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printer-friendly | e-mail this story Sports Life on the bus with Chiefs has a little bit of everythingIncluding seniority system for seating, floating poker gameKENNEWICK _ It took a week, but about 1 a.m. Saturday, somewhere around Yakima, it became clear: The best way to describe the scene on the Spokane Chiefs' team bus is a cross between "Lord of the Flies" and Saturday morning at the Delta House (from "Animal House"). With a floating poker game thrown in. Every player has a spot and a role on the bus for the various road trips the team takes throughout the 72-game Western Hockey League season. A lot of that time is spen The rule of thumb is what happens on the bus stays on the bus. That's a good thought, although there is nothing secret about Godfather Bishop extorting chocolate out of players and his daily challenge of "getting" assistant coach Jamie Huscroft. The Chiefs were under observation for nine days, covering seven games, four on the road. Most striking was how well the Northwestern Stage drivers fit in with the team and how well the team accepted the drivers. Almost without fail, every time the players board the bus they greet the driver (there were three during this odyssey) and then thank him when they got off. Bobby Mitchell, who had the Seattle-Tri City trip, has been driving the hockey club for 10 years but has passed on a few of the all-night drives this season. "Probably the best part is being around the kids," Mitchell said. "I've never, ever had a problem. They've always been cordial and polite. . . . Sometimes the bus isn't as clean as you like, but they're kids. Sometimes people tend to forget that." Mel Friesz, who drives the Spokane Indians in the summer, started the excursion, going from Spokane to Vancouver and back, stepping off in the middle of the night in Spokane because his hours were up. Jack Huckabone, who used to drive the Tri-City Americans, took over, going to Cranbrook and back. All three commented on the players and how the hockey team is more considerate and clean than the various college teams they have driven over the years. After a win, half the guys think they're comedians. Once the team clears city limits, players are allowed to change out of the dress clothes they wear to the rinks and into more comfortable traveling attire. That's when most of the banter takes place. It is amazing how quickly they can dress down in the confines of the bus. It looks like backstage of a fashion show, minus the beauty, of course. Victories or travel on an off day means movies on the bus. The fare this stretch was Scary Movie 3 (a hit with most of the audience), 21 grams (too deep for this theatre), Mona Lisa Smile (take a guess, considering the crowd), Old School (five stars with this group) and Tears of the Sun (thumbs up). (Rumor has it some studying goes on toward the back of the bus but it is impossible to negotiate past the poker table to confirm. The truth is most studying is done in motels.) Lights were shut off after movies (except for the afternoon trip to Seattle) and for these veteran travelers, sleep came quickly. Some bring mats -- including head coach Al Conroy -- that are put on the floor. That means the person in the other seat can stretch across the aisle. All had at least one, if not three, pillows and a blanket and even the old men (including reporters) can sleep in relative comfort). Seating isn't assigned, it's earned through seniority. According to veterans, seat choices are made according to length of service in the league. That is why rookies end up right behind the coaches, trainer Darcy Bishop and radio broadcaster Mike Boyle. The exception is Doug Auchenberg, who was given credit for time in the NCAA with Alaska-Fairbanks. When an injured player is left home, players in lesser seats shift, moving back when the player returns. After trades, the newcomer gets to choose a seat in accordance with his experience. Somber is an understatement for the mood on the bus after a loss. No one takes defeat harder than Conroy, but after the game in Cranbrook it was hard to tell if it was the loss itself or the surprising lack of effort that cut so deep. But on this grueling section of the 72-game schedule, the Chiefs went 4-2, including 2-1 in road games prior to last night's game against Tri-City, which fortunately made this trip a fun learning experience.
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