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annieqattheperipheral · 5 months

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you have to read this in full!!

i gotchu from behind the $wall:

The day Luke Prokop shook the hockey world by coming out, he needed to get away.

And stop looking at his constantly buzzing phone.

It was July 21, 2021, and the right-shot defenseman had just become the first openly gay hockey player under an NHL contract. The Nashville Predators’ No. 73 pick in the 2020 draft was just 19 years old and hadn’t even turned pro yet. He didn’t know how it would impact his future. His nerves were fried.

But one text message was impossible to ignore. He didn’t recognize the number but certainly knew the name.

“Hey, it’s Auston Matthews. I wanted to congratulate you. I look forward to sharing the ice with you someday.”

Prokop was blown away. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar wasn’t the most famous person to reach out — that honor goes to Elton John — but the fact that so many NHLers, including one of the league’s best and most powerful players, were offering support meant a lot.

Now 21, Prokop still hasn’t taken the NHL ice, but on Wednesday he took a step forward, being recalled by the Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. He could become the first openly gay player to appear in an AHL game Friday night for the Admirals in Rockford.

As difficult as the decision to come out was, Prokop told The Athletic in an extended conversation recently that he’s been mentally and physically freed by it. He doesn’t have to hide. He can be himself, on and off the ice. Heck, he can even date.

“It’s been massive,” he said.

Teammates and fans have welcomed him in his journey toward the NHL so far, from Calgary, Edmonton and Seattle of the junior WHL to, most recently, Atlanta of the ECHL. They treated him like he was any other player.

Not that there’s not room to grow. Prokop figured more players would come out after he did. They haven’t, not that he would rush anyone’s decision on that. He’s also been disappointed by the developments over the past few years with the NHL’s inclusion efforts, including the Pride tape “debacle.”

He can only control his own actions, though, and doesn’t regret his decision.

“I’d like to think I’m a realistic person,” Prokop said. “I know hockey is not going to be forever. As much as (when I came out) I would have loved to keep playing, I was OK with not playing any more if it didn’t work out — just being able to live my life the way I wanted, to be myself.

“But now, I don’t want to stop playing. It was definitely nerve-wracking. You never know what the reaction is going to be inside hockey, outside hockey, because no one has done it before. We kind of went out on a limb and hoped for the best. It’s been way more positive than we thought it’d be. You’re going to have some keyboard warriors, which there were a few, but I was expecting more.

“I did not expect the amount of support I got from NHL players. That was really cool.”

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The Matthews text and Elton John phone call the morning after were memorable, with the gay rock legend welcoming him to the community and offering his email address if Prokop ever needed anything.

Prokop found even more comfort in a moment that came a few days later — the first time he played hockey since his announcement. It was a four-on-four league in Edmonton at Meadows Rec Center, a place where pros and NHLers competed and kept in shape during the offseason.

Prokop was on a team with Colton and Kirby Dach. The other team had Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart and the Boston Bruins’ Jake DeBrusk. During warmups, Prokop found himself near mid-ice. The first guy to approach him was DeBrusk. The two had met previously through mutual friends. DeBrusk tapped Prokop’s shin pads with his stick.

“Congrats,” he told him. “I’m really happy for you. If you need anything, let me know.”

“I didn’t know what the reaction would be,” Prokop said. “So that meant a lot.”

Prokop was returning that year to the Calgary Hitmen (WHL), the junior team he had played for the previous four seasons. But there had been a lot of turnover on the roster and, of course, a lot had changed for Prokop. So he decided to address the team in its first meeting in training camp.

“Everyone knows what I did last summer,” he told his team. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. There might be a lot of media asking you for an interview. If you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to do them. If you have any questions for me, come ask me. I’m an open book. I just don’t want you guys to feel uncomfortable.”

In that dressing room, Prokop had heard plenty of the uncomfortable language that’s not uncommon for any locker room. He even admitted using it. He didn’t want to out himself. He wanted to act straight, be “one of the guys.”

