So when the folks at GameDay Rugs approached me last week and asked for a plug, of course I said yes. GameDay Rugs is a new online retailer selling team related rugs for both indoor and outdoor use. While they have started with some of the larger college football and basketball teams, they are working on expanding the line to include additional college teams and professional teams.

Clemson Football Rug

I interviewed GameDay Rugs Account Manager and die-hard Clemson football fan Joey Westmoreland about the company, his products, and Bills rookie CJ Spiller (yes, I had to go there.)

Kat: Why did you decide to get into the sports rug business?

Joey: Sports are my life, so I was very fortunate to have been brought into the business by a friend while GameDay Rugs was still in the concept stage. I had seen what the parent company had accomplished with Astroturf and knew, as soon as the opportunity presented itself, that I wanted to be part of this.

Kat: What is the most creative way you’ve seen one of your rugs used?

Joey: Actually, I was at the NC State v Boston College game this past weekend and walked right passed two little boys, they were maybe 3 or so, and were perched on one of our football field area rugs playing their own game right there on the concrete, moving small helmets around as if they were players. Also, I’ve seen a circle Alabama rug used as wall art, but the tailgating child’s play takes the cake as most creative use.

Kat: I have it on good authority that you are a Clemson fan. I’m a Buffalo Bills fan, and we’re hanging a lot of hope on Clemson grad CJ Spiller. Do you have any thoughts on him?

Joey: I think he’s a super guy who will represent the Bills with the integrity that he’s demonstrated to date. The fact that he came back as a Senior speaks volumes of who he is, how he represented Clemson and how he will represent the Bills organization. His record, being chosen Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, and the fact that his jersey is being retired are testaments of what he’s meant to Clemson football. In my opinion, your hopes are well placed, and you have nothing to worry about.

Kat: Your company has a good selection of football schools. Any plans to expand to other schools and or other sports teams?

Joey: Absolutely! We take daily steps toward expanding our line, and offer a way on our site to collect fan suggestions for additional teams, although it takes time to get new designs approved by the universities and the CLC (Collegiate Licensing Company). Keep checking back often as new designs are constantly being added and we have some great plans for future product lines.

GameDay Rugs has a free shipping promotion ongoing through October 31, 2010. Visit their site at GameDayRugs.com.

******

Legal Note: I did not receive any compensation from GameDay Rugs or any affiliated party in exchange for this blog post.

Derek Stepan is just one of 8 former college players listed in today's Transactions. (Photo: BroadwayHockeyDaily.com)

Thursday’s start to the NHL Free Agent signing period was a nice pace of busy – just enough to keep die-hards engaged, but not so much as to seem like free agents were being tossed like slippery fish in Pike’s Place Fish Market in Seattle.

For us college hockey fans out there, many of the giant moves of the day had little to do with college hockey alumni. That isn’t to say that college hockey alumni stayed still – some moved, one officially left early, and we found a blog favorite swapped right before bedtime on free agency eve. A few quick notes for college hockey fans looking to keep up with Day 1:

- University of Vermont hangs with the Gophers and Badgers. Of the eight college hockey players (my own hand count – feel free to call me out if I’m wrong) changing hands or signing deals since late Wednesday evening, two were from the University of Vermont: Martin St. Louis (whose four year contract extension with the Lightning was previously announced but officially went through today) and The Swedish, blog favorite Viktor Stalberg (who found himself a part of a giant deal where he was swapped with others by the Maple Leafs in exchange for Chicago Blackhawks Kris Versteeg and Bill Sweatt, a Colorado College alum.) The Catamounts tied with the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota for the most amount of former college players listed on the transaction wire in the past 24 hours (2 each). Now about that “former players” bit, Badgers….

