Looking for unique gifts for your friends and family? Why not spring for a teal tutu, courtesy Douglas Murray and Antti Niemi of the Sharks Sports and Entertainment Holiday Shopping Network? Or, if that's not your bag, how about Logan Couture's game-worn, chowder-stained Worcester Sharks jersey?
For the second straight year, the San Jose Sharks have made a holiday video, and for the second straight year, it's awesome.
There's so much gold here I don't even know where to begin. A few personal highlights:
• Antti Niemi's urgent hand-waving to open his segment, especially contrasted with Douglas Murray's absurdly natural delivery.
• The constant shots at Jamie McGinn, from the dolls he keeps in his locker to his princess gown.
• The fact that no one thought to do a second take, even though Patrick Marleau said "summer" instead of "winter" about three seconds into his segment.
• Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture's chemistry, which clearly extends beyond the ice. I especially enjoyed Couture's Michael Cera-esque awkward deadpan, which I suspect is unintentional. I laughed out loud after Pavelski suggested his mother's meatloaf was better than her fruitcake, and Couture mumbled, "She's not gonna like that too much. She's gonna be pretty offended."
• Pavelski nearly choking to death on his own saliva, then riffing, "I think a fly flew in my mouth."
• If you don't know that Dan Boyle is talking about the Jumbo Joe woolly mammoth chest toupee, that sequence takes on a whole new meaning. It's full of phrases like, "I want you to rub this against your face", "We see this every day in the shower", and "You can throw balls at it."
• The return of Slappy, Joe Thornton's flatulent dummy.
More teams should make holiday videos like this.