Condors Blogs

Its A Great Day For Hockey (stat of the day)

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

All off-season long, get your Condors fix by feasting upon a random Condors historical note, stat, or accomplishment every weekday!

October 3: No more Stat of the Day - hockey season is here already!  Thanks for checking in all summer long.  See everyone on Opening Night on the 16th!!!!!
October 2: Two players in camp this season have played for former San Diego Gulls coach and Bako rival Steve Martinson - Erick Lizon (Rockford) and Shawn Weller (Elmira).
October 1: Scott Hay is the only Condors goalie to ever record a point in the playoffs, with one assist in 2001-02.
September 30: In all three of the Condors 40-win seasons, they had a losing record early in the campaign (2002-03: 3-4-0; 2005-06: 3-5-3; 2006-07: 0-2).
September 29: During the 2002-03 season, none of the top 19 scorers on the team had a ‘minus’ rating.  The team had a combined +315 rating.
September 28: In 2006-07, the Condors tied a five-year old team record by winning 7 straight road games.
September 25: The Condors are 14-14 on home ice in the playoffs in team history.
September 24: The Condors have had at least one crowd over 8,000 in five straight seasons.
September 23: Jason Ralph holds the Condors record for shorthanded goals in a season, with 5 during the 2002-03 season.  He led the WCHL that season.
September 22: Shaun Fisher holds the Condors record for points by a d-man in a single playoff season, at 10 (1g-9a), set in 2005-06.
September 21: The first Californian to play for the Condors (not including the Fog) was Dean Wilson, a San Diego native who played one game for the Inaugural Condors squad in 1998-99.
September 18: Marty Raymond has coached 42 playoff games for the Condors in the last five years.  In the previous nine years, the Condors played only 26 playoff games.
September 17: The first penalty shot ever faced by the organization was in 1995-96, when Fog G Lee Schill stopped Jamie Adams of the Reno Renegades.  Three seasons later, Adams would be a member of the Bakersfield Condors Inaugural Season.
September 16: Jamie Hodson holds the Condors record for consecutive shutout minutes, at 184:11 - it included back-to-back shutouts for Hodson (in 2006-07), the only Condors goalie to perform that feat.
September 15: The Condors record for penalty minutes by a goalie in a season is 32, by Scott Hay in 2001-02.  By the way… just for comparison Ron Hextall once recorded three-straight 100 PIM seasons tending goal for the Philadelphia Flyers. 
September 14: The least amount of assists for a player who led the Condors in goals is 18, for Mark Derlago in 2007-08.
September 11: The Fog played two games in both 1996-97 and 1997-98 against two touring Russian teams, which counted in the WCHL standings.  They went 3-0-1 in those contests, against the Red Army and CKA-Amur clubs.
September 10: The Condors record for shots on goal in a playoff season is 49, by Sean Venedam in 2005-06.
September 9: The Bakersfield Fog penalty minute leader was Wade Welte, who had 710 PIM in three seasons, and still ranks 4th all-time in club history.
September 8: Of the 384 players in Condors/Fog history, 308 of them (80.2%) skated with the team during only one season.
September 4: Of all the Condors opponents (5 or more games played) in history, they own the best winning percentage against the Utah Grizzlies, at .724 (21-8-0).
September 3: Paul Willett and Todd Griffith are the only two Condors to have repeat appearances in an All-Star Game.
September 2: 13 players have represented the Condors/Fog in All-Star Games in club history.
September 1: Jay Neal, who scored the first goal in Condors history, also took the first penalty in Condors history, going off for interference at 4:39 of the first period on Oct. 23, 1998 vs. Idaho.
August 31: The Condors most common active opponent in club history is the Alaska (Anchorage) Aces.  The two clubs have met 125 times, with the Condors holding a 53-57-15 record.
August 28: The top 5 most penalized defensemen in club history are: Glen Mears, Rob Milliken, Kevin Barrett, Scotty Balan and David Kudelka.  “Club history” includes the Bakersfield Fog, from 1995-1998.
August 27: Kevin St. Pierre won 8 WCHL Goaltender of the Week awards in 2002-03 - almost 1/3 of all the GOTW awards handed out in the league that season.
August 26: The first team captain in Condors history was D Briane Thompson.
August 25: 14 players have recorded 30 or more goals in a season for the Condors/Fog, three of which occurred last season.
August 24: Steve Dowhy recorded the first game winning goal in team history, on Nov. 11, 1998, a 4-3 win over the Colorado Gold Kings.
August 21: Since Nov. 17, 2003, Condors goaltenders have allowed just one penalty shot goal in 11 tries.  Opponents, however had scored on four of the first five penalty shots against Bakersfield in team history.
August 20: The Condors set a team record in 1999-2000 when they went 11-0-0 to begin the season, including three shootout wins.
August 19: In 2002-03, rookie D Jonas Lennartsson had just two goals and 16 points all season (tied for 14th on the team), but in the playoffs he led the Condors with three points (1g-2a) in five games.
August 18: In 1995-96, the first season of the Bakersfield Fog, Brent Convery played 25 minutes in one game, allowing 6 goals on 20 shots to officially have the highest goals against average in club history, at 14.44.  Jeff Pietrasiak is at 14.43, after giving up 5 goals in 21 minutes for the 2007-08 Condors.
August 17: Glen Mears is the all-time leader for defensemen in games, points, assists and penalty minutes in club history, which includes the Bakersfield Fog.
August 14: Craig Martin is the only Condor to ever lead the league in penalty minutes, when he had 403 in 2000-01.  He was acquired in mid-season from Phoenix.
August 13: In 2000-01, Paul Rosebush scored four shorthanded goals, the most ’shorties’ in a season without scoring a power play goal in team history.
