Hi, Everybody!

Good day to you all out there. Or as Rex Ryan might say, "HOW THE &#$% YOU DOIN', BOYS?!" As Chuck indicated earlier, I'm Tex. The gang has graciously invited me to give them a hand with the blog this year, and I'm stoked to join the team. As a Wisconsin student and devoted Badger fan, I attended all but two home games over my past five years in Madison - and the weekend of those two I spent in Vancouver supporting our Badger ladies in the Olympics, as chronicled in a brief blogging escapade here and on NBC 15's website. Four of those years were spent in 117 on the tunnel, jawing back and forth with opposing players and making it impossible for T.J. Oshie to be heard during intermission interviews. I hope some of you will recognize my pride and joy, who has spent his time perched on my head for half a decade:

Anyhow, the timing of my joining the guys on this corner of the blogosphere comes at an interesting time for me, as I just graduated from our beloved University of Wisconsin in August and accepted a job. The good news is this means I actually have free time and money, which is fantastic! Of course, there's bad news, which is that the job is in Columbus, Ohio, meaning I won't be able to attend every game as I'm used to. I'm already suffering through the pain of watching Badger football games on TV while surrounded by Buckeye fans; knowing that there will be hockey games at the Kohl Center while I'm sitting 500 miles away will be even more challenging.

Since I might not be able to assist the guys with weekly game analysis like I could have if I remained in Madison, I will find ways to contribute in other areas. I'll be making it back for at least three series over the course of the season (including the first home series against UAH), so I won't be completely out of the loop. In the meantime, I'll do my best to keep everyone up with news on former Badgers in the NHL and elsewhere, and since I'm in an NHL city I'll be able to see a number of them firsthand when they visit the Blue Jackets. Plus, I've always been a numbers guy, so I'm planning on doing some statistical analysis as well.

There is a little bit more to me than just Badgers and hockey fanaticism. I'm a huge Packers fan, and as Chuck mentioned, I write for the Acme Packing Company blog as well. And last spring after attending multiple Olympic curling matches in Vancouver, I picked up the sport a little bit and I'll be joining the Columbus club for the upcoming winter. I'm a bit of an Xbox junkie too, especially with the Madden, NCAA Football, NHL, and Call of Duty franchises.

With that out of the way, I want to say another big thanks to the guys for bringing me on board. Here's to a great season, Badger fans. See you at the Kohl Center on October 15th, and ON WISCONSIN!