Kyle Keefe

Silence Is Good For The Soul

The television is on as we cook dinner. The radio is cranked as we drive our cars. Streaming audio at our desks, iPods steam into our skulls as we run, and the internet is always alive on our phones.

What happened to some peace and quiet? When is the last time you sat somewhere with nothing to capture your thoughts but silence? I am just as guilty as the next guy, I always have some sort of information link, feeding my brain, telling me what to think, sing, or doodle about. It’s a cultural disease that’s got us wrapped up in a pool of misguided thoughts that we don’t need. We don’t need the switch turned ON every waking moment of every day. Jack Johnson tells the same story in a song he wrote (which is ironic because I want you to turn the music off for a bit) about everyone just “slowing down”…

Brushfire fairytales 
Itsy bitsy diamond whales
Big fat hurricanes 
Yellow bellied given names 
Well shortcuts can slow you down 
And in the end we're bound 
To rebound off of we 

Well dust off your thinking caps 
Solar powered plastic plants 
Pretty pictures of things we ate 
We are only what we hate 
But in the long run we have found 
Silent films are full of sound 
Inaudibly free 

Slow down everyone 
You're moving too fast 
Frames can't catch you when 
You're moving like that

So do yourself a favor, slow down. Take a deep breath. Stare at the sky and everything in it. Watch a tree out your window. Clear your mind for five minutes and hear yourself living in a world of peace and quiet. Trust me, the world will not slow down around you, but you might just gain a step on the world by letting it pass you by for a moment.

Bring on the Patriots! Did I just say that?

f your hand hurts, you’re probably not alone. You are a Bronco fan.

I celebrated my 39^th birthday on Sunday with family and friends at my house watching Denver take on the highly favored Pittsburgh Steelers. What started out as an informal gathering, a few dips, beverages, and pizza, turned into Wrestle Mania 2012. The outcome of the game speaks for itself, but what happened inside millions of homes across the country cannot. I must elaborate.

Picture this: Grown men huddled around a flat screen in one room, 9 maniac children running amuck up the stairs, out the front door, in the back door, while the wives gathered around the island in the kitchen to catch up on all the “He said-She said” stuff around town. Down 6-0 after the first quarter, the room remained intact, and the atmosphere was somber as expected. As the game continued, the mood obviously changed, the blood pressure increased, layers of clothing including jerseys of one #15 became more visible. Strangers became friends and the hand slapping started, and then it became more violent with every offensive drop by the opponent, and the miscues on special teams. The Home team was in this thing. The Fourth Quarter.  By now, plates were not used for the pizza, slices of pepperoni just hung from the beards of many respectful men, runs to the cooler were now perfectly timed at commercial breaks, and the bathroom was just too far and way too risky at this juncture of the game. Overtime. You could hear a pin drop at the moment of the first snap……and then……it began.

Like a scene from Braveheart, men, women and children rose to their feet, running through the halls of the house, screaming and hugging one another. Two of my friends threw themselves through the front window….car sirens went off, the kitchen was on fire, as the dogs dropped from the chimney to join the chaos. Ok, maybe not, but it was anarchy.

The next morning my right hand was bruised from the insane high-fiving, the low-fiving, the “I’m stronger than you” handshake. All part of the magic of what happened in downtown Denver on Sunday afternoon. Regardless of what happens this weekend in New England, I’m proud of what this team has done, not just one man, but what the collective efforts of an organization and its’ members have done.

“There's no substitute for guts.”
-- Paul "Bear" Bryant

From Scrappin’ to Scooters

I’ve worked with a lot of different characters over the years, but no one can compare to Mark Rycroft.

He was born July 12, 1978 in Penticton, British Columbia and spent the better part of his days playing hockey. He spent 3 seasons playing for the Pioneers here in Denver and time in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, and more notably the Colorado Avalanche. In his days with the Burgandy and Blue, he became my “go to guy”. You know, the one guy in the locker room that is going to give you the straight answer, no bull, just the truth. He was always fun to see after practice, a big win at Pepsi Center, or even a tough loss to a divisional rival. He always had good answers regardless of the outcome. We were buddies. Heck, he even cleaned my teeth on an episode of Avalanche All Access (although I’m pretty sure he wrecked a few cuspids from my five minutes in the chair). His NHL numbers go like this: 226 games played, 21 goals, 25 assists for 46 points, 6 fights and 113 penalty minutes. Don’t let the numbers fool you, if it’s spunk you are looking for, he’s got it.

