KarateKen

Congratulations 

Game six goes to the Sabers in an 8-3 blowout of the Canadians.  Game 7 in Buffalo on Monday night. 730pm eastern. 

The Vegas Golden Knights have been punished by the NHL for their lack of media availability following the game six win.  The team was stripped of a second round draft pick in 2026 and Tortz was fined 100 grand.  Harsh penalty.  The team can appeal. 

Game 1 between Vegas and Colorado will be Wednesday, game 2 on Friday.  Both start at 8pm eastern time. All the other times of the games are TBD but we know the dates.  Game 3 is May 25, game 4 is May 26, both in Vegas.  Back to Denver for game 5 on May 28, game 6 in Vegas May 30, and game 7 in Denver on Monday, June 1. 

This is going to be a competitive series, wouldn't be surprised if it went seven. 

I have always wanted to go see a Lions game on Thanksgiving but never have been able to.  I really wanted to go this year, but then I looked at the ticket prices and the cheapest I found were 400 dollars each!  This was in the nosebleed.  Between that and the cost of travel I think I will pass.  Sheesh. 

Knights made it look easy.  Scored early and often, beating the Ducks 5-1 and advancing to the west finals and get ready to play Colorado.  Game one will be on Wednesday, May 20, in Denver. 

Three of the final four are decided, the only one left is either Canadians or Sabers, where the Canadians won Thursday night and took a 3-2 series lead.  They can close it out at home Saturday. 

Hit the ice!! 

On 5/12/2026 at 9:11 AM, sensei8 said:

 

Reminds me of the Jim Croce song.

 

If you are talking about LeRoy Brown, he was all hype.  A creampuff.  Smacked him around myself, broke his fingers and took those diamond rings. He was a big dude but wouldn't pass a yellow belt test. 

Not to make anyone feel old BUT.....

It was 28 years ago today that the final episode of Seinfeld aired.  Thursday, May 28, 1998.  

There were a lot of great shows and sitcoms in the 90s but Seinfeld was my favorite, and the show is still fun to watch today.  

Mark Stone will not be available for Vegas tonight, so if they are going to win game six they need to do it without their captain (Stone) and one of their best defensemen in Brayden McNabb. With it being an elimination game the Ducks will be ready, so let's see how this goes.  Does Vegas advance and play Colorado, or do the Ducks win and force a game 7? We will find out later tonight.

Also, a big game five in the east between the Sabers and Canadians, series tied at 2-2.  That starts at 7pm eastern. 

A few more games have been announced.  The MNF opener will be the Broncos visiting the Chiefs.  For the Lions annual Thanksgiving game, they will host the Bears. Lions will also play the Patriots in Germany on November 15. The night before Thanksgiving debut will feature the Packers visiting the LA Rams. 

A few other week 1 games have leaked, they are Jets at Titans, Saints at Lions, Packers at Vikings, Falcons at Steelers, Cardinals at Chargers, and Dolphins at Raiders.  It was reported by NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated that the game to kick off the season on Sept 9 will be the Patriots at the Seahawks, a rematch of the Super Bowl. 

Full season schedule will be released later tonight. 

After a strong 3-0 lead it looked like the Wild would survive and push things to a game six, but instead the Avalanche come back to tie it at three, then win in OT.  It was a good season for the Wild, over 100 regular season points and got over the first-round hump, but they come up short.  Maybe next year they will get their name engraved on the cup for the first time, though I doubt it. 

Just to add to some news of that @sensei8 posted, McNabb has been suspended for game six because of that penalty.  Also. Poehling will miss the game for the Ducks as a result of the injury.  If the Knights do advance, they will play Colorado. best of luck to them.  It is an uphill battle facing those guys! 

On 5/3/2026 at 9:40 AM, sensei8 said:

 

You’re not Superman. 

Speak for yourself!! I might not be Superman in name, but I turn into one when I go outside in my cape.  Only a fool would mess with a man wearing a cape.

