Belleville @ Oshawa Sunday Nov 1st /09

Let's Go Gens we should the beat the buks they aren't very good and i wonder if anyone onthe gens will fight tyler tylor cause what happened last between these to teams. Go gens Go

I hope Clarks playing.

looking forward to seeing the return of Tyler Taylor to Oshawa. Heres hoping he will go with Jeff Brown

Taylor gets on the score sheet and stays out of the box. What's up with that?

Hmmm.... kind of glad that one is over. Not the best game of the year. Plenty of shots but not many good chances. Lots of perimeter shots -- very little from the slot, rebounds, cross-crease passes, one-timers, etc. Impressive effort until the final buzzer once again, the effort seems there, the thinking of the game seems to be struggling. The power play is the best example. It seems the power play units are playing without confidence. Tentativeness, telegraphing when the shot is coming, failure to attack the defence by passing through the middle. Much like the game as a whole, it's a lot more perimeter oriented than 2-3 weeks ago.

To me, this has the signs of a slump they'll break out of. A combination of trying to do too much, squeezing the sticks, and losing confidence. My bigger concern is goaltending. Zador can look very good, but there's nights like tonight where he seems slow in lateral movement and the positioning just isn't there. Perhaps a lack of confidence again, I'm not sure. But it is a concern to me.

Great crowd on hand, lots of Oshawa minor hockey players in the east end.

On a lighthearted note..... One thing someone asked me tonight and I didn't have an answer.... what is Deke? I mean, I know he's the mascot, but what kind of animal, person, or whatzit is he supposed to be?

hockeynightinontario wrote:
On a lighthearted note..... One thing someone asked me tonight and I didn't have an answer.... what is Deke? I mean, I know he's the mascot, but what kind of animal, person, or whatzit is he supposed to be?

Deke's supposed to be a bear, what that has to do with the team? I'm not sure, but I hope that helps!!

radicallacrosse wrote:

hockeynightinontario wrote:
On a lighthearted note..... One thing someone asked me tonight and I didn't have an answer.... what is Deke? I mean, I know he's the mascot, but what kind of animal, person, or whatzit is he supposed to be?

Deke's supposed to be a bear, what that has to do with the team? I'm not sure, but I hope that helps!!

Thanks!! I suppose what else could you do - a car?? Even though the name comes from General Motors, the military general theme might work, but I think the Battalion have that taken care of with Sarge.

I allways thought Deke was a dog.

All my life (and it's been a long one), the only connotation of the word "deke/deak" was as in deke/deak a player as in moving the puck with one's stick to get around that player, especially the goalie. Therfore the expression "deked him out of his pants". What this has do do with the mascot's name, I don't know?

A while ago there was a contest to name the new mascot. Deke won but thinking he was a dog I thought a perfect name for it would be Tilly, which was one of the names in the running. Tilly is short for Tilson and all along I thought Tilly the Terrier would be a great name. But now someone mentioned it's a bear.
P.S. I liked the general better but it retired.

Bring back the General. This bear or whatever it is is a joke. Not very well thought out.

If I were a kid, the old Gens mascot looked frightening. A mascot is what it is - something that's for kids. And so you get a cute, cuddly bear rather than a scary-looking general and all that really matters is whether Deke is liked by 7 or 8 year old kids and it appears that this is the case.

If I had one complaint, it's that he simply isn't out there as a presence in the crowd to the same degree as some other places. In Gatineau, Hully (who is also a bear with googly eyes) is always trying to get fans into the game non-stop. I end up paying almost as much attention to the mascot as the game because he's always doing something crazy up to and including flips over the top of the glass. You probably could only do that in an older, smaller rink though I guess.

The two Peterborough mascots are always out trying to get the fans into the game....and also to bother the visitors fans LOL. They do great work though, you always see them trying to get the fans into it. I can also say that I really haven't noticed ours too much...maybe they aren't doing their job?

I'm not really a big mascot guy, but I know that as an adult, I find Guelph's mascot somewhat frightening. That thing is just bizarre.....

drifter wrote:Bring back the General. This bear or whatever it is is a joke. Not very well thought out.

Do you remember the grimaced look on General Shooter's face? He looked like someone just kicked him in the groin.

hockeybeats wrote:If I were a kid, the old Gens mascot looked frightening. A mascot is what it is - something that's for kids. And so you get a cute, cuddly bear rather than a scary-looking general and all that really matters is whether Deke is liked by 7 or 8 year old kids and it appears that this is the case.

If I had one complaint, it's that he simply isn't out there as a presence in the crowd to the same degree as some other places. In Gatineau, Hully (who is also a bear with googly eyes) is always trying to get fans into the game non-stop. I end up paying almost as much attention to the mascot as the game because he's always doing something crazy up to and including flips over the top of the glass. You probably could only do that in an older, smaller rink though I guess.

Good points, however the mascot suit is not equipped with a fan like most modern high end mascot suits. It is very hard for the person who has to wear the suit... they lose approximately 5 pounds every game. Water is key to stay dehydrated.

Ugh... I twice filled in for a mascot without a fan in 35+ degree weather.... never again!!!!

radicallacrosse wrote:

hockeybeats wrote:If I were a kid, the old Gens mascot looked frightening. A mascot is what it is - something that's for kids. And so you get a cute, cuddly bear rather than a scary-looking general and all that really matters is whether Deke is liked by 7 or 8 year old kids and it appears that this is the case.

If I had one complaint, it's that he simply isn't out there as a presence in the crowd to the same degree as some other places. In Gatineau, Hully (who is also a bear with googly eyes) is always trying to get fans into the game non-stop. I end up paying almost as much attention to the mascot as the game because he's always doing something crazy up to and including flips over the top of the glass. You probably could only do that in an older, smaller rink though I guess.

Good points, however the mascot suit is not equipped with a fan like most modern high end mascot suits. It is very hard for the person who has to wear the suit... they lose approximately 5 pounds every game. Water is key to stay dehydrated.

A very good point indeed. I was the third-string mascot for the Majors back in the late 90's.

There was a fan but it didn't work properly and it was tough to keep the head on for more than two or three minutes at a time.

they should have gone with both

something for the team and something for the kids

bring back the general and keep deke

the petes have two sometimes 3 out there

That's true, and Belleville has 3 I think as well!

You don't think three mascots is excessive? Ottawa has three as well, I found that pretty cheesy.

Look at sarge in Brampton. Scary??? He is great their and usally always visible to the crowd. Brampton scores he is right there to get he crowd going and cheering. Thats why I say. Bring back the General and I agree have Both of them. In a lot of arenas they have them out skating on the ice before the game and in each itermission. We need to get with the times and get the crowd into the game. it might add a spark to the team. nothing ventured nothing gained.

Sarge... my favourite OHL mascot! Well designed, slimmer outfit so he can move well, and one of the few mascots anywhere with a cool factor to those older than 8!!

The General needed a makeover at least. It's head was so big that the poor guys inside couldn't do much. It also would have helped if the costume was actually washed. It really did smell gamey.

Yikes you like Sarge? To each his own I guess!