August 12: Chad Painchaud led the Condors in +/- in the 2009 playoffs, with a +6, twice as high as the next closest player.
August 11: From the Condors Inaugural 1998-99 season, only one player remained in professional hockey through last season: G Konstantin Simchuk suited up for Novosibirsk Siber in the Russian KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) in 2008-09.
August 10: The Condors are 6-5-0 in Opening Night history.
August 7: Five players in Condors history have been named ECHL or WCHL ”Player or Rookie of the Month”: Steve Dowhy (March, 1997), Jamie Cooke (February, 2000), Connor James (Rookie-October, 2004), Yutaka Fukufuji (Rookie-January, 2005) and Mark Derlago (February 2009).
August 6: In 1999-2000, Briane Thompson set the franchise record for most points in a season by a defenseman with 59.
August 5: Dan Currie scored a franchise record 19 power play goals during the 1999-2000 season.
August 4: Jay Neal scored the first goal in Condors history on October 23, 1998 at 3:05 of the first period in a 4-3 win over Idaho at Centennial Garden.
August 3: On August 24, 1998, Glen Mears and Jay Neal were introduced as the first players signed in Condors history.
July 31: The Condors record for goals in a playoff game is 6, accomplished four times, most recently this past season against Vegas.
July 30: 2008-09 was the first season a Condors goalie failed to record a shutout.
July 29: The most a Condors team has ever played an opponent in one season is 16 times, against the Fresno Falcons in 2002-03.  The Condors went an amazing 13-2-1 in the season series.
July 28: Kevin St. Pierre holds the Condors record for consecutive wins, at 10, from Nov. 8 - Dec. 6, 2002.  He won the WCHL Goaltender of the Week three times during that stretch.
July 27: From March 6 - 15, 1997, a span of 10 days, five hat tricks were recorded by Fog players, including a 4-goal game and a 5-goal game.  Moreover, a 4-goal game also occurred a week earlier on Feb. 28 and another hat trick a week later, on March 22 (accounting for 7 hat tricks in 23 days).
July 24: Steve Dowhy recorded 50 or more assists in a season four times, and is the only player in club history to have more than 70 assists in a season, with 73 for the Fog in 1996-97.
July 23: The first hat trick in Condors history was on Dec. 2, 1998, when Jamie Adams scored three goals in a 5-4 win over the Phoenix Mustangs on home ice.
July 22: The only Condors goalie to record a playoff shutout is Rejean Beachemin, in 2007.
July 21: Condors broadcaster Erik Anderson suited up for one game with the team in 1999-00 in Idaho, due to a shortened roster.  He took one minor penalty in the game.
July 20: Only 2 players have had double-digit shorthanded goals in their Condors career: Jamie Cooke (13) and Paul Rosebush (11).
July 17: The two highest single game crowds in Condors history were both against the Idaho Steelheads.
July 16: Andrew Ianiero played in every game for the second straight season in 08-09.  The Condors have had a player play all 72 games in seven of the last nine seasons.
July 15: It took Paul Willett only 59 games to become the Condors 1st (and only) player to reach 100 points, in 1999-00.  He missed 10 games that season and still ended up with 107 points.
July 14: Chris Felix has the record for being the oldest player to skate for the Condors, finishing his Condors career on April 6, 2002 at the age of 37 years and 314 days.
July 13: There have been 50 goaltenders in club history.
July 10: The Condors will play their 1,000 game in club history (Fog + Condors) on Nov. 14 in Alaska, their 14th game of the season.
July 9: The Condors longest home winning streak in the playoffs is two games, done three times.
July 8: In 2002-03, Kevin St. Pierre became the only Condors goalie to be named to either a 1st or 2nd Team All-Star.  He was 36-12-7 and led the WCHL with a 2.14 GAA and .929 save %.
July 7: The club record for assists in a season by a goaltender is 6, by Lee Schill for the Fog in 96-97.  Scott Hay owns the Condors record with 2 (01-02).
July 6: The Condors all-time largest playoff crowd is 7,219 against Fresno on April 13, 2007.
July 2: The highest penalty minute total by a Condors leading scorer is 259, by Paul Willett in 1999-00.
July 1: The lowest penalty minute total by a Condors leading scorer is 34, by Kevin Reihl in 2003-04.
June 30: 13 players have accumulated 300+ penalty minutes in their Condors career.  Paul Rosebush, Glen Mears, Paul Willett, Scotty Balan and Jason Ralph are the Top 5.
June 29: The Condors record for team shutouts in a season is five, in 2001-02.  Scott Hay had four, Luciano Caravaggio had one.
June 26: Countdown to the Draft Stat - Eleven Condors played for the team in 2008-09 that were drafted by an NHL club.
June 25: Countdown to the Draft Stat - More Condors have been drafted by the LA Kings than any other NHL club (7).  Buffalo, Montreal, Chicago are tied for 2nd (4).
June 24: Countdown to the Draft Stat - 4 NHL teams have never had a draft pick play for the Condors: Carolina (though 2 players came from Hartford, their former incarnation), Minnesota, Nashville and Pittsburgh
June 23: Countdown to the Draft Stat - 3 former Condors were selected by the Islanders (who own the first pick this season): Shawn Byram, Brian Collins and Tyler Scott.
June 22: Countdown to the Draft Stat - the highest draft pick to play for the Condors is Alexander Kharlamov, 15th overall in 1994 by Washington.  Kharlamov played 6 games (0g-2a) in 99-00.
June 19: The Condors best playoff game record is in Game 5’s, where they hold a 5-2 record.  However, when winning Game 5, they have gone on to win just two of the five series.
June 18: In 2002-03, both Jason Ralph and Jonas Lennartsson were in a race for the team +/- record and league lead.  Ralph finished first in the WCHL with a +39, Lennartsson second at +38.  Glen Mears had a +41 for the Fog in 1996-97.
June 17: The Condors record for game-winning goals in a season is 8, by Paul Willett in 1999-2000.
June 16: Ryan Munce owns the Condors single-game saves record, stopping 63 of 64 shots in a 2-1 shootout win over Long Beach on Jan. 6, 2006.  He added four more saves in the shootout.