“I heard it, but it wasn’t all the time,” he said. “I also took it from the perspective that these guys don’t know any better. It’s hockey language. It’s how guys talk. They don’t mean it in a harmful way. They use the word ‘gay’ as a filler at the end of a sentence to make something stupid. ‘Well, that’s so gay.’ I wasn’t comfortable with it, but I used it myself. I didn’t want to seem like I was out of the mix.

“Some guys texted me (after I came out), ‘F—, sorry if I said anything to offend you when we played.’ I’d just say, ‘Guys, you had no idea.’ The lesson is you don’t know what everyone is going through. The words you say do matter. Make sure you think before you speak. It’s a silly rule you learn in kindergarten. It applies to life when you’re 22 or 35 and never goes away.

“The way hockey is going with the language, guys are naturally changing their language. I’ve heard a change in language on every team I’ve been on.”

Prokop said that season was the best of his career, both from a production standpoint and a personal one. He was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings early in the season and had 10 goals and 33 points in 55 games for them, helping them win the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup and advance to the Memorial Cup.

Luke Prokop won the WHL’s Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Oil Kings in 2022. (Courtesy of Oilers Entertainment Group)

Luke Pierce, then an assistant coach for Edmonton and now the head coach, said the staff and management had discussions with the leadership group before acquiring Prokop — making sure they were comfortable with it, feeling out whether their room could handle the attention. Pierce said he asked one of the captains, Blues prospect Jake Neighbours, for his perspective. Neighbours had known Prokop since they were 10 or 11, growing up playing in spring tournaments together. He told Pierce and the staff there would be “zero issue” and he’d be a great addition.

Neighbours said nothing really changed, that Prokop “fit right in” to the team. Pierce at first wondered if players would have any issue with rooming assignments on the road, but nobody blinked. Pierce noted that Prokop would joke about situations and even opened up about his boyfriend coming to visit.

“He put everybody at ease,” Pierce said. “I often tell people, if the outside world could see how the group of men interacted, it would be just a tremendous inspiration on how we should treat everybody.”

Pierce and Prokop pointed out how this generation is more comfortable and equipped to handle LGBTQ+ inclusion issues. Everyone seems to know someone, be friends with someone, or be related to someone in the community.

“I just don’t think guys really care anymore,” Prokop said. “They might be nervous as they have this stereotype version of what a gay guy might look like, sound like, act like. Like me, coming to a team, they think I’ll act a certain way, look a certain way, but they’ll realize three minutes into talking to me that I’m not that.

“Hockey is part of me. It’s who I am. Guys totally forget (about me being gay) when I’m at the rink. They’re not afraid to ask questions. But other than that, it never really comes up. That’s how I wanted it to be. I wanted them to know, but we can all go out and play. I never wanted to be a distraction.”

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The NHL’s decisions around Pride jerseys and stick tape weren’t a distraction, Prokop said, but he has gotten frustrated about it.

He understood the issue over wearing sweaters during warmups — “jerseys weren’t really their choice” — but lamented that the fact the focus was on the handful of players who refused to wear them and not all the others who did. The NHL’s initial banning of Pride stick tape, then its reversal, was a whole other topic.

“To take away choices from players was really confusing,” Prokop said. “Some of them don’t really care. For some, it was near and dear to their heart. To take it away was mind-boggling. From the players’ side, the support was there. Zach Hyman talked about it, Travis Dermott. I like what they did. They didn’t make a big deal about it before — they just did it. Let fans see the rest, and it’ll take care of itself. There’s a massive amount of support from players in the NHL.”

What do the Pride tape and sweaters mean for someone in the LGBTQ+ community?

Prokop didn’t recall noticing them growing up going to Oilers games. He never got to see someone who was gay using Pride tape on the TV screen. He had to deal with it himself — “jump over those barriers without any help.” But Prokop continued pursuing his hockey career whereas “a lot of people don’t feel comfortable pursuing their career without that exposure, without feeling like they’re being seen.”

