Showing results for "Dog" in Sports

On the surface, I've got it all. I'm the starting goalie and captain of the Colorado Bulldogs hockey team. I've got more money than I know what to do with. I can count an entire team of elite athletes as my friends. And according to the pundits, I'm an eligible bachelor. That's the image everyone sees, but it's just a role I play, a part dictated by my career. So, those questions I have about why I don't crave sexual contact the way my teammates do, questions I'm afraid to ask with the world watching… I decided a long time ago it didn't make sense to look for answers until after I retired.

When college journalist Lenore finds herself trapped rooming with a hockey player, she's anything but thrilled. After all, Len despises athletes—too cocky, too entitled, and definitely not included in her long-term goals. With a lengthy list of ex-roommates, however, she doesn't exactly have a choice.

Athletes are notoriously superstitious. Some don't wash their gear. Others sleep with it. I've even heard of a guy who peed on the field to ward off evil spirits. But as far as I'm aware, my teammate Luca is the only guy whose ritual requires a more intimate activity. I wouldn't know that if I hadn't stumbled into it by accident, and even then, I wouldn't have thought my presence had any effect. But the next day he got on the ice and had one of the most spectacular games I've seen him play. One of his best ever. And it gives me an idea.

West Brooks stands for everything I despise. He's a meathead jock whose silence says it all: He only cares about himself and his football season. So, why can't I say no when he offers me his help? I should run the other way. I should tell him exactly what I think of him for ruining my life. Instead, I agree to his terms because he might be the only person who can get me what I want.

As a kid, you don't think about the sacrifices you'll have to make for your dreams. I surrendered a carefree childhood to hours upon hours of grueling practices. Abandoned life with my family in favor of a boarding school that would hone my skills to perfection. But my biggest sacrifice, the one I couldn't predict I'd have to make as a little boy, is denying who I am. I thought I could do it. I thought hockey would be enough. After all, as the top rookie in this year's NHL draft and the most promising defender the league has seen in years, my dreams were coming true. Enter Xander Nydek.

After achieving the goals I set for myself, I walked away from my professional hockey career. It was a tough decision, but the right one at the time. When the Titans organization approached me about joining the team they were rebuilding following a devastating plane crash, I felt a passion for the game and a competitive spirit I hadn’t felt in years. The opportunity to make a huge difference to a lot of people spoke to me, and I accepted their offer and headed to Pittsburgh without a second thought.

That gorgeous and somewhat odd neighbor who has been causing me grief is creating another type of feeling within me. And once that spark is lit, Tillie displays a faith in me that for the first time since the crash I desperately want to believe. Now it’s time for me to step up and become the man—no, a better man than I once was.