June 15: The 1999-2000 Condors hold the team record with 2,343 penalty minutes.  Five players had more than 200 PIM that season.
June 12: The fewest road losses by a Condors team in a season was 7, when the 2006-07 Condors went 20-7-9 (t-4th fewest in ECHL history).
June 11: Yutaka Fukufuji is the only ECHL goaltender to play in every playoff game for his team in the last two seasons.
June 10: The Condors are 9-5 all-time in home openers (this season’s is Oct. 16).  They were 6-2 in home openers in the West Coast Hockey League and 3-3 in the ECHL.
June 9: The most common name in Condors history is Jason, with 13 of them suiting up for the Condors/Fog.  There have also been 2 Jays and 1 J.J.  Running close behind, there have been 9 Kevins, 9 Ryans and 8 Davids.
June 8: The Bakersfield Fog played their final regular season game on Mar. 28, 1998, a 4-3 shootout loss in Phoenix against the Mustangs.
June 5: The Bakersfield Fog played their first regular season game on Oct. 25, 1995, a 5-3 victory over the Reno Renegades on home ice at the Bakersfield Convention Center in front of 1,473 fans.
June 4: The last player alphabetically in Condors history is Peter Zurba, a LW that had 7g-7a and 133 PIM in 28 games in the 1998-99 season.
June 3: The lowest penalty minute total to ever lead the team was 140, by D Ryan Coole in 2004-05
June 2: The last time Bakersfield had two hat tricks in one game, Steve Dowhy and Wade Welte both turned the trick in an 11-7 victory over the Alaska Gold Kings for the Fog on March 14, 1997.
June 1: Kam White’s 55 penalty minutes in the 2007 Kelly Cup Playoffs is a Condors record.  the all-time Bakersfield record is 58, set by Wade Welte with the Fog in 1997. (FYI - 137 days until Opening Night!)
May 29: The Condors have played in 414 one-goal games in their history, with a record of 191-112-111, for a .595 win percentage.  They went 15-13-8 last season.  The Condors have a .598 win pct. in one-goal games in ECHL play (75-43-45).
May 28: The last Condor to score on a penalty shot was Dennis Shiryaev, against Trevor Koenig of the Gulls on Nov. 6, 2004.  The team scored on five of the first six penalty shots in (recorded) team history, but since then, nine consecutive Condors penalty shots have been denied.
May 27: Only twice in 11 years have the Condors failed to feature a scorer among the Top 15 in the league: 2003-04 and 2004-05.  2008-09 was the fourth time they have had at least two in the Top 15 (Bonk & Derlago).
May 26: The Condors rookie playoff goal record is 4, by Alexandre Bolduc in 2006.  Connor James and Brett Lutes had 3 in 2005 to set the old record.  That year, the two rookies combined for 6 goals, matching the total by the rest of the team in their five-game elimination at the hands of the Aces.
May 22: The least amount of goals to lead the team in a single season is 22, done in 2004-05 by both Lars Peder Nagel and Paul Rosebush.
May 21: The Condors record for highest +/- in a playoff season is +11, by D Shaun Fisher in 2005-06.
May 20: The Condors have had a losing record on home ice only twice (03-04, 07-08) in 11 years.  The team record for home win % is .708, set in 02-03 (23-8-5) and equaled in 05-06 (24-9-3).
May 19: Including the Fog years, nobody has more career Game-Winning Goals as Paul Rosebush, with 20.
May 18: From March 8, 2005 until Feb. 12, 2008, the Condors went 153 straight weeks (just under three full years) without an ECHL Player of the Week winner.  In the following 56 weeks (just over one full year) there were five winners.
May 15: In honor of the final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the following are Condors drafted by either of those clubs:
Chicago - Scott Balan (106th, 2000), Kevin St. Jacques (112th, 1991), Jared Walker (223rd, 2004), Jason Kostadine (251st, 2002)
Detroit - Guy Dupuis (47th, 1988), Jason Firth (208th, 1991)
Pittsburgh - none
Carolina - none
May 14: The highest point total for a Condor who only played one season with the team is 80, by Christian Skoryna in 2002-03.  Jason Firth (75pts in 2001-02) and Tim Konsorada (68pts in 2007-08) are 2nd and 3rd.
May 13: The highest career Goals Against Average for a Fog goalie who appeared in five or more games belongs to Craig Crowe, who had a 6.43 GAA in five games in 1996-97.  The highest for a Condor is Danny Taylor, who had a 4.33 in 17 games in 2006-07.
May 12: The first and the last Condors playoff OT game-winners came on the same date.  Paul Willett scored on April 18, 2002 against San Diego for a 5-4 win and Mark Derlago scored on April 18, 2009 for a 4-3 win over Las Vegas.
May 11: 382 players have suited up in the regular season for the Condors/Fog in the organization’s history.  Of that total, only 35 (9.1%) have played in 100 or more games, while 121 (31.7%) played in just 10 or less games.
May 9 (bonus stat for Saturday): The player acquired late in the season, who recorded the most points while appearing in 15 or less games is Aaron Brand, who had 4g-10a-14pts in just 10 games in 2001-02.  Martin Frechette is 2nd with 12pts in 15gms in 2007-08.  Ryan Foster (11pts in 2001-02) is 3rd.
May 8: Number of Condors suspended for 50 games due to testing positive for a banned substance: 0 (that’s for you, Manny!)
May 7: Dave Bonk (247 shots in 60gm) and Chad Painchaud (226 shots in 57gm) both had a chance at cracking the team’s Top 5 single season shot totals list, would they have not missed so many games.  Guy Dupuis owns the team record, with 290 shots in 2004-05.  Jamie Cooke (275), Kevin Truelson (272), Sean Venedam (267) and Cooke again (259) put up the five highest shot totals in team history.
May 6: The highest number ever worn by a goalie is #45, by Rick Plester in 1999-00.  Also, as a bonus stat, the lowest number NEVER to be worn by a Condors player is #40.
May 5: The three teams the Condors have shutout the most (Fresno-7, Col/AK Gold Kings-4, Long Beach-4) are all defunct
May 4: Paul Willett owns the Condors career playoff penalty minute record, at 63 PIM (in 16 games)