- Derek Stepan officially ended his college career today. Stepan, the WCHA leader in points and assists this past season, ended his collegiate elgibility by agreeing to terms with the New York Rangers (quite the college hockey friendly franchise, eh?) He played two seasons for the Badgers, and captained the victorious squad at this year’s World Junior Championships. Not a shocking early leave, but still a early college departure in a season chock full of them…

- The State of Hockey gets one of their own. St. Cloud State alum Matt Cullen was signed to a three year deal by the Minnesota Wild today, after playing with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators this past year. Cullen is from Virginia, MN, giving him what is sure to be the “Little Boy In Minnesota” dream trifecta: grow up in Minnesota, play college hockey in Minnesota, then play professional hockey in Minnesota. Awww. I’m such a sucker for those stories.

Your list for Day 1, with help from TSN.ca (Happy Canada Day!)

- Toronto swapped Viktor Stalberg (UVM-Hockey East) and two others for Bill Sweatt (CC-WCHA) and Kris Versteeg from Chicago.

- Martin St. Louis (UVM back during the ECAC days) signed a four-year contract extentsion with Tampa Bay.

- Derek Stepan (Wisc.-WCHA) agrees to terms with the New York Rangers officially, thus ending his elgibility two years early.

- Matt Cullen (St. Cloud State – WCHA) signs a three year deal with the Minnesota Wild.

-Adam Burish (Wisc. – WCHA) signed a two year deal with the Dallas Stars after spending three seasons with Chicago.

- Jordan Leopold (Minn. – WCHA) signs a three year contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

-Jonathan Matsumoto (Bowling Green – CCHA) signed a two-year, two-way contract with Carolina. He’s spent his four pro seasons in the Phantoms organization in the AHL.

-Paul Martin (Minn. – WCHA) signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, after spending his entire pro thus far with the New Jersey Devils. (I initially forgot this, and didn’t see it listed when I was investigating the TSN transactions list Thursday evening, but big thanks to Laurel for reminding me.)

Source: BostonBruins.com

While making my first ever visit to the landmark Kowloon Restaurant this weekend, I happened upon information about the Ice & Dice Casino Night event happening this Wednesday night (June 23). Sponsored by the Boston Bruins, the event will benefit the Bruins Foundation Pan-Mass Bike Team, which in turn benefits Dana Farber Cancer Institute. (‘Tis the time of year for Pan-Mass fundraisers – I just attended a great one at The Bell in Hand last Thursday evening to help out my friend Chris Villiani’s Pan-Mass team.)

From 7-11pm Wednesday night, Bruins alums and Bruins Foundation volunteers will play blackjack, craps, roulette and poker while raffling and auctioning off sports memorabilia. I also imagine some PuPu Platters, Saugus Wings and Fog Cutters (my husband’s favorite Kowloon drink) might also be involved…

Tickets are $30, and are available by emailing foundationevents@bostonbruins.com or calling 617-624-1889.

Photo: BuffaloBills.com

A quick note to wish the only recent Buffalo Bills quarterback not to give the fan base heartburn a good retirement. Late last week, Gibran Hamdan, former Bills third string quarterback, announced his retirement from football at the grand ol’ age of 29. Hamdan had been released by the Bills midway through last season, having taken only two NFL snaps. He had signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in March, and had been competing against Cleo Lemon and Ken Dorsey – two quarterbacks with NFL experience – in training camp.

I wish Hamdan had been given a chance to take a few snaps with the Bills (his two NFL snaps were with Washington). He had shown his worth in NFL Europe (where he was a league MVP in 2006), and had a few inches on Ryan Fitzpatrick and a bit more sturdiness than Trent Edwards. All things considered, Hamdan was the only Bills quarterback of the past two years not to evoke any ire in the fanbase (because he didn’t play, but still.)

WGR 550 reports that Hamdan aspires towards a broadcasting career – not surprising, given that ESPN football writer Tim Graham once remarked that Hamdan was one of the “more passionate and insightful interviews” he had done on the beat. Happy trails, Gibran Hamdan. Best of luck in your future endevors.

Da Costa is busy reppin' France. (Photo: Merrimack Athletics)

With that out of the way, here’s my newest idea to keep me blogging every single day: This Week in College Hockey Withdrawal. Because the Pittsburgh Penguins may have a whopping 14 ex-college guys on their active playoff roster, but that only makes me miss college hockey more.