“I think with the Pride tape stuff, they were trying to show support for their older fans,” Prokop said of the NHL. “The fans that have been watching hockey for 40-50 years. That’s not how you grow the game. You want to get the younger generation, put these guys in the best situation to promote the game. Sometimes I don’t think the NHL does that the correct way. The Pride tape is one example.”

Prokop has been part of two Pride nights since he came out, one with the Edmonton Oil Kings and another with Seattle. The Oil Kings staff approached him after not having that event on their promotional calendar. They planned it in two weeks and it was a big hit, with around 8,000 fans in attendance.

“Some guys told me it was the most impactful game they’d been in during their career,” Prokop said. “They said they didn’t realize how many Queer fans they had. I don’t think they realize how much my community watches hockey, plays hockey and cares about hockey.

The Seattle Pride night was fan-driven, which made it unique. Thunderbirds fans noticed that other rival teams had a special night for Pride and made a push for their own, making bracelets and T-shirts. Prokop told teammates they didn’t have to wear the stick tape — he knows how superstitious hockey players are. They all wore some, for him.

“I always look at the perspective, the other side of Pride nights — why do you have them if no one on the team is gay?” Prokop said. “The point is that it’s for the fans. For me, it means a lot to play in them to show my community and be a representative on the ice.”

While education is important, Prokop said any real change in the NHL when it comes to inclusion will start with other players coming out. He’s not putting any timeline or pressure on that. He didn’t have one. But that’s when players in the league will see a different perspective, get more comfortable with it.

“Otherwise, it’s always going to be a story,” Prokop said. “I also can see why guys don’t want to come out. Especially in the NHL. They’ve been very successful, so why change? I kind of saw that from the perspective when the whole Pride jersey story came out. My phone was blowing up. I don’t think guys want to have to deal with that. There was a responsibility for me to talk about these topics. I don’t think guys want to do that. I can see it from that side, why they don’t want to come out.

“I don’t think anything is going to change unless someone else does. Someone else will step up. It’s only a matter of time. I thought there’d maybe be two, three of us by now. But it hasn’t happened. But I know there’s going to be someone else soon. It’s math. There’s what, 700 players in the league? There’s definitely a few more.”

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While there have been some derogatory comments coming from the stands on a few occasions, Prokop has been encouraged there have been none from opposing players.

“Zero,” he said.

Most of the feedback he’s received, even on social media, has been positive. And it’s not just the comments like Matthews’ that stick with him. Two high schoolers in Seattle, Kaitlin and Jo, reached out to him over Instagram. They are part of the LGBTQ+ community and were struggling.

“Like everyone, they just wanted someone to talk to,” Prokop said.

Part of Prokop’s pregame routine is usually to hang by the bench and listen to music. On many occasions, Kaitlin and Jo would come by and the three of them would just chat for 10, 12 minutes. They’re the fans that Prokop saw every game above the tunnel on his way to the dressing room. They’ve stayed in touch. Prokop even did a Zoom meeting with their high school class last month. “They have a special place in my heart,” he said.

When, and if, Prokop makes his NHL debut, he says he’ll have a special secret plan for them.

Whether Prokop lives his NHL dream remains to be seen. He’s praised the Predators for their support from the first time he did a group video call with the staff. Former NHLer Mark Borowiecki, now a development coach, has been someone Prokop has leaned on often, not only for on-ice advice but for help getting through things mentally.

Scott Nichol, the Predators’ assistant GM, likes Prokop’s potential.

“Big right-shot defensemen that can skate, move the puck. They don’t grow on trees,” he said. “He just needs to polish up his game in some areas in the defensive zone. He’s got the tools. He’s got the skating ability. It’s just patience and embrace the process.”

Prokop is grateful for his support group, from his parents, Al and Nicole, to his brother, Josh, and sister, Alanna. He’s kept in touch with Heather Lefebvre, who is a specialist in hockey engagement and alumni relations with the Oilers Entertainment Group. They talk almost every day. What sticks out to Lefebvre is how young Prokop was when he came out (19), and while he wears this “trailblazer” cap, he’s still standing alone.

