Three Speeches That Will Tug On Your Heartstrings (including MVP Kevin Durant)

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, what a great tribute NBA MVP Kevin Durant paid his mom in his acceptance speech yesterday!

My favorite basketball team won this award last Thursday at the City of Kelowna's 39th Annual Civic and Community Awards. The Kelowna Christian School Knights were Senior Boys AA Basketball champions in British Columbia last year!

Speaking on behalf of the team, Ryan Linttell (who's mom, Eva (far left), coached the team), said: We're such a tight group of guys and we're really a brotherhood and I feel really honored to have the voice for our whole team. I'd really like to thank all of our parents first and foremost because they have been there for every basketball game, every practice and driving us out. Every tournament we had a huge support team out there for us! Honestly, this is one of the nicest group of parents and players I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

The Nashville Predators named Peter Laviolette as their new coach yesterday. Apparently this boy was a little young for the job - even though his speech was quite motivating...

Can't Always Be Right. Bye Bye John Tortorella!

The owners of the Vancouver Canucks did not get it right so John Tortorella was fired today after just one season as head coach of the team. Don't feel sorry for him though as he had signed a five-year, $10 million contract here.

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who struck out three times with my best-of-7 NHL picks last night...

Having lost all 3 game 7s, I ended the first round at 4-4 in predictions. I would stop making predictions if the paper didn't insist on them
— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) May 1, 2014

...but happy to see a few 7's in today's cheque from a great voiceover client!

So, Ralph The Hockey Guy didn't get it right BUT Rob The Hockey Guy in Vancouver sure did!

Best predictions I've ever done: 8/8 and 3/3 in game 7s pic.twitter.com/3nLfSZbF3f
— Rob The Hockey Guy (@RobTheHockeyGuy) May 1, 2014

Legends Stepping Aside: Dan Russell, Peter Maher & Darlene Hass!

Three game sevens to end the month? WOW and thank you NHL!
Hope the W's go to the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks tonight!

Former Kelowna Rockets' defensemen in the lineup cause those picks for me:

• Luke Schenn - Philadelphia
• Tyson Barrie - Colorado. Injured by a cheap shot in game 4 of the series. What a future! 38 points as a 22-year-old this season. 
• Scott Hannan - San Jose. 35-years-old and steady as he goes on the blue line.

All good things come to an end. We'll see if that holds true for the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings tonight.

Last night we got to celebrate my wife's 10-year run as an amazing support care worker with her company, clients and parents! Today is Darlene's final day there and we are looking forward to amazing NEW opportunities in the future!

On the broadcast front, Dan Russell is ending his nightly Sportstalk radio show tomorrow night after nearly 30 years from Vancouver. I was a regular listener for most of those years. One more "pleasant good evening" tomorrow. And Dan will be handling play-by-play of the Western Hockey League final starting Saturday night from Portland on Shaw-TV as the Winterhawks and Edmonton Oil Kings meet for a third straight year.

Calgary Flames play-by-play man Peter Maher announced his retirement from broadcasting yesterday following a career spanning five decades. His trademark call? Enjoy!

One Of These Two Men Is Calm, Cool & Collected

There are pros and cons to basketball. The two pictures below illustrate my point. Carry on...

San Antonio @Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich named 2013-14 NBA Coach of the Year: http://t.co/CTIanaTUr4 pic.twitter.com/jcPMDSAJCB
— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2014

As I said on my last tweet too: "Another crazy headline from Canada?" #Raptors #RobFord pic.twitter.com/fxvo0csVqF @SBNation @reporterdonpeat
— Ralph Hass (@RalphH_VO) April 22, 2014

Buffalo Sabres have a new #50! Cue the playoffs!

Congratulations to Nathan Lieuwen on starting his first game in the net for the Sabres last night in Calgary!

I hope he has a long and successful career like Dominik Hasek, who will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame during a ceremony March 29 at First Niagara Center. Sadly, the Sabres became the first NHL playoff casualty, knocked out in Sunday's loss to Montreal.

Check out Nathan's interview here.

Nathan Lieuwen's old junior team, the Kootenay Ice, open the WHL playoffs in Calgary tomorrow night. Lieuwen also played here in West Kelowna with the junior A Warriors for a brief time. Small world...although he is 6' 5":)

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Kelowna Rockets goalie Jordon Cooke was the team MVP this season and he is playing for a pro contract so he wants to shine in the playoff spotlight. The Rockets finished 50 points ahead of their first round opponents, the Tri-City Americans. That series starts here on Saturday night. The Rockets won't be taking Tri-City lightly even though they won all four regular season matchups. Last year in the opening round of the playoffs, Kelowna also played a team they had a 50 point cushion on and the Seattle Thunderbirds won the first three games before Kelowna had to pull off four in a row.

