OT: Blues Fans Around the Globe

Cappuccino

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Aug 18, 2017
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the Netherlands
I assume not, given that your "location" is listed as "The Netherlands", which has no high-level ice hockey league, and has never sent a player to The NHL. By the way, if you don't mind my asking, in which province do you live? I come from Zuid Holland.

Daniel Sprong is one of us haha.
I am from the same region. And of course I don't mind you asking
 

ChicagoBlues

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Oct 24, 2006
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I have visited there a few times. While my impression wasn’t so negative, I saw and felt a lot of the same things. But I know people that like it. To each their own I suppose, but I am not the biggest fan.

There are a lot of people who like it here, such as the elderly who get cold easily, people from the upper midwest who are sick of the snow and snowbirds (they HATE being called snowbirds) from Canada who "winter" (barf) here.

Another group increasing in numbers here are Iraqis.

Several have told me that they came here because the weather is pretty much exactly like Iraq's weather.

And this is probably why I hate it here so much. This place reminds me of Iraq.
 

Robb_K

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Apr 26, 2007
20,980
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NordHolandNethrlands
Daniel Sprong is one of us haha.
I am from the same region. And of course I don't mind you asking
WAUW!!!! HOERA!! I didn't know we had a Nederlander in The NHL!!! About time all our speed skating paid off!!! :D
I just remembered Ed Kea, from the '60s and '70s. But, he moved to Canada when he was 7 years old. Bouwmeester, Hogaboom, Van Impe, Beaukaboom, Van Rijn, Van Biesbrouck, and the other players of Dutch heritage were mostly born and raised in Canada, and all the others born in USA.
 
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Cappuccino

Registered User
Aug 18, 2017
1,387
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the Netherlands
WAUW!!!! HOERA!! I didn't know we had a Nederlander in The NHL!!! About time all our speed skating paid off!!! :D
I just remembered Ed Kea, from the '60s and '70s. But, he moved to Canada when he was 7 years old. Bouwmeester, Hogaboom, Beaukaboom, Van Rijn, Van Biesbrouck, and the other players of Dutch heritage were mostly born and raised in Canada, and all the others born in USA.

Haha Sprong also moved from the Netherlands to Canada (as a kid), to have a shot to become a NHL player...
 

Robb_K

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Apr 26, 2007
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NordHolandNethrlands
Haha Sprong also moved from the Netherlands to Canada (as a kid), to have a shot to become a NHL player...
Well then, he is a legitimate Dutch NHLer, as he started playing in Nederland, and moved there to advance his future career. Ed Kea simply moved to Canada with his parents, and became a "Canadian boy". And he first took up the game there as is natural for Canadian boys. So, Sprong is the first who actually made The NHL after playing organised hockey in The Netherlands.
 

Cappuccino

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Aug 18, 2017
1,387
421
the Netherlands
Well then, he is a legitimate Dutch NHLer, as he started playing in Nederland, and moved there to advance his future career. Ed Kea simply moved to Canada with his parents, and became a "Canadian boy". And he first took up the game there as is natural for Canadian boys. So, Sprong is the first who actually made The NHL after playing organised hockey in The Netherlands.
Thats true.

Btw, Sprong refuses to play for the Dutch national team (he wants to play for Canada in the future).
 

Robb_K

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Apr 26, 2007
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Interesting that Sprong was NOT allowed to play in Canadian Major Junior (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) because he was not a Canadian citizen. So, he was drafted by Pittsburgh directly from Quebec's AA league (a sleeper).
 

Cappuccino

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Aug 18, 2017
1,387
421
the Netherlands
Haha that's awesome. I remember struggling with NHL 94 on Sega. I'd get so pissed because every time I had the puck I'd go offside(and I had absolutely no idea what offside meant even though my dad must've explained it to me a thousand times), so my dad decided it was best just to turn off icing, offside, and penalties just so I could actually get through a game lol. I remember my dad and uncle just trash talking constantly over that stupid game. So dumb, but so funny.

I remember trading up by trading a player with for example 50 overall for a player 52 overall, the 52 overall player for a 53 overall and so on.. :D

Before you knew you had traded Peter Popovic for Petr Nedved
 

m1a2lt

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Jul 13, 2009
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1,793
Originally from the UK. Grew up in Metro East and now live just south of Brussels, Belgium.

Not much of a poster but definitely a stalker.

The Athletic, here, and STL Today (WHY? WHY? WHY?). Miss the old Official Blues Forum. Also, seems without signing up for NHL Live, I can stream any game I want!
 

LetsGoBooze

Buium or bust
Jan 16, 2012
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Just moved StL --> Tampa. Got two solid teams to follow closely now, although my heart will always BLEED BLUE!
 

MissouriMook

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Just moved StL --> Tampa. Got two solid teams to follow closely now, although my heart will always BLEED BLUE!
What part of Tampa did you move to? I've been going down to that area for over 30 years now. Sadly, while it used to be 4-6 weeks a year I'm lucky to get more than 2, but I do still sneak in the occasional long weekend.
 

LetsGoBooze

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Jan 16, 2012
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The eastern most part of Clearwater, right off Gulf to Bay. Location seems pretty good so far, can get to many spots around Clearwater/Tampa within a decent amount of time.
 
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MissouriMook

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The eastern most part of Clearwater, right off Gulf to Bay. Location seems pretty good so far, can get to many spots around Clearwater/Tampa within a decent amount of time.
Walking distance from the original Hooters! Spent way too much time in that place in my 20s.
 

LetsGoBooze

Buium or bust
Jan 16, 2012
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Walking distance from the original Hooters! Spent way too much time in that place in my 20s.
Hahaha yep, if it wouldn't have been raining so hard i almost went there for the superbowl. Infact, i just walked past it Sat night to check out a bar nearby.
 