“I think this generation is more ready for it than past generations, for sure,” Lefebvre said. “It says a lot to me that nobody else has come out in the year and a half since he has. He’s the only openly gay player under NHL contract, but he’s not the only gay player under NHL contract.

“That’s where I think we have work to do. Is it great that he’s been accepted and can do his thing? Yes. But he looks at the positives, which makes me really happy for him. But that doesn’t mean there’s no negative.”

Prokop takes the positives in his off-ice life, too. He lives with Alanna in the offseason back home in Edmonton. He’s found teammates to share in his hobbies, like golf (he plays 40 to 50 rounds a year). He loves to read, from biographies to sci-fi. He watches basketball more than hockey and has more than 25 jerseys. He cooks. He got into puzzles during the pandemic and is bullish about doing them on his own.

Prokop also feels comfortable getting out there on the dating scene and not having to hide it from teammates.

“Obviously, the lifestyle of a hockey player is tough for some people,” he said. “I’m trying to find the right person to connect with. I’m a softie, a romantic guy. I love love. I’m always on the lookout for that right person to spend the rest of my life with.”

Prokop doesn’t see the label of being the first openly gay player under NHL contract as a weight. It’s more of a responsibility. He has a platform and wants to use it. He’s realistic, “dreaming about winning the community service award more than the Norris Trophy.”

Making the AHL jump or someday the NHL jump won’t define him.

“One of my main goals when I came out is that if I could have an impact on one person outside of my family and friends in my lifetime, I’ve done my job,” he said. “I think I’ve done that and more. And I want to continue to do that.”

#luke prokop #auston matthews #jake debrusk #elton john #nashville predators #milwaukee admirals #atlanta gladiators #toronto maple leafs #boston bruins #jake neighbours #st louis blues #edmonton oil kings #calgary hitmen #lgbtq #pride jerseys #pride tape #nhl garbage league

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pokemonwearingsportsmerch · 6 months

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#yamper #atlanta gladiators #hockey #minor league monday

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bigxrig · 6 months

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so glad to have him where i can shower him with love (x)

#luke prokop #atlanta gladiators #echl

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jarojagr · 1 year

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so ive been thinking about these blues clues themed jerseys that the Atlanta Gladiators wore one night and i want one but cant get one. so i made it in ACNL

#atlanta gladiators #echl #acnl #animal crossing #animal crossing new leaf #acnl qr clothes #acnl qr code #acnl qr design #blues clues

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hockeysnapsgalore · 2 months

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Heyhey! Just check my tags real quick, if you could🥰 I tried to find Mrazik’s team and it came up with multiple. I just went with the Gladiators! Correct me if I’m wrong!

#hockeysnapsgalore #hockey #hockey snaps #hockey smut #michal mrázik #michal mrázik smut #atlanta gladiators #atlanta gladiators smut #snapchat #smut snaps

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canesqueen · 10 months

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Hockey no matter the level (in this case the ECHL) has a very specific way of breaking your heart distorting your day and also giving you some of the greatest news you’ve ever gotten all in one press release.

Because on one hand I’m like

And on the other I’m like

#they took him from me #pain #carolina hurricanes #norfolk #cincinnati cyclones #Atlanta gladiators #nhl #echl #I wouldn’t be so mad if the canes were still attached to Norfolk

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munsons-maiden · 11 months

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Stranger things and (most) marvel films are both shot in Atlanta, so it's easier for Harbour to do both. But Gladiator is shooting on the other side of the world. And Joseph was cast in Gladiator before the writers strike delayed the filming of ST. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that's why I've lost hope. 😔 But I really really hope you're right! Your conviction is soothing. ❤️

