First of all, you may notice that I've gone to a more blog-like format. There's no real reason for this other than I'm trying to be hip and cool. The Mariners have actually set up a team page for us, but I hate the esthetics and interface. I've also added a facebook "like" button so you can share articles and game reports with other people. Let's get this site viral.

Another new addition are the banner ads you see sprinkled about. I've been paying for the webhosting for several years now and it's time I recouped some of that cost. It's not like Google ads where they put up all kinds of inappropriate stuff. I'm actually part of several affiliate networks, so I have complete control over what banners will be displayed. I will try not to get too obnoxious with the ad placement and will only put things up that are relevant. If you see something that strikes your fancy, click with confidence. Every sponsor is a quality company that meets my unusually high standards.

The biggest change is your ability to leave comments. For every article and game report I will enable user comments. Finally, your worthless opinions can reach thousands of people. You can use a variety of social site logins or just post anonymously. I will not censor or edit any posts. This will be the last bastion of free speech. Give it a try. There's a comments section below this article.

For me, the biggest change will be my ability to speak my mind. Last year I was an assistant coach and I toned it down because I was representing the Mariners Hockey Club. I actually felt neutered as I bit my tongue on the officiating and poor conduct of opposing team's parents. It was the first time I can remember that I didn't start a doo-doo storm of controversy with at least one of my game reports. Well, I'm not coaching this year and I'm going to let it all hang out. Literally and figuratively.

Lastly, by popular request, I'm re-instituting the "Parent Of The Week" award. I did this two seasons ago, but last year abandoned it. I think with the group we have together it is a good time to begin the award again. For those of you unfamiliar with this coveted honor, I basically do a little write up on the parent that got my attention the most during the week. There are no rules for the award. It could be that you did something nice for the team, but usually it's because you did something really funny or insanely stupid. Also, the award has absolutely no integrity. You can bribe me. In fact, you should bribe me, it's the best way to win.

As I said, I'm really excited about the new season. Not only are we returning a huge chunk of last year's batam SCAHA champs, we are reuniting with some great players from 2 years ago. For the most part, all of the kids know each other and are friends and I'm sure the new faces will fit right in. Also, we have the greatest group of parents ever assembled. Get ready for some legendary tailgating and road trips.