He Shoots, He Scores! (Jivin with Jason)

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 | Jivin' with Jason, Uncategorized | No Comments

Fans of the Condors,

In case you haven’t checked out the CondorsTV video of the ice going down at Rabobank Arena, it’s down. That means hockey season is basically here.

For me it became even more of a reality that it was here because I followed in the footsteps of my colleague Kevin Bartl and joined a men’s league team at the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center. We’re in different leagues, so there won’t be any intra-office on-ice scuffling amongst the Condors office members this season.

I had a played a few pick-up games since I had arrived here in Bakersfield, but this was my first skate in which the goals mattered and the teams were playing to win. For those who haven’t had the privilege—and I do mean privilege—of suiting up for a competitive game of ice hockey are just plain missing out.

There really is nothing like it in sports.

First, it may be the biggest pain of any sport to suit up for. Football pads don’t hold a candle to the amount of padding you put on for hockey. Say what you want about that making ice hockey a wimpy sport all you want, but there is a reason you wear every inch of that padding. Add the increase in speed, the force of a 100 MPH puck flying at you and the pain of a hockey stick whacking you across the shin and you understand why there’s so much padding.

And like foods such as lobster, where it’s a process to get to get to the meat, having to take some time to put on all your gear makes stepping onto the ice that much sweeter.

Let’s talk about that first step…

It’s the best first step (that you’ll actually remember) that you’ll ever take. You go from a mere mortal that can only walk to a being with speed no one can dare touch on foot.

Those first few strides around the goal line and back to the blueline get your heart pumping and ready for the puck to drop.

As you glide into that first faceoff, eyeing the opposing forward, you realize the whole game is ahead of you. Will you play hero, goat or be a non-factor? You can control only so much, as six opposing players with just as much padding, blades of steel and that wooden, aluminum or composite stick form formidable obstacles.
The speed of the game is unlike any other. It’s up-tempo, in your face and leaves little time for hesitation. Hold onto that puck too long and you’ll have it stripped before you blink.

But what really makes hockey something everyone needs to experience is the exhilaration of scoring a goal.
There’s really nothing like it in pro sports.

The idea of having to shoot a small item with a stick past a heavily-padded goalie makes for an exciting moment if you can achieve it. When that puck bulges the twine or rings off the post and in, it makes it that much sweeter.

Almost everyone’s reaction to such a glorious feat is to raise their arms in celebration. Whether it’s two arms or one arm, you instinctually feel the need to celebrate.

While men’s league game goals do not garner nearly as much celebration as professional game goals, there are times where there is still cause for celebration.

Capping off epic comebacks, overtime winners and championship game goals come to mind. But whether you’re scoring the first goal of your career or the 100th, it never gets old.

So stop by that local garage sale, purchase a pair of skates and stick for $50 and drop by the Bakersfield Ice Sports Center for some stick and puck time. Once you get comfortable enough, join an adult league and before you know it, you too will be scoring your first goal on skates and you’ll never look back.

Cheers,
Jason

Jason Lockhart is entering his first season as the Condors Media Relations/Broadcasting Assistant. He can be reached at jlockhart@bakersfieldcondors.com

Remembering 9/11

Friday, September 11th, 2009 | Jivin' with Jason, Uncategorized | No Comments

Hey Everyone,

I had planned to today to write a blog about the US Open and why it’s such a great experience, but considering it’s September 11, I feel it’s only appropriate to talk about the most infamous day in American history in my lifetime.

I am going to break my string of about three or four blogs not mentioning New York because it is absolutely necessary for this story.

I have recounted my story about September 11, 2001 many, many times, but I have never actually written about it. Fortunately (or unfortunately), had I been one year younger, my story would be far more interesting. Instead, I claim that I may have been one of the last people situated on the Continental United States to find out what happened.

I went to high school on the cross streets of Chambers and West (West Side Highway)—a mere four blocks from the World Trade Center. But on that fateful day, I was more than 250 miles north, beginning my first year of college in Vermont.

September 11, 2001 was a Tuesday, and my second day of college. That morning I had my Oceanography Lab, which consisted of taking a small boat onto Lake Champlain to study the topography of the lake.

Our group met at 8:30 am on campus and it took about 45 minutes to reach the lake. During our ride over, both planes struck the World Trade Center.

When we arrived at the lake, the man at the dock approached us and told us that a small prop plane had hit the World Trade Center, but made it appear like it wasn’t a big deal. My professor asked if anyone was from New York. I, of course, said I was and so did a girl named Katie. I turned to her and said, “You’re not from New York, you’re from Connecticut.” Her response, “I have family in New York.”

Our professor asked if the two of us would be okay to board the boat, and I said, “sure.” After all, it was just some small accident, it was no big deal.

I don’t remember much of the next two and half hours or so. We learned about the equipment on the boat, and what we would be doing the rest of the semester. There was little concern about what would ultimately be the biggest culture-changing event in modern-day history.

I arrived back at campus at around 12:30, and in a rush because I had another class in 45 minutes. I quickly went to the Hamlin dining hall to grab some lunch and looked up at the TV.

They were showing pictures of New York City, and what appeared to be the area of the World Trade Center up in smoke. I was in a daze between what was going on, lunch and the fact that I didn’t want to be late to my next class.

All I remember seeing were the words “the Twin Towers have collapsed.”