Okay I didn't know about the different locations, but it still doesn't change my reply because I didn't even think about locations in the first place :D Eddie, if/when he returns, won't have a major role. I think it'll be the same amount of screen time he got in ST4 - main character level but more scenes towards the end PLUS if he comes back the way I think he will (flayed at first and on Vecna's side until Dustin and the others save him) he will be shooting a huge chunk of his scenes alone or with Jamie. What I'm trying to say is that scheduling will work fine in that case even if he does have a major role in Gladiator 2 (and as far as I understood it, that's not the case - he's playing one of two emperors, and the plot will be centered around the son of the first Gladiator dude? Idk never saw the first movie but that's beside the point). So, ST5 could very well start shooting without him and he'll join a few weeks later - filming for Gladiator will be much shorter (maybe three months?) and for ST5 it will be about nine months according to David Harbour. Still convinced! :D (And even if he doesn't return in ST5 - and I really think he will - I'm absolutely certain he'll get his very own spin off.)

#kiki answers #eddie munson #stranger things 5

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macjaket · 2 years

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I am crying over the ‘over the wall’ grav in holywood that atlanta did. Im crying over whole bait and switch that surefour did with gladiators in kings row. Im crying over season one jjonak zenyatta. Im crying over the og houston outlaws team vlogs and youtube. Im crying over shanghais first win after having a 0-40 season 1. Its missing 2018-2019 overwatch league hours. And lowkey 2020 overwatch league but the first 2 seasons were my only personality trait for so long

#the fact that overwatch one is no longer playable is making me miss all of this so much #dont mind me im just venting #and sure. overwatch 2 comes oht like tomorrow. but its never gonna be the same #its the fact that me and one of my best friends would talk about this everyday cuz we both watched all the games #its the favt that we would get together to watch it and make a bigger deal about the finals than we would about any other sport #its the fact that the first time i ever got a shirt to support a team was for the houston outlaws

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screechingdinosaurchopshop · 3 months

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Pretty freaking wonderful weekend with my guys this weekend. Took B to school Friday. Spaghetti Friday nights are our thing. Bath time with FaceTiming high Kyle downstairs living on the couch. Breakfast and birthday parties (yes multiple!) Saturdays. Serving Sunday for Kyle so brooks and i go kill time at Kroger. And this Sunday we concluded our Brooks weekend with an Atlanta Gladiators game. We had so much fun! We lost. Well we probably lost, we left with 5 minutes left. It was raining so of course Brooks complained about how far away I parked, but we all know I parked where the guy told me too 🤣

It ended with us high watching Mr & Mrs smith. We started our newest tradition tonight of cuddling every night on the couch for a little bit before coming to bed.

I freaking love my entire life so much.

🥰

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joe-moi · 4 months

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all I’m hearing when that con says that JQ needs to “finish up a project” is that he’s going to have to shave that SEXY facial hair off again. Just when we were getting to a good point with it, too. - 🦭

right! I feel like it’s gladiator because they said finish up like that’s the only thing he’s been working on.

I guess we will find out. He either shows up in Malta or on peach street in Atlanta

#anonymous asks #🛼answers #jq

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bigxrig · 6 months

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Luke Prokop was called up to Milwaukee. Selfishly I'm so bummed because I hadn't made it to a Glads game yet but I'm happy for him!

#atlanta gladiators #luke prokop

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joe-juice2 · 4 months

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I think Quinn is going to have a successful year. He has 3 movies coming out, and hopefully, they do well. I'm excited for him and I hope he gets some rest before the craziness begins.

I don't follow Keery too closely, but we know he will be busy with Stranger Things. I think most of the cast are excited and ready for it to end. I just hope that they enjoy filming their last season together.

P.S. I'm hoping we get to see Eddie in some way, shape, or form in ST.

Quinn is going to have a good year but also a stressful one with all the press and maybe a new casting? We dont know. But definitely a successful one! He is on some good movies man, im most excited for a quiet place i love these movies especially after i saw some spoiliers (ehehe) then i want to see hoard, i heard alot of good stuff but like i saw some spoilers about joes ass..i dont want to see that on my screen lol HAHAHHAA but overall gladiator with paul and pedro thats a cool casting ngl

For jk i think he has one movie coming out? I think we are not gonna see much of jk this year he will be out filming st5 in atlanta for a year and half

As for eddie we might see him in some throwback scenes that were probably already filmed prior

#juicygossip #jq #jk #EM #SH

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hockeysnapsgalore · 2 months

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Here’s the request for Michal! Sorry it took a bit, I totally forgot to put it up last night!