Nowadays, he owns “Scooters on Broadway”. Mark runs the shop that boasts the Schwinn Laguna, Sport and Manhattan 200. I know, I don’t understand what any of that means either, but it takes up the majority of his time, when he’s not doing color for the Pioneer Radio Broadcasts or being the Studio Analyst for Colorado Avalanche games…which brings me to my story. Mark Rycroft might be the single most interesting man on the planet. I know what you’re thinking, that guy with the grey beard that climbs Mt. Everest and rides monkeys through the Sahara while drinking Dos Equis XX already has that title…not so fast. All you have to do is watch one hockey game with Ryker, and you’ll know what I mean.

Here’s a few little things I have noticed about him over the past two weeks, you tell me if I am crazy…

1. Don’t even think about touching his makeup. That little compact of powder to him… is like what the blanket is to Linus.
2. His “clips” are like his unborn child. He loves those hidden plays in the game more than life itself. If our server went down, he’d melt right on set.
3. Some of the things that come out of his mouth should be made into t-shirts. “Where mum keeps the peanut butter”, and “that guy is a total wimp” and “He should be knocked on his butt”.
4. He drinks 14 cups of Lipton tea during any given game and never uses the bathroom.
5. His cell phone was made in 1998.
6. He’s a Google freak. Say any name, within five seconds, he’s typing it up on HockeyFights.com, HockeyDb.com, or the last resort NHL.com. If there’s some scoop on somebody, he knows it.
7. He fought Dan Carcillo without knowing that Dan Carcillo beats up people for a living. He said it was the scariest 33 seconds of his life.
8. He loves to golf, but can only play on Sunday’s between 12 and 2. I know, it’s neat. He needs a membership at “Harvard Gulch”.
9. He’s more concerned about his shirt-tie combination than Joan Rivers is about the Red Carpet.
10. Behind closed doors, and certainly not on the air, he talks like an old school hockey player. Trust me, it’s hilarious, I need a thesaurus just to de-code his sentences.

People love to watch him on television for a lot of reasons, but I think the biggest reason is that he is REAL. He says what a lot of you are thinking. His brutal honesty is refreshing. His character is a breath of fresh air. His knowledge of the game is unbelievable. So here’s my little cheer to Scooter boy…I love working with you Ryker, you’re one of a kind.

How to be Perfect In Your College Football Bowl Pick em’ League

If you haven’t gotten the email yet, it’s coming.  The 2011-2012 College Football Bowl Pick em’ schedules are out!  It seems so easy doesn’t it?  You have a 50% chance of getting every game right. That’s easy enough.  Here’s exactly how I did it this year, in fact, if you want to get all 25 games right (of the remaining games) listen closely: Choose with non-sense, not with common sense.  Regardless of the point spread on any game, find words, letters, mascots you like, or even the cities they are playing in.  You’ll end up being the man on the top of the mountain in the end, and everyone will ask you, “How did you get all the games right?” Just smile, shake your head, and walk off.  It’s so easy.  Let me give you a few examples.  On December 31st, Illinois takes on UCLA in the Fight Hunger Bowl. C learly, people living in Illinois have to deal with more elements than people basking in the sun in the middle of California.  It’s harder to find resources in Illinois and there’s just not as much food. I llinois wins that game.  On January 2nd, Florida is taking on Ohio State in the Gator Bowl.  They might as well not even play this game!  I mean c’mon, that’s like having me play somebody from Ohio in the Stupid Bowl.  Obviously name recognition is a big factor in these mind games.  I would slaughter that poor soul in the Stupid Bowl.  Baylor is playing Washington in the Alamo Bowl.  Remember the Alamo?  People from Baylor do.  It’s a lock.  Georgia Tech is squaring off with Utah in the Sun Bowl.  Do you like peaches?  They grow peaches in Georgia because of the sun.  And last but not least, who do you think wins the Military Bowl on December 26th?  Toledo or the Air Force Academy? I don’t know about you, but if I need someone to back me up, it’s not going to be Todd Gack from Toledo.
 
 It’s all there for the taking. Just read between the lines and bask in your own stupidity when you win.

Green with Envy

It was 5:13 am, Christmas morning, 1979.

I jumped from my snuggle-sack and raced around the corner in my Grandfather’s house.  Cat Stevens was still playing from the 8-track in the kitchen.  I saw a beam of light cast over a beast of a machine.  I scampered across the green shag carpet, tripping on the loose threads and landing on my face. I was knocked silly, and now, this “beast” seemed so far away. The others trampled over my little frail body.  It was all slow-motion for the next 15 seconds, as the voices from my brothers and cousins became deeper and deeper, something out of a horror flick, like a record player being slowed down with a finger.  “Wooooooowwww….whooooooo is thiiiiiisssss foooooooor?”  I could barely read the words on the tag that laid just 9 feet from my face, helpless, and now hopeless that the others had reached it first.  “There's no ride quite like the Huffy Green Machine, which has a sleek and stable, low-profile design that can pick up speed with its high-traction 20-inch rubber wheels….”  I couldn’t read on, it was too much to take.