Wild were able to hang tough for a while but Colorado wins it 5-2, taking a 3-1 series lead back to Denver with a chance to wrap it up on Wednesday.  

You have some good questions @Furinkazan here are a few answers that I can give. 

I can't speak to what the motivation is for everyone when calling out a McDojo, but if is gives potential students red flags to look for and keeps them out of a McDojo, that is a good thing.  If someone's primary reason for doing a good dead is to go viral on social media but also ends up helping someone, then the good deed did help a person even if that was not their first intention.  Of course, it can also go the other way, people giving out bad info as to what a McD or McStyle is, which can push someone away from solid training. 

I think one thing that often gets lost in these arguments about a McD is that people train for many different reasons.  Just because someone doesn't have the same training reasons doesn't make them wrong, or their school a McD.  Also, people like to start drama on the internet, so some of these feuds might be just that.

There are not many schools by name I have seen called out, more based on information of what to look for.  However, I have seen one chain school called a McD many times, maybe you have seen it.  United Studios of Self Defense.  They have a reputation for being profit first, known for their high tuition and testing fees.  I am not accusing them of being a McD (same with Z Ultimate, who is a copycat of United Studios) but that one has been kicked around a lot. 

I don't really bother with calling out McD's anymore, I am more focused on what I am doing and less what others are doing, besides I know people and schools are going to do whatever they want to do whether I agree with it or not. 

In the end I think a lot of the McDojo obsession comes from arrogance, ignorance, insecurity, and people who thrive on drama. Just my observation over the years. 

Wild bounce back on Saturday to win against the Avs, handing Colorado their first playoff loss of the season.  5-1 was the final, game four is Monday where the Wild have a chance to tie the series.  Ducks and Knights are tied 2-2, Canadians have taken a 2-1 series lead on the Sabers, and the Hurricanes have advanced, currently 8-0 in the playoffs for Carolina. 

A few of the 2026 games have been announced.  The regular season will open on a Wednesday this year, September 9, when the Seahawks host a team that is TBD.  Cowboys will face the Giants in the SNF season opener, and Cowboys will host the Eagles on Thanksgiving.  No word yet on who the Lions will play on turkey day. There will be a Black Friday game again this year, and now the league is adding a Thanksgiving Eve game, which is TBD.  The Lions will visit the Bills in the second Thursday Night game, debuting the Bills new stadium.  Some international games have been announced as well, week one between the Rams and 49ers in Australia, and week 3 between the Ravens and Cowboys in Brazil. Lions will play a game in Germany with the opponent TBD. I think it is week 10, but I can't remember. 

The full season schedule will be released Thursday night. 

Sabers take game one against the Canadians and the Ducks bounce back to take game two against the Knights, so that series is tied going to California.  the Hurricanes have defeated the Flyers and take a 3-0 series lead. 

To me calling out McDojo's is based on a few things.  One, calling out scammers.  Because they deserve it.  Two, letting students know red flags of McD's so they can be aware and not get scammed.  This is especially important for someone looking to join a school for the first time.  Third, scamming and belt factories devalue all martial arts.  Finally, teaching poor technique is dangerous for the students who can get hurt either by practicing the style or because of a false sense of security. 

That being said sometimes people are too quick to judge and call out a style/school without proper information.  It becomes a style debate about who can beat up who.  It is an argument that never goes away. 

The Wild bounce back from their game one loss where they gave up nine goals to game two where they only gave up five goals.  Problem is they only scored two goals and have been outscored by five goals in the first two games.  They trail the series two to zero against Colorado as they now play the next two games in Minnesota. 

In the NHL Draft lottery, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the first pick. Two through five is the Sharks, Canucks, Blackhawks, and Rangers. 

10 hours ago, DarthPenguin said:

I must admit i reread it and i have some more questions! I work using AI a lot in my work life and it is standard to be checked but that isn't what raises the questions:

I can understand that the individual may have matched an AI visual image, which i assume is similar to what would occur with an image generated by a sketch artist? If so i assume there is some kind of physical identification required too? This might be overly swayed by watching tv shows but wouldn't there then be some kind of line up performed? I also doubt that Uber Eats receipts would be sufficient unless there is evidence of location on the device ordering it etc. For example is it not possible for me to order something in a location where i am not currently present, pay for it and get the receipt but i was never there?