#hockeysnapsgalore #hockey #hockey snaps #michal mrazik #atlanta gladiators #snapchat

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ledenews · 7 months

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Wheeling Nailers Announce 2023 Training Camp Roster & Schedule

The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced their 2023 training camp schedule and roster. The Nailers will open their 2023 training camp on Tuesday, October 10th at 10:00 a.m. The practice will be separated into two groups, with one skating from 10:00-11:15, then the other from 11:40-1:00. Practices on Wednesday, October 11th and Thursday, October 12th will also be split into two groups, but with an added twist - both days will feature a scrimmage from 11:00-11:45. Friday, October 13th will be a quick morning, with the groups taking morning skates from 10:00-10:30 and 10:30-11:00. That night will feature an intrasquad scrimmage, which starts at 7:10. After a light day on Saturday, the first week will conclude with a preseason game against the Cincinnati Cyclones on Sunday, October 15th at 2:10. All practices are open to the public, and fans must stay in the seating bowl, as ice level access is not permitted. The intrasquad scrimmage and preseason game are both free to attend with open seating. Head Coach Derek Army and Assistant Coach Mitch Giguere have compiled a roster of 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders for a total of 21 players to begin training camp. Starting in the goal crease, the Nailers begin training camp with two netminders. David Tendeck is entering his fourth pro season, after spending his first three years in the Arizona Coyotes organization. Tendeck went 12-12-5 with the Atlanta Gladiators last season, and also earned a victory for the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners. Oskar Autio made his first pro start in last year's season finale, as he made 19 saves on 22 shots for the Nailers in Iowa. Autio played collegiately at Penn State and the University of Vermont. On the blueline, David Drake returns to anchor the defense, after being one of three Wheeling players to play in all 72 games a year ago. Drake is the lone veteran on this year's squad, as he has played in 262 professional games. Louie Roehl and Davis Bunz return for their second pro seasons, and the two had nearly identical numbers in their rookie campaigns. Roehl finished with 24 points in 60 games, while Bunz recorded 23 points in 58 games. Sebastian Dirven is the final returning member of the defense, as he began his pro career with three points in four contests during the spring. There are three newcomers to the defense. Quinn Wichers was acquired by the Nailers in a trade this summer, and he is entering his third pro season. Wichers spent the majority of his first two years playing a shutdown role for the Rapid City Rush, while mixing in AHL stints with Tucson and San Diego. Jeff Solow returns to North America, after playing 18 games with the EIHL's Glasgow Clan last season. Solow has played for Iowa and Worcester in the ECHL. Avery Winslow is set to make his pro debut, after concluding his junior career with the OHL's North Bay Battalion. Winslow is coming off of a deep playoff run, as the Battalion finished with the second best record in the OHL and reached the conference final round. Up front, leading scorer Cédric Desruisseaux returns, after lighting the lamp 30 times, while adding 29 assists, and playing in all 72 games a year ago. Félix Paré is back for his third season in a Wheeling uniform, as he raised his point total last year, despite playing in 14 fewer games due to injury. Speaking of injuries, Matthew Quercia and Shaw Boomhower are looking forward to putting those behind them and finding their magic from the 2021-22 season. Quercia scored the infamous overtime goal in game seven to defeat Fort Wayne, while Boomhower led the team with 127 penalty minutes and chipped into the offense with 13 points. Cam Hausinger begins his third season in Wheeling, after recording 62 points in 87 regular season games, in addition to nine goals in ten playoff contests. Bobby Hampton is also entering his third campaign with the Nailers, as he has 32 points in 93 games over his first two seasons with the club. Wheeling, West Virginia native Peter Laviolette III is back for year number two with his hometown team, as he put up 11 points and 96 penalty minutes. Four players who joined the Nailers at the end of last season have returned for what will officially be their rookie seasons, after getting an initial taste of the pro game. Jarrett Lee wasted little time in making a name for himself, as he notched three points in his pro debut. He finished with eight points in 13 matches. Tanner Laderoute won an NCAA National Championship at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and is looking to bring that winning formula to Wheeling, where he registered seven points in his first 11 pro contests. David Jankowski found the net often in the spring, as he racked up three goals and six points in seven games with the Nailers. Matt Koopman also put his name onto the scoresheet with great frequency, as he snagged seven points in his first 14 games. Additionally, Dominiks Marcinkevics will be making his Wheeling and ECHL debut, but already has a year of pro hockey under his belt, as he totaled 32 points in 53 games last season with the SPHL's Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. 2023 Wheeling Nailers Training Camp Roster#4 D Quinn Wichers#5 D David Drake#6 D Sebastian Dirven#7 D Davis Bunz#8 D Avery Winslow#9 F Tanner Laderoute#10 F David Jankowski#11 F Peter Laviolette III#12 F Jarrett Lee#13 F Matthew Quercia#15 F Bobby Hampton#16 F Cam Hausinger#17 D Dominiks Marcinkevics#18 F Shaw Boomhower#19 F Félix Paré#21 F Cédric Desruisseaux#22 D Jeff Solow#28 D Louie Roehl#31 G Oskar Autio#35 G David Tendeck#36 F Matt Koopman 2023 Wheeling Nailers Training Camp ScheduleTue. Oct. 10- Practice at WesBanco Arena, 10:00 a.m.Wed. Oct. 11- Practice at WesBanco Arena, 10:00 a.m. Scrimmage, 11:00 a.m.Thu. Oct. 12- Practice at WesBanco Arena, 10:00 a.m. Scrimmage, 11:00 a.m.Fri. Oct. 13- Morning Skate at WesBanco Arena, 10:00 a.m. Intrasquad Scrimmage, 7:10 p.m.Sat. Oct. 14- TBDSun. Oct. 15- Preseason Game vs. Cincinnati, 2:10 p.m. Read the full article

