KarateKen

It is a quick read. I am not aware of an updated one. I read this book about 15 years ago and decided to again since his passing. Fun fact: The Chuck Norris jokes were started in 2005 by a then high school student on Long Island named Ian Spector. He posted a few online one night before going to bed and woke up the next morning to the jokes having 10,000 views. It immediately took off and Ian wrote a book about the Chuck Norris facts, then Norris himself wrote a book about it. Norris loved the jokes and the memes.

I took it again, this time with a previous school in mind and gave several different answers. Again, it was a McDojo. Has anyone gotten one that wasn't a McDojo?

I am happy to see the outpour of Chuck Norris tribute songs that have shown up on YouTube since his passing. I know they are mostly AI generated but some of them are catchy.

Chuck Norris Facts Book by Chuck Norris

The Winnipeg Jets had a bad start to the season but have been turning things around, and after tonight's win against Chicago they are only one point out of the final playoff spot. The Kraken lost to the Oilers, and Seattle has 75 points, still withing striking distance for the playoffs for sure, but these teams on the outside need all the points they can get. It is not just winning the games; you have to pass other teams that are in front of you and the fewer games that are left the tougher that is to do. The Kraken would have to pass the Sharks, Kings, Jets, and Predators to get into that 8th spot. They have been the beneficiary of a weak Pacific division but have not been able to take advantage thus far. They have nine games left to make a run. The Buffalo Sabers won tonight and have now reached 100 points, tying them for second best in the league with Carolina and Dallas. The Sabers playoff drought of 14 years will end, though they are not officially in the playoffs yet, they will be locking up a spot any day. Big game Wednesday night between the Blues and Kings in Los Angles. Both teams are on the outside looking in right now but could still get into the playoffs. The Kings are in a better position with 76 points; the Blues have 73.

I like it! I took the quiz though and found I might be training at a McDojo. This is going to be a fun feature.

It has been a tough season for the Panthers. Maybe back-to-back titles and three consecutive trips to the Stanely Cup Finals have caught up with them. Panthers have 73 points and are holding the basement in the Atlantic division. They will not make the playoffs and will have to get ready for next season. I have not followed the team much, so I am not sure what the struggle has been. Panthers are not alone in disappointing seasons. The Maple Leafs fired GM Brad Treliving tonight. It's been a long year in Toronto, only a two points ahead of the Panthers in the Atlantic. The Maple Leafs have continued to underachieve and now their top player is out with an ACL tear. In a situation like that you can only hope that Matthews is ready to go at the start of next season. The anger towards Treliving started last summer when he traded Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights, and Ryan Reaves to the Sharks, thinking that Reaves was no longer an NHL caliber player, however Reaves has been playing in the Sharks lineup all season. Maple Leafs might be getting ready to rebuild. In the games tonight the winner were the Penguins, Avalanche, Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Golden Knights. Ducks do get an OT point in their loss to the Leafs.

Feel better Bob, we are all rooting for you

With only eight games left in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights have fired head coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella. Cassidy did a good job as head coach, imo, leading the Knights to the playoffs in his first three seasons, and was on pace to do that again this year. Cassidy helped the team win their first Stanley Cup in 2023. However, the struggles the team has had this season were enough to get him fired. Vegas has only had a franchise for nine seasons, and this is their fourth head coach, even though they have been in the playoffs in seven of their eight previous years, twice to the finals, and four times in the conference finals. Right now, Vegas is third in the Pacific, which is enough for the playoffs, but they have been inconsistent all year and without being in the worst division in hockey they would be out of contention. Vegas expects to be a contender every year, and they seem to have little patience when things are not going well. Maybe this will be the kick in the pants the team needs going into the playoffs. Or maybe it will backfire. We will have to wait and see.

Chuck Norris and Walker Texas Ranger memorabilia is flying off the shelves. Ebay and other websites are seeing a surge in people selling merch and autographs since his passing last week. The cost of the merch is up to three times what it would have been the day before his death. The demand and value of autographs go up right after a celebrity dies, and we are seeing that. If you are considering purchasing autographed merchandise please be careful, there are lots of fakes out there. Be sure that the autograph is verified by either PSA. JSA, or Beckett. PSA is considered the gold standard, with JSA and Beckett coming in just behind them. These brands have websites where you can check for authenticity. Any item verified by these outlets will have a sticker with an item number that can be checked on their website. They also often come with a card and/or a letter, depending on the item, but they all have a number. For non-autographed items I have seen a lot of action figures and clothing, including a Walker Texas Ranger jean jacket that was going for 1,000 dollars.

Connor McDavid has reached 800 career assists, an impressive milestone, but still far behind the Great One, Gretzky, who had 1,963 for his career, more than double what McDavid currently has. While 800 assists is a lot, McDavid would still need over 100 more to break into the top 20 all time. The most career assist of any active player is Sidney Crosby, who has 1,098.

Colorado and Dallas become the first two teams to clinch playoff sports this season. Vancouver and the NY Rangers are the first two teams to have been officially eliminated. More of each will be coming soon. Playoffs start April 18.

Photos being passed around the internet from Norris's funeral are fake. Some AI photos went viral, but they are not real. It's gross that people will create and spread false information to get some clicks, especially about a dead man, but that is the social media world we now live in. One of the obvious ways it was proven fake...his name was listed as "Charles Norris" on the casket. His name was Carlos Norris. So stupid.

The NFL is exploring the possibility of using replacement refs again in 2026. Did we all forget the Fail Mary and the disaster that was the early 2012 season?? There are even conversations about high school officials working NFL games this fall if the CBA lockout extends into the season.

The NHL Department of Player Safety is a joke. AJ Greer gets a mere three game suspension for his dirty and illegal cheap shot on Connor Zary of the Flames. A terrible hit from behind and into the boards against a defenseless player. As I said in a previous post recently, the NHL needs to take a long and serious look at making changes to the department of player safety. First the Austin Matthews hit, and now this one on Connor Zary. These are serious hits that can end seasons and even players careers, and the league continues to hand out soft punishment. The NHL should be ashamed. George Parros should be fired, he has been a disaster, and the league should do a complete overhaul of the department this offseason before someone gets paralyzed from a dirty play. They need new leadership and a whole new team who does a better job. Furthermore, the punishment does nothing to harm the Panthers franchise, who are out of any playoff hopes this year anyway. This is disgraceful. Here they had a chance to send a message and let it be known they are taking these hits more seriously, instead they botched it yet again.