Tears poured from my eyes as I peeled myself off the floor and regained consciousness.  The hottest ride in Brighton, Colorado was only a couple feet away from me now as my kin read the card out loud, “To Kyle, from Santa Clause”.  You’d thought I’d died and gone to heaven.  The butterflies rushed through my spine and down my arms as I raised them to the sky.  I could barely contain myself.  I slid my little 38 pound frame into the seat and grabbed a hold of the controls like it was a brand new Lexus (or in this case, a 1979 Cherokee Wagon).  My Sesame Street pajamas glowed as I peered around the room looking for the nearest photographer to quickly savor this moment with me as I basked in my glory.  The Green Machine had arrived via the magical sled, and it was a Christmas gift I would never forget.

Now, a father, to one tiny little angel named Quincy.  Here’s my message to you Quincy: Santa is coming, and I can’t wait to see you smile.

Happy Holidays Everyone…enjoy your children!

I Should Be More Grateful

I should be more grateful
 
I am one of those people who has to have everything inorder, and by order I mean “understood”. I don’t like having problems at work or at home, little fights with friends or disagreements with the lady behind the counter.  I embellish a little but I dwell a lot.  I need to learn to let things go, to get to the bottom of things, appreciate more.  Too often I feel sorry for myself on things I cannot control.  I feel helpless and want to just scream. I am one of those people you see at a stoplight that is just staring into the abyss because I can’t stop dwelling on my problems.

What problems you ask?

I don’t have any problems, that’s the sad part.  I have a healthy family.  That’s all I need.  If you think about it, having your health and a few people around you that genuinely love you, that’s all you need to survive.  There are people that cannot pay their heating bills, put food on the table, many who have lost their job, good people lying in a hospital bed with no health coverage…the list can go on for days. I have the same problems as 95% of America.  Stress at work, bills to pay, extended family issues, whatever they may be, we all have problems.  But the really good people don’t sweat the small stuff, they accept it as part of life and move on.  I need to move on.  I am a lucky guy, who has a job and a roof over his head.  I have a healthy family and a couple of bucks in my pocket.  I’m tired of feeling sorry for myself when things don’t go exactly as planned, or exactly the way I want them to.  I’m tired of letting other people’s criticism of me get below the surface.  I’m tired of complaining.  This holiday season, I am going to try to be more grateful for the pure things in life, like health and family.  I need to take a deep breath, slow down, and understand that life is not supposed to be a paved road for 85 years, rather a gravel road with many decisions and consequences, but all part of the learning experience that we call life.

After all, it can be taken away as quickly as it was given to us.

Ten Things You Don't Want To Say At Thanksgiving Dinner

10. “Hey Aunt Betty, why is your belt un-done?”
9. “I know Aaron Rodgers is a good quarterback, but the Wonder Pets are on Channel 120 right now!”
8. “Can you pass that stuff that looks like……what is that?”
7. “I’ll bet this will taste better tomorrow on two pieces of bread.”
6. “Let’s talk about politics.”
5. “And then in my 7th year of college, I really started to focus…anyway, where is the wine opener?”
4. “This year I am breaking the wishbone with Uncle Pat’s 7-month old son”
3. “Why am I at the kids table again? I’m 38 years old!”
2. “Hey kids, why don’t you all go run around in the street while all of us adults fight for 2 hours over this game of Pictionary!"
1. “Hey mom, this box of wine is gone…can you grab another?

Like Father Like Son

I got sent home from school one day with a shiner on my eye.
Fightin' was against the rules and it didn't matter why.
When dad got home I told that story just like I'd rehearsed.
And then stood there on those tremblin' knees and waited for the worst.

And he said, "Let me tell you a secret about a father's love,
A secret that my daddy said was just between us."
He said, "Daddies don't just love their children every now and then.
It's a love without end, amen, it's a love without end, amen."

(George Strait, A Love Without End, Amen)

On November 23^rd, at 6:30pm, I hope you’ll join me and watch the first run of “The Avalanche Father-Son Trip” on Altitude. It’s based on a 3-day trip with the Colorado Avalanche, their father-mentors, and a journey between father and son during a span of two hockey games (one at Pepsi Center and one in Dallas at the American Airlines Center).

