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Dear nepnhew, is tnp worth lit? 2004 FOM ESCAPf V6, auto, NOC pw, pdl spd consro & tit No HL 4 cy, uto NC, Pt pdl tnted widows I Baici5 F dFio you any £ steeteditun rk, Balanceof Far AFactor yFxt, gls.A/MCD. oed es Stk 251 A ra m n s Wtk501y6 o until MayO16I! kC512 offer. 2004 RANOiff -Paynerit nrdudt PST & GST, 7.99%/ oser6il montha. payrerits ia-wttdy. OAC, onf extra chtarge a licence tee and est. waraity ifeeded. tjmited teste aller 1ilo t i p toittotr w t iv (>5 11 out s each way. The lasi time my brother and 1 made the boring drive to Ottawa to watch my nephew's Jr. A hockey game, it didn't work out too well. My nephew spent most of the first period in the penalty box. And then, even though hie was the team's top scorer, hie got benched in the second for the dumb penal- ties hie took in the first, and then got benched in the third for letting the coach know hie wasn't happy about being benched in the second. There was only so much food I could put away while waiting for him to get on the ice. Although the snack bar did have those Beaver Tails indigenous to Ottawa, which are sensational. It's those deep fried dough things with sugar and lemon sprinkled on top. lncidentally, my nephew's name is Tyler Townsend, but isn't the same person who played on the lceHawks carnier this season. Anyway. it's not the firsi time uts happened that l've gone to bis game to watch hîm not play. Once 1 was walking up the stairs at an arena after an hour's drive, stuffing popcorn in my face, and before I got LU the top, my nepbew got ktcked out for fighting. Back down the stairs 1 vent. Another tîme hie took a buncb of penalties tn a Junior A game tn Cobourg and when bis laîest penal- ty svas up, the coach told hint to stay in the penalty box because he'd just end up back there again anyway. The referee told the coach that wasn't allowed, while trying not to laugh, but the coach said hie wasn't coming back on the bench, 50 my nepbew went to the dressing room and 1 went home. 1 figure my nephew owes me about 10 game admissions. And some of those are from games in whicb 1 even called in advance and pleaded with him not to get kicked out in the first period. Most of the time it's worth the drive, usually for the game, but sometimes for other reasons. At another game ibis year in Comwall, my nephew was being barassed by a group of fans who do that behind the visitors bench. The better the player, the more they ride hlm, and the tougher the player the more they dislike him. So, tbey're yelling things like, "Townsend. you suck! Townuend, you stink!" You know, imaginative stuff like that. Then tbey yelled, "Townsend, you're a loser!" After a couple more of. -Townsend. you're a loser!" my nepbew tumed around and yelled back ai them. "l'm a loser? You paid nine bucks to waîch me play shut tltem up tor about 20 seconds. 1 used to get mad when adults would yell things at him, especial- ly when hie was mucb younger, and despite the fact he probably deserved it. At leasi until 1 almost got beat up one time when 1 told a big guy bis mouth would be better off shut, then ran like a littie sissy to my brother for protection. Not that my brother was any bet- ter when hie played. He played col- lege and semi-pro hockey in the United Sýates. At one game in the wilds of coal country in Illinois he was in a vîsîting arena that had mesh going from the boards to the roof. He found out why when hie had a fight and had the miîfortune to win it. Fans threw evetything but their grandmoîhers at him. My favourite story of bis is the time hie and a couple teammrates went into the stands after somte fans. Our parents happened to be at that game and as hie went by them on the stairs, hie said casually, "Hi Mom, Hi Dad." Then hie proceeded to pummel the "unruly" fans. My mom refused to go to any more of bis gaines. As for my nephew, since the gaine I went to that hie didn't play in much, he's barely taken a penal- ty and bas moved into the top five tn league scoring. Tomorrow hie plays in the Centrai Jr. A ail-star gamne in Hawkesbury. I don't think he'd gel kicked out of that gaine. And even if hie did, I've been dreaming of ibose Beaver Tals. W o nOt Hi?? GR@VNDH@G DAY CONTES? PUBLISHINO ON JAN. 24'8 m 1: À