Snow-covered Columbus

Watching the weather this morning I was positive we would never be able to get to Columbus today for Sunday's game with the Blue Jackets. Twenty inches of snow, they were saying. Winds over 35 mph. White-out conditions. The noon bus from the team hotel in New Jersey was pushed back to 5 p.m. That the weather also was awful in Jersey (lots of rain) didn't give me much hope either. So I settled in, and turned on a Mets exhibition game against the Marlins (former Rays infielder Jorge Cantu had three doubles and five RBIs for Florida).

But then the message came that the bus was moved up to 4 p.m., and when we got to the airport, the team plane was ready to go. Seems the snow had tapered off and the wind was down to 15 mph and that made it possible to land in Columbus, so we were on our way.

It was awfully bumpy on the way up, smooth otherwise. Even the landing on a snowy runway wasn't bad. a bit inconvenient was that we had to wait on the plane while they plowed a place for the plane to park. So from the time we landed until we got on the buses to get to the team hotel, it was more than an hour later.

Columbus, I have to say, did a great job of clearing the streets. Especially the main highway into town was passable as long as speeds were reasonable. Things couldn't have gone better until we got to about one block from the team hotel.

The team provides two buses for its players and the media. The players go on the first bus, the media, which also includes the Sun Sports production staff, goes on the second. At one point, someone said, "I think their bus is stuck.'' Sure enough, the players bus, which had stopped for a red light could not go forward through some thicker snow.

The bus backed up, moved forward a bit and stopped. It happened again, and again. The bus spun its wheels so badly, black smoke started coming off the back left wheels. Our bus driver radioed to the other a helpful tip that the players' driver said he already ha tried. Finally the players' driver backed way up and stated he was going to get a good run at it. The media driver decided to go ahead of the players bus to the hotel. As we approached the spot in which the players' bus got stuck, the light turned red. "Don't stop,'' someone yelled. A car waiting to come across our path, saw we weren't slowing down and literally backed up to get out of our way. We made it and watched behind us as the players' bus made it as well.

The hotel was packed with stranded travelers who obviously heard the Lightning was coming to town. The players had to fight through autograph seekers while they tried to get to the elevators to get to their rooms.

 

Comments

[keith]

Same old s***. Lose the game in the last few minutes. Choke choke choke. Wish it was October 2009. We will all have forgotten about this debacle of a season by then and be looking forward, with much optimism, to the new look Bolts with their new coach and GM.

[JoeG]

Fire gm and coach!! I can't take the pain any more!

[JoeG]

Please fire coach and gm!!!

[Another Joe]

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh fustrating game,fustrating season!

[Rudy]

Does anybody remember when was a last time we score instead get empty netter? It’s ever work for us? Each time we call goalie off, its look to me (maybe that me only ) that everybody are so lost, and nobody know what really to do? I just know, we getting one more. Maybe like other teams take time off, and get some instructions, and rest, will be more appropriate? Or is it really true that we like to finish last to have chance to get Stamkos?

[boltflasher]

Yes, I'd forgotten what it was like..

[Rudy]

Hope it last
Was it great?
You still remember that filing?

[boltflasher]

Well!!!... Vinny and Marty have decided to play in the 2nd period

[Rudy]

That is Modin , no me Olin

[Rudy]

Sore groin day to day

[olin]

...too early for ice cream Rudy, not 3rd period yet- sent sweetie to store for new jar of ovaltine..guess my bud Freddy Mo is scratch- I didnt see beginning of game- maybe he is back to IR again??? Did they say anything about him? Oh good, sweetie just get back with ovaltine- maybe I add some Swedish birchbark grog since so early game....

[Rudy]

hope you got lot of ice cream Olin
big dog or you just taking it like comedy by now

[Rudy]

He is taking Boile job now

[olin]

...hej Rudy, Dobry den...we watch same channel again...LOL

[Herb]

Well done Smith....you are fitting in real well now with the rest of these losers. Just end this season already.

[olin]

Rutt-Rowww, now goalie gonna hear about being behind net from da Generale Tort's.... for 2nd intermission pep talk....

[Rudy]

That it, this mistake gona cost him. Poor Smith, now they will go on his skin. Torts will be all over him.

[Herb]

Smith gave his best Denis impersonation.I guess having to play on a pathetic team is wearing him down already.

[boltflasher]

ALready down...I know Smith was pretty excited to get a #1 gig, but about now he may be missing Boucher, Norstrom, Daley, Rodidas and Zubov....

[boltflasher]

Pretty funny Herb!!

[Herb]

Flasher the Bolts probably won't show up until 7pm with their recent history.

[boltflasher]

By the way today's game is at 3pm not 7pm as it says on the main page...

[boltflasher]

14 games left, all but 2 of which the Bolts lost the previous meeting, 10 of which they scored 2 or less goals...pretty depressing unless we want best shot at Stamkos. Was the lottery supposed to prevent teams or management from playing for the first pick?

[Another Joe]

My point was is this trade for the Lightning will be judged next year. This year is shot!!

The Stars were going to the playoffs before this trade. Now dont get me wrong im a Richards fan and will be rooting for the Stars to win.