Rather than spoil everything with the details on this blog, let me just give you a sneak peek at a few of the observations I made along the way:

•  These people (dads and mentors) are as real as it gets. No bull. Even keel. Straight forward men.
• Kids will be kids. Get these professional hockey players around their elders, no question, they are still kids.
• It will be hard for me to ever fly on a commercial airline EVER again. You’ll see…

Let me wrap this up with one comment that I make all the time about NHL players, and more specifically, the Avalanche players.  They are first class, the best kind of a human being.  Dollar signs do not affect who they are, the friendships and the loyalty they have created amongst one another.  If you love the Colorado Avalanche, you might want to tune in on Wednesday November 23^rd for the trip of a life-time.

Dealt a Bad Hand

Say a Prayer for Olivia…

They were told by the oncologist that they had been “dealt a bad hand”.

Two of my close friends have 2 children, a five-year-old, and Olivia, who is three. A week ago, she was diagnosed with a stage 4 nueroblashoma, a tumor that had started in her belly and was spreading. They were told she would have to undergo intense chemotherapy, followed by a bone transplant, followed by radiation.

Imagine that news.

It’s easy to think about your own kids at this point, but is it the selfish thing to do? Maybe, but it’s not about you. Not at this moment. You don’t know this couple, and you don’t know Olivia. But I know if you are reading this, you feel a pit in the bottom of your soul. I admit it, it’s the first thing I thought about. What would I do if that was me? If my little girl was in pain, and I was given that news in the hospital room. It’s not me, it’s them, but they shouldn’t bear these feelings alone. Two months ago, this family didn’t have a worry in the world, and now that same world has come crashing on their shoulders.

If you haven’t started to do so already, stop now and say a prayer for little Olivia. Take a moment in your busy schedule and give something, ask for something.

He’s listening.

This is Snow. Remember?

This is snow. Remember? We live in Colorado.

Ok, now that we’ve established what that “white stuff” is falling from the sky, let me ask you something…why are you driving 4 miles an hour on the freeway?

Every year we get the meeby-jeebies about the first snow. It’s like we’ve never seen it before. We cancel school. We postpone city council meetings. We steer our vehicles like it was our first test in Driver's Education. Seriously, I get the fact that the weather has changed, but it’s late October in Colorado! This is what happens. Every single meteorologist in town has been talking about this storm for the last 4 days, it finally arrives on Wednesday morning, and we panic like a volcano just blew up in our backyard. I have an idea, let’s celebrate the first snow. Make a snow man, have a snow-ball fight, make a snow angel, but don’t eat the yellow snow. It’s supposed to be mid 60’s the rest of the week. We’re safe.

Maybe I’m just bitter because I don’t get a snow day.

Something to Prove

David Jones was all smiles on the bench after the Avalanche beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Overtime on Monday Night.  He said, “This team has something to prove.”  Well, David, you’re proving it.

When I first looked at the schedule three months ago, I cringed.  Now, I laugh.  Seriously, after watching them beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions, absolutely steam-roll the Senators, win two other games in a shootout, and finally, an over-time winner in Toronto, I laughed out loud.  Hard.

This team is good.  Really good.  Hopefully you are watching, because, if you aren’t, you won’t have anything to talk about as far as Denver sports are concerned.  The Broncos are toast.  I love Tebow, but this season is lost, 4-12 maybe.  The Rockies are done, thank God.  I’m done getting all fired up for the Rockies three days prior to Opening Day with all the radio and television hype that this year is going to be different.  It’s not.  The team right now, and hopefully for a long while, is the Colorado Avalanche. This road trip was no fluke.  It was not just another good start to an average season.  This team is tough to play against and this latest road trip proved it.

Any road trip is difficult.  I took a road trip with my family in 1980 to Disneyland.  Trust me, I know.  My dad drove five of us across the country in a 1977 Jeep Cherokee Wagon.  Think of all the “pee” breaks and the moaning and complaining.  We didn’t have video on demand in the backseat, we didn’t have portable play-station games, iPods, iPads, or Nano’s.  We had “Cat in the Hat”, and there was only one of those books on this ride.  We didn’t have air conditioning either (that was supposed to be fixed on the Tuesday before we left, but 18-holes at the local golf course was on the agenda instead) to help with the 100 degree heat.

Now, while the Avalanche travel a little easier, this road trip was not easy.  David Jones has four goals. Milan Hejduk has five points. Ryan O’Reilly has five points and might be the best player on the ice right now.  The defense, led by Eric Johnson (five points) is doing the dirty work. Both Varlamov and Giguere have been standing on their heads.  Sixteen different players on the roster already have points.  Five games, two countries, in eight days is not easy.  Take notice people and start tuning in.  This team has something to prove.