Acute

Another Words Words Words post, or more accurately, a Marks Marks Marks post: Jeff Z. Klein reports on the recent move by Montréal Canadiens equipment manager to include diacritics in players’ name bars on the backs of their sweaters. The explanation by Pierre Gervais as to why the marks hadn’t been rendered in the past is a bit weak, but no matter:

Gervais said the accents were made possible by technology. Until recently, the strip of cloth for name bars was too shallow.

“I would have had to sew the accent mark onto the uniform itself, above the name bar,” said Gervais, who started working as a Canadiens equipment manager in 1987. “Until a few years ago, we used to reuse the uniforms, so I couldn’t do it.”

Suck-it-up soup

Gemma Hooley and Chris Nelson profile my favorite Washington Capital, #21, Brooks Laich. Laich, in his productivity, ruggedness, and general no-glamour attitude, reminds me a little of Cal Ripken.

“If I’m tired or sore or whatever, I just think of what my buddies do back home in Saskatchewan,” Laich said. “They are out on the oil rig in minus-40 degrees Celsius, working outside for eight hours for a lot less money than what we make. And it just kind of brings you back to earth and humbles you, that life is pretty good.”