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ear-worthy · 10 months

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Chillin' with Ice: More Than Her Story In The American Gladiators...

Chillin' With Ice is a new podcast that began in late March and features Lori Fetrick, who played the role of Ice in the popular 90s TV show American Gladiators.

For millennials and Gen Zers, it's difficult to explain the phenomena that was American Gladiators. Like most of these fads, the show burned brightly for a few years and then flamed out, largely because the producers of the show screwed up a good thing.

The show concept was inspired. It essentially is the dream of millions of men and women. Compete against world-class athletes and win! Who didn't dream and throwing the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl? Or hitting the game winning basket in the WNBA finals?

For those who haven't seen the show, American Gladiators featured four competitors, two men and two women, in most episodes. The players, referred to throughout the series as "contenders", faced off in a series of physical games against each other and against a cast of costumed athletes looking to prevent them from succeeding (the titular "Gladiators"). Each match saw the competitors trying to advance in a tournament, with one man and one woman crowned champion at its conclusion.

The TV show ran for seven seasons, along with hundreds of live performances around the country. After 30 years, the show has been consigned to the trash can of TV history. But then, Netflix threw the show and its Gladiators a lifeline. In June of this year, it released a documentary called Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators. The showchronicles the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and gripping behind-the-scenes stories of one of the biggest spectacles on television during the height of the '90s. Told firsthand from the stars who lived through it, this five-part series reveals untold stories of the iconic American Gladiators’ triumph, turmoil, and ultimate price of fame.

Those last words -- ultimate price of fame -- reverberate for the Gladiators and should for us as a loyal audience, or even as arbiters of fairness, if you have never seen the show.

I watched the show with my two young sons, who loved it and badgered me into taking them to a live gladiators show in Atlanta. I have to admit it. The show sparkled with amped up drama and the cacophony of competition. Gladiator Ice even autographed my son's program, and she was his favorite.

But watching what's missing in the documentary is the driving force behind this new podcast.