With little time to spare, and too timid (the one time in my life) to find out more details, I rushed to class, not knowing exactly what happened. I honestly thought that they meant a piece of the Twin Towers had come off, not that the whole thing had crumbled.

I got to my next class, which coincidentally was my English seminar “Modern War Experience.” It could not have been a more appropriate class, and thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss the happenings from today.

Instead, my professor had us open up the books we had read for class that day. Luckily, my shyness went away and I piped up.

“Wait a second, can we talk about what just happened?” I asked.

“Well, what do you want to talk about?” replied the professor.

“I was on a boat for three hours. I missed everything. I don’t know what happened.”

So, for the next hour or so, we put down our books and proceeded to talk about the day’s events.

Following class, I quickly returned to my dorm room and found messages from my parents and sister saying everyone was okay, which wasn’t a surprise, considering my dad worked in New Jersey, my sister on 57th street, about 3.5 miles north of the World Trade Center, and my mom was even farther north on 86th street.

Phones were down, so the only way for me to get in touch with friends still in high school was via AOL Instant Messenger. By the time I had returned to my room, my high school friends had also returned home, and it was then I realized the horror that I had missed.

The descriptions my friends gave of their experience were in a word, haunting. When the planes hit, there had been two large rumbles. No one had any idea what had happened until they looked out their windows and saw the towering World Trade Center in flames.

The students and teachers were close enough to the buildings that they saw some very disturbing images that I will not describe here.

There was talk that there were terrorists, who were going to open fire or blow up more buildings. It was very chaotic.

The school administrators had no idea what to do and elected to have the kids stay in the building. Once the second plane had hit, they rounded up all 3,000 students to the bottom floor to wait for further instructions.

When the first building fell, I was told that it felt like an earthquake (not that many of them had experienced an earthquake) and the whole building shook. Fortunately, the tower crumbled down and did not topple over. They were designed to do that.

After the first building fell, the students remained in the building. It was not until after the second building fell, were the students given the word to evacuate north—away from the towers and towards the rest of Manhattan.

For a long time, the students walked in complete darkness and soot, having very little knowledge of what was going on. With the subway completely stopped, everyone had to walk home, which took hours for some, who lived deep into Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.

I remember going back to my room later that Tuesday and looking up at my wall where I had posted some pictures. The last picture I took in high school was that of a street sign of Chambers St. And in the background was none other than the World Trade Center.

It was just the background, another building in a city filled with buildings. But now that it was gone, it quickly moved into the foreground on that day.

I didn’t skip a single class that week, and only had the images on CNN and MSNBC to make me feel like I was a part of something I wasn’t.

I felt lucky to not have gone through what some of my friends did, but at the same time felt like I wanted to be there. It would have been nice to help out the freshmen, who had only been in high school for about a week. I felt completely isolated from my hometown which was rocked to its core. I was only 260 miles away and I felt like I was a world away—completely disconnected.

And now, on the Eighth Anniversary of 9/11, I couldn’t help this morning but continue my annual routine of watching the events unfold as they did. I feel it’s only right to re-live it and not forget about it.

If you would like to see MSNBC’s coverage of 9/11, click here.

I would love to hear about other people’s stories from 9/11. Shoot me an e-mail at jlockhart@bakersfieldcondors.com.

Jason Lockhart is entering his first season as the Condors Media Relations/Broadcasting Assistant. He can be reached at jlockhart@bakersfieldcondors.com

Top 10 reasons I don’t have a top 10 list this week….

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

….Did any of you really open this?

I’ll be here for the next few days if anyone needs me.

Zoop eh doop (Jivin with Jason)

Friday, July 24th, 2009 | Jivin' with Jason, Uncategorized | No Comments

Hey Condors Fans,

I will be the first person to tell you that I go to hockey games to see one thing—hockey. I can live without cheesy trivia games and silly intermission antics.

But before everyone starts berating me—my own office included—I may have had a change of heart, thanks to some promotional highlight videos from the 2008-09 season that I just watched.

There was one promotion in particular that I just could not get enough of—the ZOOperstars—simply classic. I don’t know what it was, but as I was editing an upcoming video for CondorsTV, every time those loveable half-beast, half-sports-icon inflatable behemoths started dancing, I couldn’t stop laughing (Tim and Cody can attest to that).

Perhaps it was the synchronized dancing—I like to get my groove on when the time is right—or the short arms, but something about them was awesome.

The ZOOperstars reminded me of when the famous Presidents Race (Washington Nationals) took to the ice for the first time ever, skating at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island during an intermission.
Let me tell you, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abe Lincoln were quite the icemen, whizzing around the rink and barreling into each other…TJ got the worst of it.

Going back to the condors highlights. The Teddy Bear toss was also amazing. So many bears! It must take forever to clean those up…”10 minutes,” says Tim as I am typing this.

I also saw some prison jerseys worn by the Condors and Wranglers…classic. That’s just stuff you will not see in the NHL.

Looking into our conference room, I see a Leap Year, USA, Condorstown and Military jerseys. At best, an NHL team will wear some specialty jersey, but only for warm-ups and then go to their normal attire. Yes, you’ll see a throwback jersey here and there, but nothing as crazy as in the ECHL…come on, a King of Pop jersey? That’s going to be incredible (I still haven’t seen the design yet, but I’m excited to).

To go back to my original comment, I never really cared for the fact that the Islanders had ice girls. Were they nice to look at? Sure. Now I’m good friends with some of them, but my thought was that I’ve come to a hockey game to watch HOCKEY.

However, after seeing some of these entertaining promotions, a part of me now not only understands the value of these extracurricular activities, but also appreciates them.

It’s entertaining and there to ADD to the whole experience. The hockey is still there. Just like the Super Bowl is complemented by clever commercials—the only part of the Super Bowl I really care about—hockey games can be complemented by additional entertainment. I guess I can be okay with that, especially if the ZOOperstars are performing.