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Here is a promo I voiced last week for the WHL on Shaw TV. If you listen closely, no, I am not mentioning my blog in the script...

I see last March I had fun with the number 50 too on this blog:

• March Madness & Voiceover talents
• Rockets 50, Spurs 50, Ralph Hass 49

Sign Of Things To Come? Turning 50!

Call it a sign of things to come? I snapped this photo at the gas station as I'm 49 today and moving on to 50 tomorrow! Lots of gas/Hass left in "my tank":)

Gotta love those spring colors! GREEN$, blue skies...

Well, that's the first time I have included a number in a blog title since September 25th...

Ha! I guess Dave Courvoisier got me thinking about that with his recent posts:

• 3 Reasons to Distrust Any VO Blog With a Number in the Title 
• 8 VO Clichés We Love to Hate (…and why we might be wrong about them)

Super Bowl for the Birds? Go Seahawks!

Last year the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. Tomorrow I will pick the Seattle Seahawks to come out on top against the Denver Broncos!

Yes, a little bird (see him at the top of the photo) or a wise owl told me this on December 8th while participating in the annual Living Nativity Christmas production at our church.

Sharp Dressed Man, Ralph Hass, on break in his man cave?

ZZ Top will be here in Kelowna, BC on March 20th. No doubt they will be performing the classic below! What if we gave it a bit of a Seahawks flavor?

Clean shirt, new cleats and I know where I am goin' to. 

Super Bowl, THE Super Bowl! 

I don't need a reason why. 

They come runnin' just as fast as they can coz every girl crazy 'bout a Seahawks man! *I am referring to the players, not me:) 

Gold watch, Super Bowl ring! I ain't missin' a single thing...

If you enjoyed my football flavored ZZ Top lyrics, you will like my 2011 AC/DC inspired Vancouver Canucks video tribute, CanuckStruck.

All Good (Sports) Things Come To An End

The only thing this guy couldn't do? Cook.
Congratulations on your retirement Anthony Calvillo!

Read the full story here.

I introduced you to Wade Redden and Santa Claus last month. He recently retired after 14 years in the NHL. Don't worry kids. Santa is still going strong!

Henrik Sedin is seeing his ironman streak end tonight for the Vancouver Canucks at 679 games. It started in March of 2004 but last Thursday he took a late crosscheck in the back of the ribs against Phoenix. Sedin has also been playing through a finger injury that requires him to wear a splint. So Henrik won't be in the lineup tonight against Edmonton.

To extend Henrik's streak though, the Canucks should have brother Daniel wear his jersey. As you'll see here, the refs have trouble telling them apart sometimes...

Joining Henrik on the sidelines is his coach. Yes, "All Good Torts Things Come To An End." John Tortorella should NOT have done this Saturday night. The NHL has suspended Torts for 15 days, without pay.

Words of Wisdom from Dr. Maya Angelou

Happy New Year!

• I was NOT "bored" ringin' in the New Year! Unfortunately, my wife beat me on the Scrabble "board" 339-334:(
• Up late last night/early this morning listening to the last JT the Brick show in that time slot before he moves to 3 pm PST beginning Monday.
• The night before I was up until after 2 am going that extra mile for a voiceover client. Love my job!

The Winter Classic WAS one on New Year's Day! Over 105, 000 people in Ann Arbor, Michigan in Michigan Stadium to watch Toronto and Detroit live while 3.57-million Canadians watched it on TV and 4.4-million American viewers - making it the second most-watched regular season NHL game since 1975 in the US! Oh, Toronto won in the shootout 3-2.

We watched this great interview with Dr. Maya Angelou as 2014 hit. Words of wisdom from this 85-year-old for young people at the start:

• Forgive yourself
• Watch for open doors

Toward the end of the 14-minute interview, Dr. Angelou said for this new year to:

• Tell the truth to yourself and to the children
• Live in the present. Don't deny the past and know the charge on you is to make this country more than it is today!

Santa for the W!

Wade Redden got his picture taken with the jolly red rancher!

Santa loves RED! And @WadeREDden6, @NHL defenceman with over 1, 000 games played! #GreatDad #Bruins #STLBlues pic.twitter.com/DorVhkVBv3
— Ralph Hass (@RalphH_VO) November 24, 2013

Watch your Weight Santa! Don't be tempted by this commercial:)

Water creature, Ogopogo, waited in line to meet Santa!