In the documentary, the creators and producers of the TV show spoke volubly about the business aspect of the show, from the ratings to costs to the marketing. However, they were silent when it came to the welfare of the actual people who played the Gladiators, other than to decry the use of steroids, which I found wildly hypocritical.

When the producers sent out the Gladiators for a six-month tour -- which meant constant pounding to their bodies with no rest or no way to train -- steroids offer a way to recover from injury much faster. Grudgingly, the producers hired more Gladiators for the tour when they realized the nightly punishment was too much for even world-class athletes.

When the Gladiators tried to use their fame to renegotiate their contracts, which offered minimal pay, the producers fired them. What the producers didn't understand was that it was the Gladiators that drove the show's popularity, not just the everyman concept. Remember when the football players in the NFL went on strike? The replacement players were met with a collective yawn, even despite an excellent movie, The Replacements, that said otherwise.

What the Gladiators needed was a Brian Epstein. The manager of The Beatles guided the Fab Four threw their initial burst of fame and offered personal guidance and financial security for the group. The group was never the same after Epstein died in August 1967.

From the documentary, it appeared that no one was looking out for the gladiators -- Gemini, Laser, Ice, Storm, Blaze, Nitro, Titan, and others who came along later. These young people had neither the experience nor the background to get paid their worth at the time and negotiate any financial security. The revamped American Gladiators show in 2013 had no original gladiators even in a cameo role, and shows the disdain the producers had for the performers.

So, it's that kind of exploitation that energizes this new podcast.

Fetrick pitches her podcast like this: "Come chill with your host Lori Fetrick, a.k.a Ice Ice Baby from the American Gladiators, the number one hit iconic TV show of the nineties. Every week while she will share all the details and opens up about her own personal experience in the American Gladiators. From what she ate, how she trained, and how she got ready for every show… get ready to listen to real uncensored conversations that have never been shared before. Join Lori as she goes down memory lane and shares with you the best parts of her life."

Fetrick, as a host, is true to the advertising of her podcast. She's pretty chill. Her episode about her childhood was riveting, especially her mother's religious cultism.

Fetrick is open and transparent about being a lesbian. On her podcast, she speaks of it without hesitation, despite a recent homophobic narrative infused with conservative political rhetoric that has invaded our culture.

After the episode about getting into bodybuilding, Fetrick then focuses her next six episodes on former Gladiators she performed with. From Storm to Zap, Fetrick interviews her former competitors and does a commendable job. Despite Fetrick's closeness to her guests, she allows them to tell their own stories, and teases out fascinating stories from her guests.

Although I enjoyed the shows about the Gladiators, I wondered about Fetrick's long-range plan with the podcast. After all, eventually, she would run out of Gladiators to interview. She could, of course, interview some contenders as was done in the Netflix documentary, or better yet, the bus driver for the live tour who I suspect would have some juicy stories to tell.

But Fetrick proved to her listeners that she had more to say than just Gladiators tales. On the June 27th show, Fetrick interviewed a leading sexual wellness expert, Stephanie Wolff P.A. - C. In the episode, Fetrick talks to Wolff about the importance of balancing hormones, so women can moderate menopause symptoms, and key information about hormone therapy.

My hope is that Fetrick steers her show toward a women's health and wellness type of show. I think she has a narrative that women will find compelling, and she has a directness about her that makes Fetrick ear worthy.

Fetrick is one of the many people who experienced the shooting star of fame, discovered its fleeting and fickle nature, refused to be chewed up by its addictive allure, and made a life for herself, as did many of the other American Gladiators. Many child actors, teenage musicians, and reality stars never recovered from their eventual fall from grace.

I recommend Chillin' With Ice, not only because she lived one of the inside stories of the American Gladiators, but also because she has more to say on the human condition due, in part, to her unique life narrative.

Even 30 years after the American Gladiators, I'm not sure if there's too many people who could go up against Ice in the joust. If it was me up there against her, I'd pretend to slip and fall off the platform before the joust started.

#podcast #podcasting #american gladiators

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