Here’s to hoping they return this season.

Cheers,
Jason

Viva Las Vegas (Jivin With Jason)

Friday, July 10th, 2009 | Jivin' with Jason, Uncategorized | No Comments

Hey C-Town (is that socially acceptable to say?),

I want to thank everyone who responded to my first blog. I have some new and exciting places to check out in Bako (I know that one’s okay).

Speaking of nice people, that brings me to my next topic of discussion—the ECHL meetings in Las Vegas. I know they occurred a couple of weeks ago, but they’re still fresh on my mind—not surprisingly since it was my first time to Las Vegas.

Shocking, right?

Well, for those of us who grew up on the “right side” of the country, Las Vegas isn’t a few-hour drive away. Honestly, Vegas was never on the top of my lists of places I wanted to visit, but that’s for another day.

I know Condors El Presidente Matthew Riley explained on CondorsTV some pertinent information discussed at the meetings, but I’m here to tell you about some of the subtler things that went on regarding your Condors.

You should know that we had great representation at the meetings—seven in all, including equipment manager John Doolan, who happened to also work for the New York Islanders (good times) years ago.

As a newcomer, I got a lot out of the meetings—not just the communication meeting, but also the sales and marketing meetings.

Another added bonus to going to Vegas was meeting staffers from other teams. Sometimes you forget when you receive other teams’ press releases that there are actual people sending them, working on the same type of things as you are, miles and miles away. The league meetings gave me an opportunity to put a face to an e-mail (perhaps we should include headshots when we send out e-mails…just a thought).

Besides “welcome to the league,” one of the most frequent responses I received when I introduced myself was, “you’re really going to enjoy it with the Condors, it’s a great organization.”

I had only been in the office for about two weeks and was already starting to get that vibe, but to hear it from a third-party lifted my spirits even more.

Let me tell you a quick anecdote exemplifying the awesomeness (yes I used that word) of the Condors office.

I arrived in Bakersfield around 3 pm on June 4, and after checking into my hotel, stopped by the office. By 5 pm, Bill Allison—Corporate Sales Manager extraordinaire—had invited me to his place, where fellow Condors employees Greg Lowe and Scott Frasnelly lived, for a couple of drinks after work.

Considering I knew no one in town and had just arrived, I thought that was a very nice gesture.

What I’ve learned over the past month—one month and six days to be precise—is that me and every Condors fan is pretty lucky to have such a good group of people working behind the scenes.

One thing that the front office can’t control is wins and losses, but everything else is in our control. And from what I’ve seen, in a few short weeks, is that everyone in the Condors Front Office is working their butts off—even in the off-season—to make this the best organization in the league. And I think it’s right up there. I don’t want to start getting all mushy and cliché, so I’ll just say “they’re good people.”

We’re all lucky to have such a good group working to make this the best experience possible. I know everyone likes to throw in their two cents suggesting this and—don’t say it—complaining about that.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to complain (I’m a New Yorker, it’s in my blood), but sometimes it’s okay to shoot your season ticket holder rep or send an e-mail to the mailbag saying thank you or something to that effect. It goes a long way and will make that person’s day—trust me.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

On another note, since I enjoyed getting all of your e-mails last week, let’s keep the idea of sending me responses to a new topic going.

This week’s topic: Since I’m new to Condorstown, let me hear your three favorite moments in Condors history. My e-mail is jlockhart@bakersfieldcondors.com. I look forward to hearing your responses.

- Jason.

Random Top 5 - corporate partners to call in an emergency

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

- by Kevin Bartl

The Condors list of corporate partners is varied.  we have everything from fast food joints to fancy restaurants, cops and firemen, people doctors and car doctors, shed producers and real estate agents, and everyone in between.  but when i was looking at the list the other day, i thought, when i’m really in a pinch, these are the Top 5 corporate partners that i would want to call in an emergency.

5. Houchin Blood Services - is there anything more important in your life than the blood your body is pumping?  tell you what, if you ever run into me on the street and you can tell that i’m in dire need of blood, right after you call 911, call Houchin.  and actually, that song from their radio ads is so ingrained in my head, they would probably make any list i created.

4. California Pizza Kitchen/Rusty’s/Pizza Hut - i am a man that lives an addiction-free life.  i don’t need my morning coffee to function.  i can go long periods of time without a beer.  i like the occasional cigar but never was a smoker.  but there is one thing i AM addicted to: PIZZA.  and i’m totally serious.  if i go four days or so without pizza, i cannot function.  it consumes my thoughts, oppresses my taste buds and controls my appetite.  after six days, i can’t think about eating anything else.  and after eight days i’m ready to take a hostage.  pizza is proof that God gave us all the creativity and knowledge that we need to live happy lives on Earth. 

3. Central Body Works - have you ever tried to live in Bakersfield without your vehicle?  I think that would qualify as an emergency.

2. Kern County Firefighters - gotta love these guys… putting out wild fires, protecting our houses, saving babies, rescuing cats from treetops… touching stuff.  They even have a link on their website that warns you about the Swine Flu.  There are over 500 men and women that are a part of the KCFF, and they all earn their paychecks.  Don’t mess with the firefighters, we need them.

1. Mercy & Memorial Hospitals - should all the previous four emergency contacts fail, i guess you can just drag my incapacitated body to the folks at M&MH.  preferrably whichever one is closest at the time.  for someone who avoids the doctor’s office as much as possible, if i ever get to the point where i REALLY need one, i suppose its OK to go to the hospital.  if you’re at Mercy SW, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get a room with a nice view of all the palm trees.

