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View Full Version : David Backes' online journal (from Team USA)


Canesluver
05-03-2007, 02:49 PM
It's a great read:
http://www.usahockey.com/07mwc/main_site/main/07mwc/07mwc_backes/


My favorite part is the story, called:

A NIGHT IN MOSCOW

The schedule for after practice was that we were going to downtown Moscow to see the city and have a nice dinner. We had a few hot dogs delivered to the locker room after practice -- no, that's not the nice dinner -- and then we were off to Moscow. The 45-minute bus ride brings us to a place that reminds me of many other European cities. The buildings are older than those we are used to, but it is clean and seems to be safe and historic. There are people out walking, and there are shops to be explored.

We walk a ways, all noticeable because we are wearing the prescribed jeans and blazers, until we reach Red Square. Many tourists were around snapping pictures of the sights, and Jack Johnson and I stopped to grab a quick Snickers Ice Cream Treat. Cost was 50 rubles each, which converts to $2, so the price is pretty similar. We all convened in the middle of Red Square, getting together for a Team USA picture. As we do this, and as a few people with the group start taking pictures, other tourists we didn't know began to snap some pictures also. That was a strange sight to be seen, but it didn't stop there. They then began to have members of their group join the picture, too. They had no way to determine who we were, but I guess they wanted picture with a big group.
After seeing the sights for about an hour, it was time for dinner that was set up by Erik Cole at a place called GQ, and it was topnotch. The food, the service and the people were all first-class, and it was nice to have a good steak and some fun with the guys. The dinner ended up being a three-hour affair, filled with many laughs, and most of the comedy was provided by one Matt Greene. The bus ride back to the hotel took 15 minutes and was one of the funniest 15 minutes of the trip. Greener (Matt) and Chad LaRose had comedic dialog that should have won awards. With all of the stomachs full and pained from laughing, we were back at the hotel and it was time to rest up. :lol:

SouthernHockeyChick
05-03-2007, 05:02 PM
Good to hear that Matt Greene has no hard feelings against our players for essentially making him our ***** during the Finals last season. :lol:;)

SoCalcaniac
05-03-2007, 07:05 PM
CL- thanks for posting! I had meant to go to the Team USA website to check for a blog- and Backes' blog is terrific!

All I knew about Backes is he is one of the kids J.D. was very high on for the future of the Blues; he's done a great job of painting a picture about their life in Moscow- but all the funny details during the tourney. great stuff.

You'd hope someone recorded the "banter" between Chad & Matt Greene, LOL.

Our EC is becoming quite the leader organizing that dinner; looks like JJ and the guys are having to make due with a steady dose of McDonalds since the local stuff is apparently not very appetizing. :lol: I recall a story from the lockout about some NHLers - Lecavalier and others, 'adjusting' to the food and the local customs in Moscow. Quite an adventure for sure!

nccanes
05-07-2007, 09:59 AM
Here's a nice shot of Grahame with teammates and Tretiak.

I honestly didn't recognize Grahame because he a) looked pretty normal, b) was smiling and c) looked like his hair was clean :beatup: ;)

http://www.usahockey.com/files/2F7EB2E67480551FE0440003BA5FE009
Team USA spent one evening at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, where Jason Bacashihua, John Grahame and Cory Schneider met Vladislav Tretiak.

(Wouldn't an evening at the USA Embassy in Moscow be a "wear a tie" event? It's not like the guys are 12.)