Remarkable Presser Questions and His answers (from Isau's Collection)

[Eynhallow 412]

Remarkable Presser Question

2021 10 16

 

As you may have noticed from previous posts, Isau has a deep interest in the questions that members of the Fifth Estate have asked him during his career.

 

What was the last earworm you had that lasted way too long ?

About 100 years ago Germans coined the phrase “öhrwurm” or earworm to describe a song that gets stuck in your brain.  Science has come up with other terms to describe this phenomenon such as “stuck tune syndrome” or “musical imagery repetition”.  However, the image of a worm crawling about in one’s brain was macabre enough for it to stick.  One of the triggers that produce earworms are songs that connect to events in one’s past or memories.  That being said, the last earworm that I could not get rid of for days was the tune “From Red Deer to Margaree”  done by The Grievous Angels and more recently The Skydiggers.  

Thunder Bay is two hours from sight

We left the flat land late, late last night

As sunlight rises in distant sky

Says” Good Morning” to our tired eyes

You grin at me and I know that it’s all right

This reminds me of a time when we were first married and to make ends meet I was working and taking courses seemingly all over Ontario.  Nikki came with me on most of these trips and I can still see her grin in the morning light.  And, Ya, I knew it was going to be alright.  Fortunately for us both, that lifestyle only lasted for a few very tiresome months.

 

Do you think professional athletes should get to complain about their job ?

The journalist who asked this likely had a very negative opinion about the salaries generated by professional athletes.  In my opinion, if an organization feels that whatever you bring to the table is worth millions of dollars, then so be it.  This is quite apart from working conditions.  Professional athletes are still human beings after all and should be able to voice their concerns about their working environment.

 

You have one 10 seconds left in the period, game on your stick which teammate are you passing too?

 

My immediate instinct is to think, “Fuck that !”, and shoot.  However, if I didn’t have a real opportunity to score I would dish to Justin Lose.  That guy can score !  Players who are elite and who play to win always want the puck on their stick.  It’s the same in many sports, good basketball players want the ball, football players want the ball when the game is on the line.  

 

 

How would you describe yourself if you had to use a quote from a movie?

 

Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) in Frday Night Lights sums up how I approach every game, every day.  He said “ Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn't one more thing you could have done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman, you're perfect!”

 

We all strive for perfection, pro athletes seemingly more so because they are expected to perform at the top of their game each and every time out.

 

What is the most important part of being a good teammate?

 

Wow!!  Where to begin on this one.  There are many traits that make a good teammate:

 

A.)  Develop real relationships

 

You don’t have to be best friends with everyone on your team, but developing a relationship with each of your teammates and knowing them off the ice will strengthen your relation and communication when it counts.

 

B.)  Be Willing To Play Any Role

 

Great teammates are willing to do whatever it takes to help their team win—even if it might not be a role they initially envisioned themselves performing.

 

C.)  Lead By Example

 

Actions speak louder than words. You don’t have to be a “rah-rah” guy to be a great teammate, because how you carry yourself says more than anything. Examples of actions that have a positive impact on those around you include:

• You’re one of the first in the building/park and one of the last to leave.

• You hustle back on defense and are consistently ready to perform your role on that end.

• You stay engaged on the bench and support your teammates.

• You encourage all teammates, not just your closest friends.

• You listen to the coach when they speak and are able to execute the game plan they outline.

D.)  Always Have A Positive Attitude

 

Mistakes happen. Great teammates stay positive when they make mistakes themselves or when their teammates come up short. Are they encouraging a teammate who makes a mental error to forget it and focus on the next play, or simply chewing them out? And when a teammate scores a great goal or makes an awesome play, are they giving praise and energetic feedback or simply acting like nothing happened?

Players might not think these little details matter, but the truth is they form the foundation of successful teams.

 

E.)  Go The Extra Mile

 

Perhaps the biggest foundation of being a great teammate is setting a great example for the other athletes on your team.

With that in mind, great teammates must be willing to work hard on improving their game outside of mandatory activities.

Hard work is contagious. If your teammates see how hard you’re working, they will want to do the same. Don’t wait for someone else to set the example.

 

 You show up to the training camp in terrible condition, what is the excuse you use?

 

There is no excuse in this day and age for not showing up to training camp in the best possible condition.  There are so many other guys out there that want a job, you just can’t take whatever talent you have for granted.  Gone are the days when hockey players, in the off-season, hit the links as much as possible and worked on their “Molson Muscle” !!

What inspired your username ?