Kelly Cup, Probert, goalies and more (the many faces of bartl)

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | The Many Faces of Bartl, Uncategorized | No Comments

Congrats to the Alaska Aces and the South Carolina Stingrays for getting to the Kelly Cup Finals.  Should be an entertaining series and both clubs are streaking right now, having pounded their respective Conference Final opponents.  I’m going to lean toward the Aces on this one.  they have one of the best home ice advantages in the league, and that place will be rocking for every home game.  plus their roster is loaded.

by the way, South Carolina, bring your eyeshades, the sun is setting around midnight up in the AK these days.

*   *   *   *   *

Taking a look at the “Big Club”, this was an interesting article on J.S. Giguere, who seems to have to keep proving himself and re-earning his job every couple years.  this guy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as a member of a losing team, then lost his job to Ilya Bryzgalov.  then he got it back and now he’s lost it again.  i guess we’ll just have to wait and see if Hiller’s the real deal… he sure looked like it this season, but i thought he let in a few softies when they needed him against the Wings.

*   *   *   *   *

If “Giggy” is looking for a home in 2009-10, maybe Bakersfield will be a good spot.  the goaltending position always draws a lot of attention in Condorstown, as the fans here seem to have a soft spot for them.  Kevin St. Pierre was pretty much revered here in 02-03, as was Fukufuji in his rookie year when he took everyone by surprise and had such a great season. 

even a guy like Ryan Nie quickly became a fan favorite here, even though his GAA and save percentage were not any better than Fuj or Dave McKee at the time of his trade, but a couple strong performances in front of the hometown crowd seemed to convince most of the town that he was the man.

but this year is a question mark with what will happen.  Fuj finished up very strong for the second season in a row, but a couple of average starts might make it a tough decision for him to be brought back.  a lot may depend on who may get assigned from the Condors affiliate.  even if its Anaheim next season as well, it probably won’t be McKee, who’s numbers in the regular season were not very good.

either way, good goalies are usually scooped up rather quickly in the off-season, so it will be interesting to see if Marty Raymond snares one in early June, or if we end up waiting a bit to find out.  an affiliated goalie probably wouldn’t be named until training camp, so we’ll be on the lookout for one goalie signing this summer.

*   *   *   *   *

California Condors are among one of the greatest extinction avoidance stories ever, if not the best.  this is an animal that was down below 20 in the wild, when each of them were brought into captivity for breeding.  now there are over 300 on the earth, many of them out in the wild reproducing and thriving, when they aren’t being killed by wildfires or poisoned by eating animals killed with lead bullets.

incidentally, there’s a big to-do about the ban of lead bullets, and i don’t understand why.  if there are hunters out there, kindly let me know.  seriously, i just don’t know and would like to hear the explanation.

anyway, i was at the San Diego Wild Animal Park last weekend and actually got to see a California Condor for the first time ever.  they’re cool.  my project for the summer is to try to get in touch with someone associated with the breeding program to name a new chick “Colonel”, “Claw’d”, “Colonel Claw’d” or “Cal”.  the first step in my assignment was to get a number or a name with the SD Zoo communications department, which i did.  i’ll keep you posted on my progress.  this one isn’t going to be easy.

*   *   *   *   *

“Probey” was the best goon i ever saw.  and he, like another hockey warrior Chris Chelios, is one of only a couple guys to have played with both Chicago and Detroit in his time.  i’m sure Red Wing nation is fired up that he’s pulling for the ‘Hawks in the Western Conference Finals.

it would be hard to imagine Hawks fans hating anybody more than Bob Probert when he was on the other side of the rivalry, and then eliciting a similar response from Wings fans when he was on Chicago pounding the heck out of their guys.  and maybe his side-choosing shouldn’t surprise us, since he was that kind of a polarizing character when he was playing.

you either loved Bob Probert or you hated him.  you loved watching him beat the snot out of people or you thought he was everything that was wrong with the game.  you pulled for him through anything or you wanted him kicked out of the league after being busted for drug use. 

it would be hard to forget how built up his tilts against Tie Domi were back in the day.  it was like the days and weeks leading up to a title fight on Pay Per View.  just start typing “Probert” into YouTube and “Probert vs. Domi” is the first thing that pops up.  This one is even better.  i’ll say this about those two: Probert was one tough dude, but Domi has to have the hardest head in the history of the game.  he could take a punch like nobody’s business.

Kevin Bartl is the VP of Communications and the “Voice of the Condors” entering his 7th season with the team.  His blog comes out every Monday, or whenever he feels like it.

Chuck-A-Buch from the east coast

Thursday, April 16th, 2009 | Chuck A Buch, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Hey Condorstown!  How’s everyone doing?

I have to be honest with you, this feels really weird, sitting in Greenville, SC, on a road trip and blogging away for the Condors.  It was the toughest decision I’ve ever made in my life to move on from Bakersfield, and I really appreciate the opportunity here to check in from the east coast.

In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, I accepted the play-by-play position with the Hickory (NC) Crawdads, South Atlantic League affiliate of the Texas Rangers, and moved about three weeks ago from Bako.  In that short time, so much has happened.

My three-day, 32-hour car ride from the west to the east went well overall.  I stopped in Winslow, AZ, for the Eagles, and then quickly got out of Winslow, AZ, for my overall safety and well-being (not a fine sight to see), saw the Billy the Kid gravesite in Ft. Sumner, NM, which was incredible, and got a really expensive souvenir from Wheeler County, Texas.

The Billy the Kid gravesite was by far the highlight of the trip for me, and thanks are in order to Bartl for pointing it out to me before I left.  I had to make some last minute adjustments to the ‘ol itinerary to squeeze the detour in, but it was well worth it.  I am fascinated by the old west - always have been and always will be.  As a senior in college, I wrote a 35-page paper on the actual social norms of old western cow towns vs. their Hollywood-exaggerated stereotypes we see in movies, shows and fictional books.  On my way to Bako, I stopped at the American Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, but managed to miss the Billy the Kid gravesite the first time.  I was sure not to make that mistake twice and thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent taking in the gravesite (which does sound a little creepy), but when you put it in context from a historical standpoint, it dawns on you how rare of an opporunity that really is.