And ive always found it funny Prospal disappears until his contract year. Again i like prospal but until this year he underachieved. Chances are when he gets his next contract for however much and with whoever we'll see how he does!

[Voice of the Turtle]

As if John Tortorella and Jay Feaster have not done enough to demoralize, depress, and dispirit the Lightning, enter Jack Frost who is also visiting Columbus this weekend.

Perhaps, for some, the formidable hardship posed by the weather will serve as an additional palatable excuse for a questionable performance by the Bolts this afternoon.

Still harboring viable playoff aspirations, the Blue Jackets will give no quarter when playing at home against a floundering team while the number of remaining games are dwindling. To this hungry Columbus bunch, the Lightning must look like a juicy, medium rare chateaubriand.

One could argue that the Lightning chances are slim and grim, but maybe Jack Frost will blow some chilling inspiration up their downcast derrieres.

Most of us will be watching!

[Herb]

My thinking today is, are the Bolts going to get shutout or will they manage to score a goal. Leclaire is leading the league with 9 shutouts and he is fourth in GAA.

[Rudy]

That is not a point anyway, it’s producing!
If you win or lost, just try!!

So we can watch something.
Also stars going playoffs. And Hlavac with Richards, we can’t get anything from them.
Prospal was supposedly feed from Marty. Well Marty and V4 shoving nothing now, Prospal so so;
But he is not worse like was predicted. He is doing pretty well. Hlavac is doing great. We save lot of salary with him. But we are better of, like I keep hearing. Only we have to end last overall, so we can get Stamkos. Wow, that strategy really work for fans. It’s going to be really packed now.

[Rudy]

fire coach

[Rudy]

So its to same like us!!!

[Another Joe]

The Stars are 1-3 since the trade.

[Rudy]

fire coach

[Rudy]

V4 in last 4games 00000
Marty in last 10 games 01000
that is 1 assist

[Rudy]

...............GP G A S + PIM
Prospal ....6 1 1 2 1 2
Hlavac .... 5 1 3 4 2 2
Richards .. 4 0 6 6 -2 0
Way they doing better? Do they miss beloved coach?
I don’t want upset anybody, just keeping up. All of them playing in first lines, started in 3th.

[leo]

Oh que si qu'il y'a but, Jim.
Ne t'inquiètes pas pour nous. On a tous les buts couverts sous tous ses angles. Rien à craindre à ce chapitre, nous te remercions gentillement.
But that doesn't stop me from being understood, does it now?
Do ye not like me accent, mate?
All I can be is meself...
Oy! And we got pints, what. Don't y'all?
A little cultural variety never 'urt anybody, eh?
BBR

[Herb]

Gloating about being in Montreal? WOW, like the new phone books are in. You can keep it up there.

[jim from nj]

Are u from Montreal or England? Yeesh. Et le but?

[shane]

when did pirates learn to use the internet? CAPTAIN LEO!! ARG!!

[leo]

Awwwwww... Cowumbus got a liwwle snow?
Awwwwww...
I'm in Montréal, you pansies!
To say "Blizzard" is an insult to blizzards.
It's the bloody end of the world up here!
The snow is up to my bloody doorbell!
"Columbus under snow".
Get bent!
On another note, (I know y'all don't care but here goes:)
I won my bet! My friend said at the beginning of the year, "We won't see Halak at all this year."
I said, "You're mad, mate. It's madness. Halak is too good to stay in the minors all year; we'll see him."
He said, "The Priceberg is the New Lord Supreme; Halak won't even start a game."
I said, "You're daft, mate. If he really is that good, (and he is, the poor bugger) then rest assured, he will see the net."
He said, "You're crazy."
I said, "What's that got to do with it?"
He said, "You wanna bet?"
I said, "What's the bet?"
He said, "Same as last one, old boy." (Last one was him saying the Artist WASN'T gonna score 25 goals. What a maroon. Easiest pint Leo ever won.)
And now Leo's got another pint! Attaboy, Jaroslav.
Cheers!
BBR

[//]

A little less detail please, Casper. Thank you.

[Casper]

Don't miss those backaches and soggy feet one little bit.

Hey DC, I recommend a bottle of blackberry brandy. Something in all those herbs is good for the sniffles. Ask any granny...

Good call Vince, on skipping Wellington, NZ.! Anybody not familiar with the horrors of landing there can view many hairy clips on You Tube. I went through similar constipating follies landing in Iceland. Nice place, but yeesh...

[jim from nj]

they'd better start appreciating Tampa to save their jobs there!

[Lisa]

I just also wanted to say that I am glad everyone arrived safely. Traveling in that kind of weather can be scary, and definately needs to be done very carefully.

[Lisa]

Hope Vinny really hated dealing with that! He did say in an article in the TT earlier this year that he won't travel to New Zealand during our summer because it is their winter and he doesn't like the cold. Hope it makes him realize even more that he wants to stay in Tampa!

[Nan]

I used to live in Oswego, NY, north of Syracuse. Talk about snow! I love it here, no snow to shovel or drive through.

[Herb]

No wonder I hate the north. I am glad to be in sun drenched Florida. I live here for a reason.

[Another Joe]

Makes you appreciate the Tampa Bay area!