Thats not saying there may not have been some improper actions from the police force, i don't know enough to comment on that but it does raise some questions.

As an outsider it does always appear that there are two distinct sides in the USA: one side who criticises the police no matter what they have done and the other who supports them no matter what they have done! I won't ask which side you lean towards since i don't think that is appropriate for this forum, nor will i share my thoughts on the underlying systemic things i believe are different in the USA and contribute to these issues that i don't think we (currently) have in Scotland / the UK!

From what I read from an online discussion of this story, not an official report, the AI facial recognition scan was on Facebook and scanned a photo of her off the Facebook page from 17 years ago.  

I also looked at a CNN report which states that the AI software "match" was enough for a North Dakota judge to issue an arrest warrant. The woman hired a lawyer who found bank records that proved she was not in North Dakota at the time of the bank robbery.  The details of how that was proven were not provided.   

The photo that the AI tool was looking to match, and did match the Tennessee woman with, was from a fake ID used in the crime.  The facial AI tool was from an adjacent police department, West Fargo PD in West Fargo, ND.  The Fargo PD made some errors in using the technology (obviously) and have stated they will not be using the West Fargo PD AI tool anymore.  The entire story about the AI tool is long and complex, but this is why you don't blindly follow AI, I mean it is Artificial Intelligence.

I am generally pro police.  I think cops should be treated with respect and they have one of the toughest and least appreciated jobs in the world.  The news loves this stuff.  They like running a story of police mistakes, it makes for public reaction.  When the cops do a great job, which they often do, that is almost never a headline.  I am also pro accountability, especially of those who hold a high position of authority/power, which the police and judges do.  When people in power make mistakes, others suffer, and they should be held properly accountable.  

I had a Sensei who was a guitar player for over 35 years, had been in some bands part time back in his younger days.  I also trained with a 4th degree black belt who was a professional musician and would play in different venues around the country.  I myself took guitar lessons for a few years as a teenager and I think there is a lot of overlap between learning martial arts and learning music.  They both have an artistic element, they both have many options, such as styles of martial arts vs styles of music, they both require a lot of practice, focus, and dedication, you have to learn about teamwork and timing, and once you get decent at it you can create things in your own way.  Plus, no matter how long you have been studying them there will always be more you can learn. 

14 hours ago, DarthPenguin said:

Yeah, i assume that every dept. will be different. Plus i assume in such an apparently egregious case she has room to sue? As an outsider the USA does always appear to be a very litigious society so if she is not suing then it does raise some red flags tbh

Yes, she is planning to sue for a lot of money, not sure how much.  If she does win the lawsuit, the taxpayers will get stuck with the bill.  I doubt there will be any repercussions by the Fargo police against the detectives, so far it looks like nobody has been fired or demoted. The Fargo Police Chief is retiring and has declined to answer questions about the situation, according to what I read. Repletely turning down on camera interviews and when asked about it at a press conference his answer was "we are not here to talk about that today."  So....the police screw up, the lady loses her job and her house, plus five months of her life that was spent behind bars, the taxpayers pay out if/when she wins the lawsuit, and nobody from the police who created this mess are being held accountable.  I don't know what it is like where you are, but nothing seems to make sense in America anymore! 

The Bruins and Oilers keep their season alive with wins, both trail 3-2 in their respective series between the Sabers and Ducks.

Minnesota is one win away now from advancing past the first round in I don't even know how long.  They beat the Stars in game five and have a chance to close it out in game six at home on Thursday. 

Rumors are heating up about a possible Connor McGregor vs Max Halloway fight on July 11 in Las Vegas.  

Well done 

Penguins stay alive by beating the Flyers, now trail the series 3-2.  Golden Knights win in OT against the Mammoth, and that series is now tied at two.