Glory hounds

J's World, by Jeremiah Bartz

Valley life editor Casey Ressler walked into the office one day. I know that sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but stay with me here.

Anyway, Ressler walks into the office and, "Bartz, Anaheim has got your number," is the first thing he said.

Days later he walks in and says, "It's looking like J.B.'s going to win the Conn Smythe."

Casey and I have found yet another way to boost our already over-inflated egos, by placing ourselves on the roster of our favorite National League Hockey teams.

Ressler and I will probably not be skating across the ice of the Joe Louis Arena any time soon, but on a nightly basis, little characters that look nothing like us, but wear our names on the back of pro uniforms, are skating across our television screens. Yes we have sunk that low. With the help of EA Sports' various NHL games, we have created ourselves and are now part of the video games.

Now that we are part of the video games, this has become part of the office conversation. Everyday I expect on update on how I am doing for Ressler's Canucks in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and he expects to know how he is doing as a part of the Bartz version of the Colorado Avalanche. Since each of us are complete glory hounds and want to do all of the scoring, Ressler and I are top-line centermen on each of games, and each of us has created our Frontiersman cohort as our team's goaltender.

It may be pathetic to live for the day that we notch a hat trick with our fictitious self. If Ressler walks into the office beaming, I know he had a multi-point night. Besides, where else can you hear Casey jump up and down screaming, "Ressler scores!"

Again it may be pathetic, but we also need something to do now that the National Football League season is almost over.