- The University of Maine officially released their 2010-11 schedule on Wednesday. One of the surprises for me is that the Black Bears and BU will not face each other Valentine’s Day weekend, which is unusual. 2010-11 is Maine’s year to host two games in that matchup, and they will do so on January 28th and 29th.

- Merrimack’s Stephane Da Costa is a part of the France squad at the IIHF World Championships that start up this weekend. Da Costa’s brother, Teddy, who usually plays in Poland, will also play on the team. Da Costa and his fellow Frenchmen skated an exhibition against the USA (a team which has only two players that didn’t participate in college hockey according to the sharp fact finding of Joe Yerdon) on Tuesday. Those two non-college guys on team USA (Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno) each had two assists in the 3-1 win.

- The guys over at BC Interruption find themselves talking college hockey when discussing the “Boston College to the Big Ten” rumors. Would an Eagles move to the Big Ten force the conference to add college hockey? My question: Would a big money conference like the Big Ten even want to do so in the age of Title IX? Also, who says it would be worth the conference’s while, given that the popularity of college hockey dropped off after its 2009 surge?

“Oh, absolutely not,” immediately commented Tricia.

I nodded in agreement. “Chris Brown ruined it for himself.” I began reading off the other options, and we ended up settling on my original choice.

Later that evening, I was thinking about our immediate dismissal of Forever. It has a home in my iPod, after a friend’s wedding played it mere weeks after it was released and I thought it was an ideal wedding reception song. Brown, however, became caught up in his domestic abuse scandal with fellow pop star Rhianna months later, and the song went from Fred The iPod’s “Most Played” list to the “Hey, You Remember You Paid 99 Cents For These Songs, Right?” list.

But my immediate dismissal of the song on Friday pained me. It’s such a fun song, even if it was originally written for a gum commercial. It has such a good sentiment. The artist, however, no longer has that good sentiment. Brown is a musical pariahs, admitting that he handled his issues with his girlfriend horribly and being the inspiration for one of my least favorite songs of the last ten years, Rhianna’s Russian Roulette.

Has Forever thus become the new Rock and Roll Part 2 – a song with a very good purpose, that can be used very well for the best of circumstances, but unplayable because of the artist’s behavior? Forever‘s purpose is for celebratory and romantic circumstances, like a wedding, but no one dares to play it because of Brown’s behavior. Gary Glitter’s Rock and Roll Part 2 is probably one of the most iconic sports songs ever, with such a distinct cadence for goal, touchdown or point scoring celebrations, but no one dares to play it because Glitter allegedly molested children in Vietnam.

And are we all fooling each other by not playing these songs? Is my strong resistance to Forever, and are arena management’s strong resistance to Rock and Roll Part 2, a statement of our own personal dislike for the artist’s behavior, or because we are more concerned with the reactions of others if we played it? Are we appalled at the artist’s actions, or worried that others will be appalled at us for playing the song by an awful acting artist?

Will someone need to come along and lightly remake Forever – like they have for Rock and Roll Part 2, with a version that sounds exactly the same as the original by studio musicians – in order for us to be able to listen to it without feeling self-conscious? Or if the remake is too close, do you just remove that song from your catalog because it will elicit the same negative reaction?

The larger question might always exist – can you separate the art from the artist? Can you separate the athletic performance from the athlete? Can you admire the performance while removing the artist’s or athlete’s non-performance related negative acts? (And given the recent unpleasantness surrounding two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, this is a pertinent subject. Can Steelers fans still be grateful for those Super Bowl performances, or are they tarnished?)

I was addicted to TV Guide when I was younger. My mother was charged with buying two copies at Wegmans every week – one for Grandpa, who kept it tucked in the cushions of his electric recliner or next to his pen collection (he collected pens from his route as a bread delivery man), and one for Great-Grandma (his mother, she of the fun stories. Her last name was Hooker. She knocks the flowers off her grave. She lived to be 94 and was the first person to tell me to my face that I sucked. She would take my mother’s hand, hit her on the cheek with it, and tell her to “stop hitting yourself, Kelly!” She was that kind of woman.)