 

So, ya, I have an odd username.   Eynhallow is a little-known, uninhabited isle in the Orkney archipelago, just north of Scotland’s mainland. It is known as a place of pilgrimage and ritual, folklore and ghosts.  You would be hard-pressed to find Eynhallow on a map as the isle is quite tiny measuring a mere 0.29 square miles.

 

 

You can only visit Eynhallow on one day a year when the Orkney Heritage Society organizes a summer trip to the island.  Even if you had your own boat, landing would be extremely dangerous due to the tidal channels surrounding the place.  Abandoned in 18541, it is thought that Eynhallow housed an 11th century monastery.

 

 Eynhallow has its fair share of mysteries. Orcadians grew up listening to stories about the haunted island. According to legend it was under the spell of mythical sea trows – evil Norse spirits who would make the island vanish into thin air should anyone attempt to set foot on it. Others were told more fantastical stories about the finfolk, or mer-people: watery shape shifters who only came on land in summer.

 

 

How do you come back after a bad game?

 

In a recent interview Connor McDavid said that after a really good game he was restless.  When he had a not so stellar outing he slept like a baby.  I think after a lacklustre performance it is best to get on to the next game, or the next period or shift.  You can learn from mistakes, but you can’t dwell on them.

 

 What do you hate most and love most about your current car?

 

Well, I have a Mustang and I love the handling and torque,  But why did Ford ever put in a back seat.  It is so tiny that only a very small child could fit back there.  If I ever managed to get into the back seat it would likely require the “Jaws of Life” to get me out !!

 

 

Who's one of your favourite breakout candidates for this upcoming NHL season?

 

Don’t you just love the way these young guys can light it up ???  My candidate, if I had to choose just one, would be Kirby Dach of the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Chicago Blackhawks center scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 18 games after missing most of the season with a wrist injury. Dach will benefit from skating on a line with elite right wing Patrick Kane,

 

Who's your favourite gfx artist?

I am so remarkably unskilled at graphic design, I could literally pick any one of hundreds.  However, recently, a design artist by the name of Mike Kus has certainly caught my eye.  I really like how he incorporates his message in the medium.  Take a look:

 

If you could add any superhero to your roster, who would you add and why?

I think I would have to go with Iceman.  His super powers include cold and ice manipulation, solid ice battle form.  These factors seem to be fitting with a hockey player.  One of the first X-Men, Bobby Drake is exactly as you’d imagine for a teenager with power over ice – chilled, outspoken, and incapable of hiding anything. Perhaps one of the bravest as more than the others, he’s willing to put himself between his friends and danger. Iceman can freeze anything around him including objects and his body. He can freeze an enemy’s blood as well as any moisture in the air. Iceman’s ‘cold’ powers are so strong, he once stopped a nuclear explosion.

 

What is one thing you miss most about life before Covid?

To be perfectly honest, the Covid pandemic did not affect me as much as it did others.  Sure, I have to wear a mask when required.  And I had the hassle of getting two vaccinations.  But I was able to spend most of my time at the cottage. Really the only thing I really missed was the ability to go to one of the islands to soak up some winter sun and sand.  Stay safe !!

What color scares your player the most?

I didn’t realize that this was a phobia (chromatophobia).  In fact there are names for fears of various colors, for example phodophobia is the fear of the color red and xanthophobia a fear of the color yellow, just to name a couple.  Really though, colors are unsettling when they are out of normal context.  Think about how the sight of a red green sky or a deep red lake might affect us. It could be pretty upsetting. Other items that can be scary or repulsive because of placement of color are things like green teeth, orange hair, black toenails, purple skin, gray milk, and of course, green cheese.

What's your worst "stupid driver" story?

This really isn’t story about a “stupid” driver, because it involves Nikkii Starr and she is nowhere near stupid.  She would be offended if she were referred to like that !!  Anyway, back in the day I had a 4.6L Mustang that had a standard transmission.  It was time to teach Nikki how to drive a stick!!!  Things went OK until we decided to turn around on an icy country back road.  There was enough room, but the torque of the Mustang just spun the rear wheels when we were trying to get over the crown of the road.  No biggie, right ???  I told Nikki to ease the car in and out of reverse while I got out and rocked the car.  Well, I rocked that thing until I couldn’t push anymore.  The hollow exhausts were just roaring as Nikki hammered the gas time after time.  Finally a local resident whom I am sure we woke up came and helped me get the car squared away and back on the road.  I asked Nikki what she had done and realized that she had never put the car in gear.,..just revved the hell out of it in neutral.  A good workout !!!

Thanks again for reading my wee offering.  Hope you will read the next installment as well.

Word Count: 2075

[Eynhallow 412]

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