signature golf course and country club often called the ultimate living experience.
Ultimate living experience, indeed, although the descriptive listing does not quite encompass the exquisite and luxurious nature of the home and the lavish environs that comprise the surrounding grounds:
(For more photos of Gretzky’s estate, click here)