On to Texas.  I’m not overly pleased with Texas right now, Wheeler County more specifically.  I found out the hard way that the police in Texas, at least in Wheeler friggin County, drive pick-up trucks.  Are you kidding me???  What police station, when going over their budget, says, “hmm, times are tough right now, but let’s squeeze to make sure we get that fleet of Ford pick-ups in for our highway patrol” ???  Ridiculous, and tricksy!!  As an unsuspecting New Yorker, who might or might not have been driving 89 mph past one of said pick-ups, I have major issues with that whole set up.  Nonetheless, Texas won and my ticket probably goes into their funding for the next unnecessarry automotive purchase.  Watch, in six months you’ll get pulled over by a Hummer in Wheeler County.

I got into Hickory, NC on my third night of driving, and was really welcomed warmly by the organization here as well as the overall community.  Nothing could possibly beat Condorstown, but I feel really fortunate to have landed in yet another very good situation. 

The season opened up last Thursday and we’ve gone 3-2 so far.  This team is good, really good.  Texas has the top farm system in baseball and they sent us some great prospects.  Three of our pitchers combined to toss the first no-hitter in pro ball this season on Saturday in the first half of a doubleheader, and then three other of our pitchers threw another shutout in the second game of the double dip.  The no-hitter was incredible.  You could go your entire fandom, or broadcasting career, without ever witnessing one in person, and we got one in the second game of our season.  Pretty cool.

I’ve definitely been keeping a close eye on the Condors playoff push and two first-round games.  Actually, even when I’m not perusing the website, I still know the scores, since I am still subscribed to the text alerts, which wake me up in the middle of then night here, but it’s worth it.  I can’t tell you how pumped I was, sleepy-eyed at 1:45 am, to see final score of the comeback win in game two. 

Don’t believe me?  You should see the mantle in my apartment.  From bobbleheads and soap dispensers, to a picture with the Fahzys and Bartl as well as a great photo taken by Michael Duffy of the team lined up for the anthem, the only decor in my place is Condors memorabilia.  One last time, I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone in Condorstown for making my stint there as special and memorable as it was.  The Condors changed me in a great way, and I’ll carry that forever.  As always, Go Condors!

~Andrew Buchbinder

thinking about the playoffs while sitting in the arena in Phoenix (the many faces of Bartl)

Saturday, February 28th, 2009 | The Many Faces of Bartl, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

it’s a beautiful sunny day in Phoenix, and it reminds me that summer is right around the corner in Bakersfield.  which makes it feel like the regular season is coming to a close for these scrappy Condors. 

the season always cruises along, sometimes goes through long spells for me where there are road trips and a seemingly endless consecutive-day-working stretches… these things happen.  and just when it feels like there is still a ton of hockey left to go, the calendar flips over into March and all of a sudden everyone from the players and coaches to the trainers and broadcasters and fans start to feel the crunch of the stretch drive.  just like that.

Bakersfield went into February - the busiest of the season in terms of games per day - on the outside looking in.  on the VERY outside looking in.  but low and behold, Marty Raymond’s crew has pulled themselves back into the thick of things and, dare i say it, appear to have their own destiny in their hands.  in fact, if they can start up another seven-game unbeaten streak in the next game or two, they would vault right into the mix for home ice advantage.

i’m getting ahead of myself.  but it’s fun to be optimistic right now.  the reality is that tonight they face a Phoenix club that won’t back down, and they will play tonight without their top 2 leading scorers (who are both in the top 6 in the league, by the way), Painchaud and Pope.

this month has the potential to see a major change in the National Conference Playoff landscape.  top can be bottom and inside can be out.  i’m of the opinion that the Idaho Steelheads and the Ontario Reign will take their respective division titles. 

i used to like Stockton to overtake Ontario, but the Reign appear to have an edge in the form of their schedule.  Stockton, Ontario and Vegas have all played 56 games, and the Reign have an eight-point lead over Vegas and a nine-point lead over Stockton.  but the Thunder have just one game left against the Reign and Vegas has three.  those games alone are not enough to close the gap on Ontario, and therefore there doesn’t appear to be a realistic chance for either club to overtake them.

Idaho, on the other hand, has been hanging on behind Victoria and Alaska for the whole season, and even has seven games left against Victoria.  SEVEN.  while Alaska has ZERO games left against Idaho or Victoria. 

late in the season, the easiest way to make up ground in the playoff race is to beat the teams you are battling with in the standings.  Alaska won’t have that chance… although that also means that they don’t play against any of the top teams in the conference the rest of the way.  the Aces, curiously, have 16 games left, all against either Phoenix (7), Utah (3), or Las Vegas (6).  so then again they could spend their final weeks beating up on teams below them.

all that appears to have a lot of logic, but then again, we’re going into the stretch time in the ECHL, and you just never know what’s going to happen.

*   *   *   *   *

what the heck took the Iowa Chops so long to get on the batphone and make the call for Painchaud??  here is a team, winless in their last 9 games by the way, who has had a hard time getting goals all season long, letting a talented guy like that dominate down here.  don’t get me wrong, every team has their own plans they have to follow, and i’m not complaining, but that one was a long time coming.  Chad was in the starting lineup Friday night, though he couldn’t help Iowa avoid a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Chicago.

it’s just hard to imagine that he couldn’t have helped them at all over the last month or two.  but speaking of helping out, should the Iowa Chops miss the playoffs, the Condors may get a little bit of help.  imagine Painchaud, Matt Caruana and Charlie Kronschnabel coming back to us.  i’m not saying that it WOULD happen, i’m just saying that it COULD happen.  and it’s usually those kind of additions down the stretch that lead to Kelly Cup Playoff participants becoming contenders.