August has sucked

It's been butt ass hot. There's been next to no hockey news. I don't have my Ranger tickets yet - or a complete team. Plus there's lingering questions. Will the Rangers look even more different October 3rd than they do now? They certainly will not be the same club we last saw in April. And why is Betts still unclaimed? Also why does Avery schedule bar events on days I'm headed to Warren 77? What is going on?

Let's hear it for September! This week brings a change of the calendar and the start of the US Open. Thank God! Two weeks of tennis in my own backyard is just the thing I need before the Rangers convene for training camp Sept. 12. I'm obviously rooting for Roger. I would love for him to take his 6th consecutive Open. Also Andy Roddick got a very favorable draw - except he's in Roger's half. Plus, it's Marat's last open. I would dearly love for him to make the 2nd week, get some airtime. What are the chances Marat will take up hockey in his 30s? What a dream that would be. Who knows what will happen, but I'm hoping for good things. Also that MSG shows some training camp footage. Looks like Tortorella and Prospal have a pretty contentious relationship. Fun fun fun, or at least a whole lot better.

ps. We've lost a lot of people this summer and this August, most prominently Walter Cronkite and Ted Kennedy. While I'll miss both, John Hughes' impact on my life has been greater than either. The Molly trilogy were the first films I ever owned on VHS . I remember seeing The Breakfast Club for the first time and being so impressed with it's one-day detention conceit. I personally think Sixteen Candles and Ferris Bueller's Day Off are his best films, my heart a little more drawn to the former. Still I cannot deny Charlie Sheen's cameo in Ferris. It's brilliant. Both these scenes give Jennifer Grey's character a whole other dimension. I had Charlie Sheen Madness a few years back and learned a few things about this clip. You'd never know it, but his character is named Gareth and Charlie prepared "Method" style by staying up all night. So awesome. I'll miss you Mr. Hughes, please to enjoy: