It can't be easy to coach your son/daughter at any level in any sport. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
When some of us first saw Eric at tryouts, we saw a fun-loving kid who had the skills and confidence to play in this league. We wondered what would happen if he was on the Stampede, speculating that it would likely be a fine line between player/son and coach/dad that both Eric and Kevin would find difficult to walk and the situation could be either a huge success or a disaster -- nothing in between. But we also wondered, given the fact Sioux City drafted him and his potential, what would happen if Eric played down south -- or for any other team in the league. If he was successful, wound up having the Stampede's number everytime he played us, would people be up in arms wondering how in the world could we let him go? Just a thought ...
So it didn't work. Once the season's over, we all move on. I like the Hartzells. And I really think once the pressure of having father/son on the same team is off, we'll see a return to the Stampede hockey that brought us Andy and Clark in back-to-back seasons.
Having said all that, I beleive Clay has earned another start on Friday. He certainly did nothing to earn a seat on the bench.
One final comment on last night: could someone tell that SNAB of a "mascot" to NOT -- I repeat -- NOT stand in the aisle, blocking everybody's view, and do his stupid "who wants a t-shirt" routine when there's :30 left in a one-goal game??? When several rows of people are yelling at you and motioning to you to get the hell out of the way, MOVE ALREADY!!! We almost missed the tying goal because of that fleabag. Talk about a dumb--- who has NO understanding of the game situation on the ice and who's only talent -- if you call it that -- is dancing ...
When some of us first saw Eric at tryouts, we saw a fun-loving kid who had the skills and confidence to play in this league. We wondered what would happen if he was on the Stampede, speculating that it would likely be a fine line between player/son and coach/dad that both Eric and Kevin would find difficult to walk and the situation could be either a huge success or a disaster -- nothing in between. But we also wondered, given the fact Sioux City drafted him and his potential, what would happen if Eric played down south -- or for any other team in the league. If he was successful, wound up having the Stampede's number everytime he played us, would people be up in arms wondering how in the world could we let him go? Just a thought ...
So it didn't work. Once the season's over, we all move on. I like the Hartzells. And I really think once the pressure of having father/son on the same team is off, we'll see a return to the Stampede hockey that brought us Andy and Clark in back-to-back seasons.
Having said all that, I beleive Clay has earned another start on Friday. He certainly did nothing to earn a seat on the bench.
One final comment on last night: could someone tell that SNAB of a "mascot" to NOT -- I repeat -- NOT stand in the aisle, blocking everybody's view, and do his stupid "who wants a t-shirt" routine when there's :30 left in a one-goal game??? When several rows of people are yelling at you and motioning to you to get the hell out of the way, MOVE ALREADY!!! We almost missed the tying goal because of that fleabag. Talk about a dumb--- who has NO understanding of the game situation on the ice and who's only talent -- if you call it that -- is dancing ...