On the car ride between Wegmans and the two TV Guide drop-offs, I would devour the magazine. First, I had to see what would happen on next week’s Full House. After getting that all-important information (“Mom, DJ is going on a date with a guy Danny doesn’t like, and Stephanie wants to get her ears pierced!”), I would flip to the front and read every morsel on every non-listing page that I could. This single-handily is why I was a speed-reader in school. I had 10 minutes to read the entirety of early 1990s TV Guide, which was much more substantial than today’s version.

Zoom to today. TV Guide is obsolete, given that I have the Digital Cable Program Guide. I just press menu, listings, and the arrow keys and BAM! – I have automatic, fully updated TV Guide, just minus the profiles of Victoria Principal, Patrick Duffy and Scott Baio. If Grandpa and Great-Grandma were still alive, they would fully and functionally freak the heck out.

But the continuously updated and information overload nature of the Digital Cable Program Guide can lead to pretty funny gaffs. My fiance and I have caught two in the past four days. Thus, I present to you, our first installment of…Digital Cable Program Guide Fail, or Comcast Info Guide Fail, or whatever you choose to call it.

Example #1: The listing for Saturday night’s Boston College versus Wisconsin National Championship game.

Not a screen bitter BU fans wanted to see. (Photo: me)

While Boston College did win this game on Saturday night, they did not win in 2009 over Miami in overtime. Boston University did. Remember that? It was glorious. April 11, 2009. (By the way, congrats to BC on winning another title on Saturday. Way to keep the National Championship on Comm Ave. The WCHA can cry all they want.)

Example #2: Did you know the United States added a new state? And it is home to a city named Denver too!

It's a new state. I wonder if it's near Colorado. (Photo: Me)

Do you have any fun Digital Cable Program Guide Fails? I’d love to feature them. Send them to sportsgirlkatATgmail.com (replace that AT with the @ sign). I can’t give you anything, but I can ensure that you’ll make me giggle.

However, I found it curious – why would the MLL host a game in a city they had pulled out of a mere year ago? It was then that I followed some statements on lacrosse boards and stumbled upon the fact that the Chicago Machine had no home games scheduled – every upcoming game was scheduled for the “MLL Home Office.” So I wrote an Examiner piece about it – “Are the MLL Chicago Machine on the outs?”

While the NLL has a cautious optimism about the stability of their league – as evident in Commissioner George Daniel press conference on the State of the League two weeks ago – the MLL continues to run into potholes. It’ll be interesting if they do end up moving the Machine franchise to a market that they had previously moved out of, or what other cities become a part of the Machine’s 2010 Road Tour.

One thing I learned at the Frozen Four is that there is an art to traveling to the Frozen Four. There are definitely pieces of knowledge I wish some more experienced college hockey fan had passed on to me before I jumped on the plane to DC. Thus, RIT, BC, Miami and Wisconsin fans, this is Part 1 of my advice to you before you head off to Detroit Wednesday or Thursday morning.

For Part 1, I present to you an Insider’s Guide to Detroit. I contacted one of the first folks I ever followed on Twitter, Jamie Favreau, PR and Marketing Goddess and Uber Hockey Fan. She resides in Detroit, and I knew I could turn to her for the insiders view of the city.

Kat: What is the best means of transport from the airport to Ford Field or main hotel area? (Bus, subway, taxi)

Jamie: I would call the hotels to find out if they are having a shuttle service. This is a big event so they might be offering something. Rental car or taxi is the best way if shuttles are NOT offered. (Kat’s note: In DC we took public transportation and a taxi to and from the airport, completely ignoring the hotel shuttle services that existed. Looking back, I wish we would have either taken our hotel’s shuttle or the SuperShuttle. Thus, definitely take Jamie’s advice here – taxi’s can jack up their prices if they are heading to the airport.)

The People Mover is best for getting around downtown Detroit.