ChicagoBlues

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Oct 24, 2006
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The eastern most part of Clearwater, right off Gulf to Bay. Location seems pretty good so far, can get to many spots around Clearwater/Tampa within a decent amount of time.

Super easy for you if you work in Tampa.

Right across the Causeway.

I finished high school and started college in St. Pete and lived between the Howard and Gandy bridges.

Also lived for a while in downtown near the bay and then near St. Pete beach at the Gulf.

The thing I loved most about that part of Florida is the extremely diverse and interesting marine ecology. You can wade out into Tampa Bay for a half mile up to your knees among the mangroves and pick up baby jellyfish growing in protective shelter.

Just don’t go past the mangroves. Mako sharks.
 

Robb_K

Registered User
Apr 26, 2007
20,980
11,134
NordHolandNethrlands
Originally from the UK. Grew up in Metro East and now live just south of Brussels, Belgium.

Not much of a poster but definitely a stalker.

The Athletic, here, and STL Today (WHY? WHY? WHY?). Miss the old Official Blues Forum. Also, seems without signing up for NHL Live, I can stream any game I want!

Welkom!
 
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MissouriMook

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Super easy for you if you work in Tampa.

Right across the Causeway.

I finished high school and started college in St. Pete and lived between the Howard and Gandy bridges.

Also lived for a while in downtown near the bay and then near St. Pete beach at the Gulf.

The thing I loved most about that part of Florida is the extremely diverse and interesting marine ecology. You can wade out into Tampa Bay for a half mile up to your knees among the mangroves and pick up baby jellyfish growing in protective shelter.

Just don’t go past the mangroves. Mako sharks.
Where did you live near St. Pete Beach? That’s typically where I stay when I’m down there nowadays, usually either Mariner Beach Club or Bon-Aire.
 

ChicagoBlues

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Oct 24, 2006
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Where did you live near St. Pete Beach? That’s typically where I stay when I’m down there nowadays, usually either Mariner Beach Club or Bon-Aire.

Nice!

From St. Pete proper you take Blind Pass to Pasadena Ave S across the water and there I was in the South Pasadena/Gulfport area right along Boca Ciega Bay. Nice spot.

But that was a looooong time ago.
 

Weiss1604

Registered User
Mar 27, 2017
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Wales
From Wales U.K , started following the blues ( & Cardinals ) in 1998 whilst coaching Rugby in Missouri & have been hooked ever since . Obviously can be a little awkward at times with time difference but will often ( normally twice weekly ) stay up late to watch games live & suffer in work the next day lol . Sports really does bring the world closer together .
 

MissouriMook

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Nice!

From St. Pete proper you take Blind Pass to Pasadena Ave S across the water and there I was in the South Pasadena/Gulfport area right along Boca Ciega Bay. Nice spot.

But that was a looooong time ago.
Was the Starlight Cruise running there at S Pasadena and Intercoastal (pretty sure it is by the hospital) when you lived there? That was a really fun time when I took my family on there, but my son was just a couple of years old at the time so that was almost 15 years ago and I'm not sure how long ago you lived there. I think the boat is still there, but I don't really get down that way much because if we're headed north up the coast it is usually to go to John's Pass. Leverocks was great down that way when they were on the water, but when they moved up the road on S Pasadena about 10 years ago the food and the service went downhill so we stopped going.

Any good local places you can recommend down there between Pass-A-Grille and Sunset Beach? My wife and I always like to try new places, especially if they're within walking distance.
 

ChicagoBlues

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Oct 24, 2006
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Was the Starlight Cruise running there at S Pasadena and Intercoastal (pretty sure it is by the hospital) when you lived there? That was a really fun time when I took my family on there, but my son was just a couple of years old at the time so that was almost 15 years ago and I'm not sure how long ago you lived there. I think the boat is still there, but I don't really get down that way much because if we're headed north up the coast it is usually to go to John's Pass. Leverocks was great down that way when they were on the water, but when they moved up the road on S Pasadena about 10 years ago the food and the service went downhill so we stopped going.

Any good local places you can recommend down there between Pass-A-Grille and Sunset Beach? My wife and I always like to try new places, especially if they're within walking distance.

It's been so long ago that I do not remember much and what I do remember is surely changed by now. Except the Dolphin Beach Hotel! My grandparents went down there from St. Louis almost every summer.

My best memories of that area back in those days were a raging gay bar at Passe-A-Grille and a hot Canadian girl from Brantford, ON who I met at St. Pete Beach.

Her dad played on the Canada National Men's Senior team, so I got to watched Canada seniors vs their Swedish counterparts. It was fun.

It seemed Canada took over Treasure Island to St. Pete Beach during the winter back then.
 

simon IC

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Sep 8, 2007
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Canada
UoT? I was actually staying in TO because my girlfriend at the time was going to McMaster. I preferred to stay in Toronto rather than Hamilton or Ancaster though.

To be expected that they're worshipped almost universally again with such a promising young team. If you aren't a Leafs fan it is easy to really start to hate the team living in Toronto, but I'll be glad to see them have some success.


Not anymore, unfortunately. I can still understand spoken and written Dutch/Flemish, even when spoken by a Limburger :laugh:, but I really struggle to find words when I try to speak. Expected from 2 years learning followed 13 years not using it.

That might change soon. The UK vote to leave the EU, plus it being easier for my girlfriend to travel to the Schengen area rather than the UK, has me looking at Amsterdam, Den Haag and Leuven. Already started to process of getting my Irish passport.

Flemish & Walloon family? That must be fun! You visit Belgium often?
interesting you should mention that. My undergraduate degree is from McMaster. I did some post graduate courses at U of T.
 
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