Texas style pond hockey

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 3:39 PM CST in General Comment 46 comments

Welcome to Defending Big D, the new Dallas Stars blog here at SB Nation. Here you will find tireless and comprehensive talk about the best hockey team in Texas, as well as a great place to meet and interact with fellow Dallas Stars fans.

About me: My name is Brandon Worley and I was born and raised in Dallas. Growing up, sports was a huge part of my life. Not a day went by that I wasn't outside playing football, baseball or street hockey. To be honest, my biggest dream was to one day be a starting cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately genetics had a different plan in place and I found that everyone I played football with was getting bigger while I stopped growing in eighth grade. So I turned to the other sport I loved, hockey.

When the Stars franchise moved to Dallas in 1993 not many people in North Texas had a clue about how the game was played. Yet my brother and I, with urging from our mother, had grown up loving and playing the sport. When an NHL franchise moved to our town we thought somehow we had ended up Utopia. My parents had some friends that worked at Reunion Arena and our family started working the home game, handing out programs and fliers at the entrances to the arena. In return we received free upper level tickets, so essentially we had free season tickets. We immediately became enamored with the game and the players and it's a love I have yet to find has wavered one bit.

I played hockey throughout high school; my brother was a forward and I was a goalie so we were constantly practicing against each other. He was a much better forward than I was at goalie so he only made me better over the years. I loved playing more than anything else in the world. I don't think I can accurately describe the incredible feeling and pride that goes through you when you make that incredible save that leaves everyone in the crowd cheering and chanting your name.

I graduated high school and joined the Navy, and have spent the past eight years living in Connecticut. The toughest part about living so far away from home (besides being separated from family) was the lack of camaraderie with fellow Dallas fans. That's when I found online forums and blogs and instantly became a part of these communities, feeling back at home interacting with my peers. I follow all of the Dallas teams; the Cowboys, Stars, Rangers and Mavericks, but it's always been the Stars and Cowboys that have always lived with week in and week out.

For the past year I have been a writer and contributor at Blogging The Boys, the Dallas Cowboys blog on SB Nation. I want to thank Dave Halprin for giving me the opportunity to help him out on the best Dallas Cowboys website on the web, a job that has opened up an infinite amount of doors for me.

So now we have Defending Big D. My vision for this blog is to establish a friendly and knowledgeable community where Dallas Stars and fellow hockey fans can come together from all over the world. This is a place where someone's opinion is theirs to express without fear of personal attacks or backlash. Here at DBD we want to promote a friendly environment and encourage others to speak their mind and join in on the conversation.

The Dallas Stars are looking to get on a roll and make a push for a playoff spot. So feel sign up and get ready for a great journey.

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Welcome aboard, Brandon

From all of us Pacificos at Battle of California.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Jan 14, 2009 3:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bienvenido A SBN

So when does the posse get rounded up to get Avery out of Dallas?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 14, 2009 3:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Dude...

Sean Avery getting suspended from the team is the best possible thing that could have happened to the Stars this season. What an absolute disaster that experiment turned out to be.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 3:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What an absolute disaster that experiment turned out to be.

Dude, you forgot the word “predictable”. :)

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Jan 14, 2009 3:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you sure...

That you don’t want to keep him around? Maybe just for the rest of this season…? ;)

Support Your Local Coyotes Blog! -
Five For Howling

by Travis Hair on Jan 14, 2009 4:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Best thing to happen to this team...

Really seemed to bound the team together (in order to get rid of him), but ever since Avery’s been gone, I’ve seen a new fire to this team that we didn’t see at the beginning of the season.

Good ridden Sean….

In Smoak We Trust

by Smoak Some on Jan 14, 2009 5:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly.

I think this team was really hit hard by the loss of Morrow and have been searching for an identity since he’s been gone. Their just now coming into their own and have figured out what it takes to play together and be a team without their heart and soul.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 5:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Welcome, Brandon

Well, the happy ending to the experiment is that we haven’t heard a peep from Avery since (yet?).

Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Jan 14, 2009 5:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Woohoo!

An SBN Stars blog! This makes me very, very happy, and I look forward to reading your work and enjoying conversations with you.

My 2009 New Years Resolution: Quit feeding the trolls.

by ghtd36 on Jan 14, 2009 3:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Brilliant

‘bout time a Stars blog came about on SBN. Let’s hope the arrival coincides with a continued Stars resurgence ;)

by jonthefon on Jan 14, 2009 3:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Awesome

This should be fun…

"I'm not being condescending, I'm too busy thinking about far more important things you wouldn't understand." - Jimmy Carr

by Suicide Prince on Jan 14, 2009 4:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

CT

Haha, I’m one of the Leafs bloggers at SBN and I live in CT too. Whereabouts are you?

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 14, 2009 4:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I live in Salem...

Work in New London.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I live in Fairfield County. That rules out grabbing a beer and watching hockey at a bar.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 14, 2009 4:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nah....I'm always down for meeting up with fellow fans somewhere on a weekend.

Where abouts in Fairfield county?

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I live in Norwalk.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 14, 2009 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ah cool.

