Sobering Numbers

Hey folks.  I haven't been blogging at all this season (I've been extremely busy), and trust me, you haven't missed much.  As a fan, this has been the single hardest season to endure, as the Odessa Jackalopes have basically stunk up the ice night in and night out.  Most of the players simply look disinterested, as if they don't even want to be on the ice, and that definitely shows in their play.

 From not being willing to crash the net for scoring chances and rebounds, to not being willing to put the body on opposing players entering the defensive zone, to incredibly sloppy passing and not battling for loose pucks, this team needs drastic change moving forward if it wants to have any chance at being successful at this level.

 I've supported this team for a long time now, and I've seen some bad teams, but this one takes the cake for being the single worst, period.  If certain players don't want to be here, send them packing.  You always heard before the move to the NAHL that in the very least junior players would work harder than their professional counterparts, but that has not been the case so far this season.  What I would give to have the pro teams the last few years they were in the Permian Basin, because at least they entertained the paying fans, and at least they looked like they wanted to be on the ice.

  You look at teams like Amarillo, Topeka, and Texas, and their players are constantly moving their feet, battling hard for every puck, and actually connecting on routine passes.  The exact opposite can be said of many of the Jackalopes players (not all of them), as it is not unusual in the least to see more than one guy simply standing around while the other team is working their ass off.

 If the new ownership expects fans to actually pay for the crap that they are selling this season, then big changes better be made, and they better be made fast.  To put things in perspective, here are some sobering numbers for you to digest:  The Jackalopes have the worst winning percentage in the entire league, winning only 20% of their games thus far; their current losing streak has hit a terrible nine games, and this is not the first time this season we have seen lengthy losing streaks; the Jackalopes have scored the fewest goals of any other team in the NAHL (49); the Jacks have also allowed the most goals, giving up a whopping 112 goals against in only twenty-five games; the Jacks home record is 1-11-1; and lastly, their overall record sits at an embarrassing 4-19-2.

  Simply put, this team will be lucky to win ten games this season, and honestly they are the New Mexico Mustangs of 2012-2013. Change is needed, folks.  What kind of change, I'm not sure, but what I am sure of is that this team is good at one thing... and that's putting the few people in attendance to sleep with their sloppy play and lack of heart.

Clark Leaves Jacks

Less than a month until the 2012-2013 Jackalopes begin their second season in the NAHL, and we had some pretty significant news break a few days ago when it was confirmed that General Manager Joe Clark has resigned to become the new GM for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, who will be joining the NAHL beginning next season.  This is a pretty big loss for the Jacks as Clark was a key figure in Odessa's success over the last several years, and filling his shoes will be a tough task to fulfill.  I have not a clue why he decided to leave, so I am not even going to speculate, but I would like to say that I (as a Jackalope fan) appreciate everything he has done in his years with the Jacks.  I wish him nothing but the best in South Texas, and hope he comes to regret leaving the Permian Basin once the Jacks start beating up on the Bees next season ;).  Anyway, I know it has been months since I last blogged, and truthfully I don't know how much I will be blogging this upcoming season.  I have been a very busy man as of late, and honestly just have not had much time to blog.  Until next time, GO JACKS GO!!!

Future Hall of Famer?

Hello fellow Jackalope fans!  We are going to leave the NAHL Odessa Jackalopes for this post, and check up on a former, and arguably the greatest Jackalope in franchise history, Sebastien Thinel.  The reason why we are revisiting the past is because Sebby is just two points shy of earning his 700th point in his professional career, with the vast majority of those points being racked up while donning an Odessa Jackalopes jersey.  This is a huge milestone for Thinel, and it is definitely bittersweet for Jackalope fans, as he will have to reach that goal in another team's sweater.

 That said, Jackalope fans have a ton of great memories of Thinel as a Jackalope, we truly do appreciate all that he did for the team as well as the community, and I know I speak for the vast majority of Jackalope fans when I say congratulations to #43.  If this guy is not a Hall of Famer in the CHL when all is said and done, then I think it would not be a stretch to refer to the CHL as the Circus Hockey League.  Before I wrap this post up, here are Thinel's impressive career numbers as a professional hockey player:

REGULAR SEASON:

• Professional Point Total: 698 (with 647 of them as a Jackalope)
• Professional Goal Total: 248 (with 235 of them as a Jackalope)
• Professional Assist Total: 450 (with 412 of them as a Jackalope)
• Games Played as a Professional: 547 (with 502 of them as a Jackalope)

POSTSEASON (All as a Jackalope):

• Point Total: 61
• Goal Total: 20
• Assist Total: 41
• Games Played: 57

Oh yeah, not to mention he is a former Central Hockey League MVP.  And to all the critics out there that claimed he was not effective in the playoffs... I would take a point per game player in the playoffs every single day of the week.  Now that the numbers have spoken, I am going to go ahead and wrap things up here.  Hopefully I will blog again some time next week after the Jacks take on the New Mexico Mustangs for three games in a row this weekend.


Until next time Jackalope fans all I have to say is GO JACKS GO!!! and congratulations to #43!