K: Friday afternoon is when most Frozen Four attendees go site-seeing – besides team practices, the day is relatively quiet until the skills competition and Hobey Baker presentation at night. For those who have never been to Detroit, what three places are must-sees?

J: Slows BBQ and Lafeyette Coney Island are the best places and a must when in Detroit. I have a few ideas as far as what you can do. Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Mare great places if you have a car and can get to Dearborn which is outside of Detroit. If you are staying in the City, there is a Wheelhouse Bike Rentals and DTours. You can also go to the Detroit Institute of Arts which is in Midtown. If you want to find out some more events you can visit the Downtown Detroit Partnership or for a short list visit Detroit Moxie. The NCAA has a list of what is going on this weekend as well.

If you have a passport, you can always bring it with you so you can go to Windsor, Ontario.

K: Are there any good sports bars either downtown or near Ford Field?

J: If you are looking for cheap drinks you can visit the Anchor Bar. $2 Blue and Blue Light Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Free shuttle to and from the games. Door prizes, giveaways, fun. The Anchor is located at Fort/Cass stop of the People Mover.

Alumni associations are hosting viewing parties at the following bars. Miami is having a VIP party at Hockeytown Cafe, but I am sure you can get in even if you aren’t a VIP. Wisconsin is holding a viewing party at Cheli’s. RIT home base is Angelina’s, but you need to register to attend. Boston College will be holding its viewing party at Bookies. Please contact your alumni association to find out if there will be a VIP event as part of the viewing parties. (Kat’s note: Definitely contact your school’s alumni association before attending any of those parties, even if you are a student. There may be special deals for registering and/or a cover charge. Plus, Alumni Associations always appreciate the heads up on what they can expect for attendance.)

K: Your team has just won the Frozen Four – where are you celebrating that evening?

J: I would be at one of those bars listed above or the Old Shillelagh in Greektown, Hard Rock Cafe at Campus Martius or Foran’s Irish Pub off of Woodward.

********

A big thanks to Jamie for her help! This definitely makes me want to hop over to Detroit this weekend, even without my team being in this year’s Frozen Four! Stay tuned for Part 2 Tuesday night.

Jamie Favreau is a freelance interactive marketing specialist. With a passion for hockey and technology, her passion is to help sports clients get noticed. Being active in the social media community in Detroit has helped her understand and get excited about the start up community. You can reach her at her blog, @jfavreau on Twitter or on Linked IN.

So it is in his honor that I would like to announce today, April 1st, that I am now in a band. A few of my friends and I have formed a folk band entitled, “Kevin Sneddon’s Playoff Beard.” Tone Deaf Me will be playing cowbell and Coke bottle.

Sneddon, UVM’s always interesting coach, inspired us with his goatee all season, and he really amped up the growth during the Catamounts playoff run. Last weekend, during his team’s first round Regional loss to eventual Frozen Four team Wisconsin, Sneddon sported quite a thick, substantial, and highly groomed patch of facial hair.

Thus, to honor the best facial hair of any current college hockey coach, our band decided to name ourselves after Sneddon and his goatee. We are well on a song-writing kick, having pulled all-nighters to jump start the band. Our current songbook includes such original ditties as:

“Ode to Parker”
“The Tragedy of the University of No Hardware”
“Short Forwards, Tall D-Men: They All Like Flannel”
“The Little Tech School That Could”
“Two and Out: The Ballad of Denver”
“Oh Little Rink in Andover”

“Kevin Sneddon’s Playoff Beard” hopes to release our first EP on iTunes around May 1, just in time to feed college hockey fans’ season withdrawal. Our manager, Mike LaFontaine, is working to get our first round of live shows set: looks like they’ll be at T’s Pub, Mary Ann’s, with our first big show at Matthews Arena. The arena has been so empty lately that they were eager to fill it with anything, including our lowly band.

April Fools! I’m tone deaf, thus I would never be in a band, despite my father’s musical talents and encouragement. Sneddon’s playoff goatee was pretty epic, however. There better be a student band at UVM with this name sometime soon…