Thats only like…..and hour and 45 minutes away. Lol.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hello fello Stars fans

by laxtonto on Jan 14, 2009 4:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I wondered when SBN would get a Stars blog.

Glad to finally have a landing pad for Stars news and insight.

by jwiscarson on Jan 14, 2009 4:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nice digs Brandon

Now please direct me to your Michael Young post.

"To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant."

by ab03 on Jan 14, 2009 4:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Lol Sure.

Here ya go.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought I came here to get rid of Young...

He’s everywhere now…

In Smoak We Trust

by Smoak Some on Jan 14, 2009 5:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Next game

Turco will be pulled for 32 year old AHL call up Michael Young.

Gerald Laird: One Man, 5 Scoops.

by Maximilian on Jan 14, 2009 5:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ahh, yes.

The only surface faster than the infield at the Ballpark.

http://www.RockMNation.com
Home of "Thrust Nunchuk Upward"

by RPT on Jan 14, 2009 5:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha

Anyone want to do a .gif of Young in goal and letting by a beach ball in the goal cause he won’t dive for it?

Is it Spring Training Yet?

by Smoak Some on Jan 14, 2009 5:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have a feeling this wouldn't end well:

http://www.RockMNation.com
Home of "Thrust Nunchuk Upward"

by RPT on Jan 14, 2009 8:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

BW

I’m stoked to have a Stars blog on SBN. Always enjoy your stuff at BTB. Best of luck.

I’m in Austin in the Cedar Park area, and I’m planning on getting season tix to the new AHL team, so when fall rolls around this year I’ll try to contribute what I can on the Texas Stars front.

Muschamp seems like the kind of guy who used to beat up guys like Bob Stoops in high school.

by TheJeezus on Jan 14, 2009 4:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Definitely.

I hope to be moving to Austin sometime in the next few years so I will be looking to get season tickets as well.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Great News

Great news to have a Stars blog on SB Nation. Now I’m hoping that our defense can get it’s act together.

by Monkey Brain on Jan 14, 2009 4:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Welcome!

Glad to finally have a Stars blog to both collaborate with and maybe razz once in a while. (Why do you have a forward playing goalie? :-P ) Good to have more Pacific division representation.

Look forward to many a great Stars post!

Support Your Local Coyotes Blog! -
Five For Howling

by Travis Hair on Jan 14, 2009 4:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Looks good Brandon

Do you have game day threads over here? Or will you? I have a hard time keeping up with the Stars schedule since I don’t have a handy dandy pocket sized one. I can’t wait to participate in this community. Let’s hope the Stars can finish up this season strong and make it to the post-season. Go Stars!

by hiafex on Jan 14, 2009 4:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Definitely will have game threads.

I think that’s the best part about SBN. The site is designed to have the best game threads around, no refreshing…it just updates on it’s own.

Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.

by Brandon Worley on Jan 14, 2009 4:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Greatness!

And tomorrow will be the first chance to have a gameday thread.

Am liking that my two favorite Dallas teams are now on SBN….Now if we can just get a Blackburn Rovers blog on here, I’d be set! :)

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Jan 14, 2009 4:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Looking forward to following your work

It’s nice to have a Star’s blog on SBN.

by BHill on Jan 14, 2009 4:55 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Welcome aboard

From one blogger to another, welcome to SBN, Brandon. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the launching of Defending Big D.

As a displaced Stars fan, I can’t tell you how much I’ve been wanting a good forum for Stars discussion. Here’s to hoping the Stars continue the surge into the playoff picture and I can spend another Spring antagonizing everyone here in Blues country.

http://www.RockMNation.com
Home of "Thrust Nunchuk Upward"

by RPT on Jan 14, 2009 5:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks Brandon

Totally needed one of these on SBN. Now lets get this board rocking

In Smoak We Trust

by Smoak Some on Jan 14, 2009 5:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Glad to have you Brandon. Awesome to see all the activity already.

by James Mirtle on Jan 14, 2009 5:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nice to see.

Welcome… look forward to reading your stuff.

by disposablehero on Jan 14, 2009 5:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Woohoo

It’s about time SBN got a Stars blog going. Looking forward to lots of great content.

Kanye, you want to be the voice of this generation? Get in line! It goes me, Obamagirl, the Freecreditreport.com guys, then It's a tie between you-and Crocs.
-Stephen Colbert

by Conjunction on Jan 14, 2009 6:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Awesomeness

Thanks for putting this together. Been waiting for a good Stars blog for a while (and no, the OT Stars posts on the Rangers blog don’t count!). Good luck and I look forward to reading, posting, and enjoying.

by chichitao on Jan 14, 2009 6:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Outstanding

by qaldyar on Jan 14, 2009 6:30 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't watch hockey, but...

I just wanted to give a shout out to B-Money. Cowboys 4 Life.

Pimpin' ain't easy and neither is being a Sixers fan. I manage to do both. Join me at Liberty Ballers, the SBNation 76ers blog. Don't make fun of the name either. It has nothing to do with the New York Liberty of the WNBA.

by jsams on Jan 14, 2009 6:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs