The NFL regular season is now over, setting up one of the more interesting playoff years in recent memory. With no clear-cut favourite in either conference, this weekend's wild-card (or, if you prefer, "wild card") matchups could produce one or both of this year's Super Bowl finalists.
Last year, the #5 seed Giants won 3 straight road games to reach the Super Bowl; the #6 Steelers did the same thing the year before. Will history repeat itself this year?
AFC
(5) Indianapolis @ (4) San Diego: The Colts have the best chance to follow in the Giants' and Steelers' footsteps and reach the Super Bowl. They've won 9 straight and have the likely league MVP behind centre. The Chargers have won 4 straight, but not against any team as good as the Colts. Colts 41, Chargers 31.
(6) Baltimore @ (3) Miami: The battle of "really, they're in the playoffs?" A lot of people seem to think Miami will simply be happy to be in the post-season and not put up much of a fight against the Ravens, but I disagree. Miami has all the pieces in place to pull off a win here, even if Baltimore did win in Miami this year. Dolphins 17, Ravens 13.
NFC
(5) Atlanta @ (4) Arizona: When it's your first home playoff game in your current state, and you moved there in the 70's, you know it's a big moment. Atlanta may be the more talented team (really, Atlanta? Did I just write that?), but Arizona will be pumped to be at home, where they were dominant this year, and Atlanta has a young team that may falter in the playoffs. It'll be close. Cardinals 31, Falcons 27.
(6) Philadelphia @ (3) Minnesota: Honestly, I can't trust Philadelphia. One week they dominate Dallas, another week they tie Cincinnati. But against Minnesota, they should be able to pull it out. Eagles 23, Vikings 17.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
So, We Meet Again...
Okay, it's obviously been a long time since I've posted anything on here, but with full time school and a full time internship (at TSN, no less), it's been hard to find the time to post my thoughts on the world of sports.
So, without further adieu...
- CC Sabathia signed with the Evil Empire today, 7 years @ over 160 mill. Not bad work in today's tough economic times if you can get it. Makes you wonder where that Sabathia to the Dodgers talk on Sunday came from. After weeks of speculation about CC's love of batting and wish to play in Southern California, it turns out in the end that money speaks louder than anything else. Or maybe it's just because pinstripes are slimming.
- With Sabathia and K-Rod (to the Mets) off the MLB free agent list, A.J. Burnett is likely the next big fish to find a new pond. Reports today put the Yanks and Braves 1-2 in the sweepstakes for the overrated right-hander, and it's anyone's guess where Burnett will end up. I'd love to see him join New York, just so long-suffering Blue Jays fans can watch him crash and burn in the Big Apple.
- Speaking of the Jays, a heartfelt goodbye to Ted Rogers. I worked for his company for 6 years, and while I never met the man, the one time he spoke to a group of us on a conference call really picked up the troops. He will be missed.
- While I was writing that, Nicklas Lidstrom won the Wings-Flames game for his team in overtime. And I cheered - not for the Wings win or the Flames loss, but for Lidstrom's game-winning goal for my fantasy hockey team. Sports have a much different meaning now with the advent of fantasy games.
- Was Bills in Toronto a flop? No, no, a thousand times no. Just because the game was garbage doesn't mean the experiment failed. The stadium was full (mostly) and we were able to showcase our city to the United States for something beside hockey. If the Bills hadn't put up a horrendous effort (7 days after another horrendous effort), we'd be praising how strong the experiment was. And to those who a) wanted the dome roof open or b) complained that the closed roof favoured the visiting Dolphins...grow up. Sunday was the coldest days of the year so far, and I doubt 50,000 people would have preferred sitting outside in that just to give their adopted home team a perceived advantage.
- Michael Phelps won the SI Sportsman of the Year. Chantal Petitclerc won the Toronto Star's Lou Marsh Award. It's almost like in Olympic years, no other sports matter.
- Does golf season ever end?
- This year's Winter Classic between Detroit and Chicago from Wrigley Field will get better ratings than last year's game by a mile... and will pass whichever college football game it is up against that afternoon. Mark my words. And if they put it in a Canadian city next year, the ratings will collapse. But put it in Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park...watch out.
- Why is no one talking about the Carolina Panthers for the Super Bowl this year?
- Why is everyone still talking about the New York Jets for the Super Bowl this year?
- There's lots of talk about salaries being cut because of the economic problems, but why is no one talking contraction in leagues? Both the NHL and the NBA have franchises which don't draw nearly enough people to sustain themselves now, and contraction will improve their talent pools immensely. And for the record, those franchises are Nashville, Florida, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Phoenix and the Islanders for the NHL and Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte, and Atlanta for the NBA.
- I'm the first one on board for the "let's get rid of Sean Avery from the NHL" train, but... If there's a belief that Avery needs "psychological help", then why hasn't it happened yet? There seems to be such a stigma in professional sports regarding mental illness, and to me, the perception is along the lines of homosexuality: the law of averages say it's there, but no one talks about it. If Avery does have some sort of mental illness, and he wishes to treat it, then we all need to back off. And maybe, in the long run, something like this will open the door for players to openly admit that they have issues with mental illness.
So, without further adieu...
- CC Sabathia signed with the Evil Empire today, 7 years @ over 160 mill. Not bad work in today's tough economic times if you can get it. Makes you wonder where that Sabathia to the Dodgers talk on Sunday came from. After weeks of speculation about CC's love of batting and wish to play in Southern California, it turns out in the end that money speaks louder than anything else. Or maybe it's just because pinstripes are slimming.
- With Sabathia and K-Rod (to the Mets) off the MLB free agent list, A.J. Burnett is likely the next big fish to find a new pond. Reports today put the Yanks and Braves 1-2 in the sweepstakes for the overrated right-hander, and it's anyone's guess where Burnett will end up. I'd love to see him join New York, just so long-suffering Blue Jays fans can watch him crash and burn in the Big Apple.
- Speaking of the Jays, a heartfelt goodbye to Ted Rogers. I worked for his company for 6 years, and while I never met the man, the one time he spoke to a group of us on a conference call really picked up the troops. He will be missed.
- While I was writing that, Nicklas Lidstrom won the Wings-Flames game for his team in overtime. And I cheered - not for the Wings win or the Flames loss, but for Lidstrom's game-winning goal for my fantasy hockey team. Sports have a much different meaning now with the advent of fantasy games.
- Was Bills in Toronto a flop? No, no, a thousand times no. Just because the game was garbage doesn't mean the experiment failed. The stadium was full (mostly) and we were able to showcase our city to the United States for something beside hockey. If the Bills hadn't put up a horrendous effort (7 days after another horrendous effort), we'd be praising how strong the experiment was. And to those who a) wanted the dome roof open or b) complained that the closed roof favoured the visiting Dolphins...grow up. Sunday was the coldest days of the year so far, and I doubt 50,000 people would have preferred sitting outside in that just to give their adopted home team a perceived advantage.
- Michael Phelps won the SI Sportsman of the Year. Chantal Petitclerc won the Toronto Star's Lou Marsh Award. It's almost like in Olympic years, no other sports matter.
- Does golf season ever end?
- This year's Winter Classic between Detroit and Chicago from Wrigley Field will get better ratings than last year's game by a mile... and will pass whichever college football game it is up against that afternoon. Mark my words. And if they put it in a Canadian city next year, the ratings will collapse. But put it in Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park...watch out.
- Why is no one talking about the Carolina Panthers for the Super Bowl this year?
- Why is everyone still talking about the New York Jets for the Super Bowl this year?
- There's lots of talk about salaries being cut because of the economic problems, but why is no one talking contraction in leagues? Both the NHL and the NBA have franchises which don't draw nearly enough people to sustain themselves now, and contraction will improve their talent pools immensely. And for the record, those franchises are Nashville, Florida, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Phoenix and the Islanders for the NHL and Memphis, New Orleans, Charlotte, and Atlanta for the NBA.
- I'm the first one on board for the "let's get rid of Sean Avery from the NHL" train, but... If there's a belief that Avery needs "psychological help", then why hasn't it happened yet? There seems to be such a stigma in professional sports regarding mental illness, and to me, the perception is along the lines of homosexuality: the law of averages say it's there, but no one talks about it. If Avery does have some sort of mental illness, and he wishes to treat it, then we all need to back off. And maybe, in the long run, something like this will open the door for players to openly admit that they have issues with mental illness.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Top 10 Most Overrated Active Athletes
10) Michael Phelps - Swimming: Yes, 8 gold medals is quite an extraordinary achievement. But guys who finished 4th and 5th were breaking world records in that pool as well. Something tells me if Phelps was Chinese, we'd be questioning his age.
9) Maria Sharapova - Tennis: For all the accolades Ms. Sharapova receives, her domination seems to come only when the Williams sisters are off their game, either literally or mentally. If she recovers from her current injury well enough to beat them at Wimbledon next year, I'll be a believer.
8) Rick Nash - Columbus Blue Jackets: The former 1st-overall pick has only been a plus player twice in his pro career - with a + 5 and a + 2 last year, with no playoff appearances for his Blue Jackets. Add in that his highest point total was last year with 69, and it's easy to see why he shouldn't have a team built around him.
7) Donovan McNabb - Philadelphia Eagles: Too many injuries (only 3 seasons where he started all 16 games) and no ring means he shouldn't be put into the upper echelon like he is.
6) A.J. Burnett - Toronto Blue Jays: It's easy to get a career high in wins when you don't go the distance once all year and baseball's best pen is behind you. Halladay went the distance 9 times, A.J. - 0.
5) Michelle Wie - Golf: This one's hard because it's not really her fault. She's been placed as a sponsor's exemption in second-tier men's events rather than play with her own gender. Thankfully, her success at Q-school is the first step to getting back on track.
4) Francisco Rodriguez - Los Angeles Angels: Also not K-Rod's fault that he's here. His "record" 62 saves are impressive, yes, but playing on a great team helps. Not to mention the rule that even with a 3 run cushion, a save can still be recorded. He'll get a huge offer from a number of teams - the largest from the Mets, I'm sure, after this year's failures from the pen - and a decent number of pitchers could likely set the same record on this Angels team.
3) Brett Favre - New York Jets: It's hard to write this one after his 6 TD performance against Arizona today (although it would have been less had the Cards, you know, covered anybody), but Mr. Favre holds all the bad records for quarterbacks as well as the good ones. That comes with his Ripken-like starting streak and the natural law of numbers. If you play more than everybody else, you'll set more records than they will. He does get points, though, for saying today "Don't book your Super Bowl tickets yet."
2) Tom Brady - New England Patriots: Brady's inclusion on this list is tied to the performance of Matt Cassel, who so far has been good, not great, for the Pats. If Cassel improves as I think he will and leads the Patriots to the playoffs, Brady's mystique is gone forever.
1) Phil Mickelson - Golf: The reason Phil Mickelson is so popular is because of his endearing personality. Everyone loves him, and I think he's a very engaging character. His 34 PGA tour wins help his fame, but after finally breaking through the majors wall by winning 3, Phil has faded. He only has 2 wins this year, even without the omnipresent Tiger Woods over his shoulder. Everyone wants a rival for Tiger, like we have with Federer and Nadal in tennis. The only problem, Tiger has no rival, no equal. He is the best golfer ever, period. And much like Sergio Garcia (who narrowly missed this list), Phil Mickelson is rated higher by the media and by fans because of that desire.
9) Maria Sharapova - Tennis: For all the accolades Ms. Sharapova receives, her domination seems to come only when the Williams sisters are off their game, either literally or mentally. If she recovers from her current injury well enough to beat them at Wimbledon next year, I'll be a believer.
8) Rick Nash - Columbus Blue Jackets: The former 1st-overall pick has only been a plus player twice in his pro career - with a + 5 and a + 2 last year, with no playoff appearances for his Blue Jackets. Add in that his highest point total was last year with 69, and it's easy to see why he shouldn't have a team built around him.
7) Donovan McNabb - Philadelphia Eagles: Too many injuries (only 3 seasons where he started all 16 games) and no ring means he shouldn't be put into the upper echelon like he is.
6) A.J. Burnett - Toronto Blue Jays: It's easy to get a career high in wins when you don't go the distance once all year and baseball's best pen is behind you. Halladay went the distance 9 times, A.J. - 0.
5) Michelle Wie - Golf: This one's hard because it's not really her fault. She's been placed as a sponsor's exemption in second-tier men's events rather than play with her own gender. Thankfully, her success at Q-school is the first step to getting back on track.
4) Francisco Rodriguez - Los Angeles Angels: Also not K-Rod's fault that he's here. His "record" 62 saves are impressive, yes, but playing on a great team helps. Not to mention the rule that even with a 3 run cushion, a save can still be recorded. He'll get a huge offer from a number of teams - the largest from the Mets, I'm sure, after this year's failures from the pen - and a decent number of pitchers could likely set the same record on this Angels team.
3) Brett Favre - New York Jets: It's hard to write this one after his 6 TD performance against Arizona today (although it would have been less had the Cards, you know, covered anybody), but Mr. Favre holds all the bad records for quarterbacks as well as the good ones. That comes with his Ripken-like starting streak and the natural law of numbers. If you play more than everybody else, you'll set more records than they will. He does get points, though, for saying today "Don't book your Super Bowl tickets yet."
2) Tom Brady - New England Patriots: Brady's inclusion on this list is tied to the performance of Matt Cassel, who so far has been good, not great, for the Pats. If Cassel improves as I think he will and leads the Patriots to the playoffs, Brady's mystique is gone forever.
1) Phil Mickelson - Golf: The reason Phil Mickelson is so popular is because of his endearing personality. Everyone loves him, and I think he's a very engaging character. His 34 PGA tour wins help his fame, but after finally breaking through the majors wall by winning 3, Phil has faded. He only has 2 wins this year, even without the omnipresent Tiger Woods over his shoulder. Everyone wants a rival for Tiger, like we have with Federer and Nadal in tennis. The only problem, Tiger has no rival, no equal. He is the best golfer ever, period. And much like Sergio Garcia (who narrowly missed this list), Phil Mickelson is rated higher by the media and by fans because of that desire.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Paging Mr. Bledsoe
It was made official today - Tom Brady's knee injury suffered in yesterday's game against the Chiefs is serious enough to make the reigning MVP miss the rest of the season.
The scuttlebutt around the media today is centered around the "other" teams in the AFC, who now have a chance to win the conference - and even the division.
Now, let me take you back to '01. Patriots star quarterback Drew Bledsoe goes down early in the season. Previously unknown 6th-round pick from Michigan (where he backed up Drew Henson) takes the reigns and leads New England to the Super Bowl.
Now, fast forward to today. Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady goes down early in the season. Previously unknown 7th-round pick from USC (where he backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart) takes the reigns and...
Well, we'll see.
If Matt Cassel, who will likely make his first career NFL start against Brett Favre and the Jets on Sunday, can succeed in the Bill Belichick offence and lead the Pats back to the Super Bowl, or at least deep in the playoffs, all discussion of the greatness of Tom Brady must stop.
Forever.
If Cassel succeeds, it will be proven that any quarterback will a head on his shoulders and a decent arm can win in the Pats' system. Now, whether that success is from coaching and match-ups, or from cheating and spying, remains unknown. But a Patriots Super Bowl is not out of the question simply because #12 isn't behind centre anymore.
Certainly there will be a learning curve, as there was with Brady. But Belichick's system is solid, and after a few weeks, Cassel should thrive and bring the Patriots back to the playoffs. And if he does, the cynical members of the media will begin to doubt the merits of whomever New England puts behind centre.
And if he doesn't succeed, and whoever the Patriots bring in fails also, we will know that Tom Brady is worth all the praise heaped upon him.
The scuttlebutt around the media today is centered around the "other" teams in the AFC, who now have a chance to win the conference - and even the division.
Now, let me take you back to '01. Patriots star quarterback Drew Bledsoe goes down early in the season. Previously unknown 6th-round pick from Michigan (where he backed up Drew Henson) takes the reigns and leads New England to the Super Bowl.
Now, fast forward to today. Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady goes down early in the season. Previously unknown 7th-round pick from USC (where he backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart) takes the reigns and...
Well, we'll see.
If Matt Cassel, who will likely make his first career NFL start against Brett Favre and the Jets on Sunday, can succeed in the Bill Belichick offence and lead the Pats back to the Super Bowl, or at least deep in the playoffs, all discussion of the greatness of Tom Brady must stop.
Forever.
If Cassel succeeds, it will be proven that any quarterback will a head on his shoulders and a decent arm can win in the Pats' system. Now, whether that success is from coaching and match-ups, or from cheating and spying, remains unknown. But a Patriots Super Bowl is not out of the question simply because #12 isn't behind centre anymore.
Certainly there will be a learning curve, as there was with Brady. But Belichick's system is solid, and after a few weeks, Cassel should thrive and bring the Patriots back to the playoffs. And if he does, the cynical members of the media will begin to doubt the merits of whomever New England puts behind centre.
And if he doesn't succeed, and whoever the Patriots bring in fails also, we will know that Tom Brady is worth all the praise heaped upon him.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Autumn - When A Young Man's Fancy Turns To Football
So, here we are (finally): After months of doldrums (yeah, yeah, the Olympics. What else you got? Nothing? Exactly), we finally arrive at the best season for sports - autumn. Of course, autumn kicks off with the NFL season, and with that, my pathetic attempt at predicting the upcoming campaign. So, on that positive note...
AFC
East
New England (12-4)
Buffalo (9-7)
New York (6-10)
Miami (4-12)
It's hard to imagine a team other than the Patriots winning this division, but the rest of the division will make strides this year. Just not enough to catch the Evil Empire.
North
Cleveland (10-6)
Pittsburgh (10-6)
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (3-13)
Remember when Baltimore and Cincinnati were contenders? Me too. The battle between the Browns and the Steelers should come right down to the wire, and I have a sense Pittsburgh will fall just short of the division and the wild card.
South
Indianapolis (12-4)
Jacksonville (10-6)*
Houston (10-6)*
Tennessee (6-10)
Easily the conference's strongest division, the South should produce both wild card teams; but, unlike most people, I'm not sold on Tennessee. Instead, the Texans will finally break through and squeak past Pittsburgh for the last playoff spot.
West
San Diego (14-2)
Oakland (7-9)
Denver (5-11)
Kansas City (2-14)
What is there to say about this horrendous division? The downside for the Chargers is they won't have any games with playoff implications and may be flat in the post-season. Besides that, they have it quite easy this year.
Playoffs:
(3) Indianapolis over (6) Houston; (5) Jacksonville over (4) Cleveland
(1) San Diego over (5) Jacksonville; (3) Indianapolis over (2) New England
(1) San Diego over (3) Indianapolis
The Colts victory over the Patriots will produce an empty feeling as the Chargers ride home field to victory and a berth in the Super Bowl.
NFC
East
Dallas (12-4)
New York (10-6)*
Washington (7-9)
Philadelphia (6-10)
It's hard to imagine the Giants repeating this year, since it took everything falling into place perfectly last year for it to happen. But the Cowboys are unpredictable, and the Skins and Eagles aren't at the Giants level.
North
Green Bay (10-6)
Minnesota (10-6)*
Detroit (5-11)
Chicago (3-13)
This division is a toss-up between two mediocre teams, the Packers and the Vikings. Both squads have inexperienced pivots, so in the end, it comes down to the Vikes running game against the Pack's balance and experience from last year. Slight edge to the cheeseheads for one simple reason: If Minnesota wanted Brett Favre so badly, just how bad is Tarvaris Jackson anyway?
South
Tampa Bay (11-5)
New Orleans (9-7)
Carolina (5-11)
Atlanta (2-14)
The Saints, after an amazing season two years ago, are coming off a sub-par campaign, and as a result, are stocked up for this year. The only problem is, they aren't stacked up enough. Look for the Bucs to hold them off for the division title.
West
Seattle (11-5)
Arizona (6-10)
San Francisco (4-12)
St. Louis (3-13)
It's hard to imagine a division worse than the NFC West. So, once again, the Seahawks will walk away with the title.
Playoffs:
(6) Minnesota over (3) Tampa Bay; (5) New York over (4) Green Bay
(1) Dallas over (6) Minnesota; (5) New York over (2) Seattle
(1) Dallas over (5) New York
Dallas gets their revenge on their division rivals by knocking off the Giants at home to advance to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl: San Diego over Dallas. The Chargers balanced attack and defence prove too much for the Cowboys, who are worn down after a tough division race and punishing NFC Championship game to handle San Diego.
AFC
East
New England (12-4)
Buffalo (9-7)
New York (6-10)
Miami (4-12)
It's hard to imagine a team other than the Patriots winning this division, but the rest of the division will make strides this year. Just not enough to catch the Evil Empire.
North
Cleveland (10-6)
Pittsburgh (10-6)
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (3-13)
Remember when Baltimore and Cincinnati were contenders? Me too. The battle between the Browns and the Steelers should come right down to the wire, and I have a sense Pittsburgh will fall just short of the division and the wild card.
South
Indianapolis (12-4)
Jacksonville (10-6)*
Houston (10-6)*
Tennessee (6-10)
Easily the conference's strongest division, the South should produce both wild card teams; but, unlike most people, I'm not sold on Tennessee. Instead, the Texans will finally break through and squeak past Pittsburgh for the last playoff spot.
West
San Diego (14-2)
Oakland (7-9)
Denver (5-11)
Kansas City (2-14)
What is there to say about this horrendous division? The downside for the Chargers is they won't have any games with playoff implications and may be flat in the post-season. Besides that, they have it quite easy this year.
Playoffs:
(3) Indianapolis over (6) Houston; (5) Jacksonville over (4) Cleveland
(1) San Diego over (5) Jacksonville; (3) Indianapolis over (2) New England
(1) San Diego over (3) Indianapolis
The Colts victory over the Patriots will produce an empty feeling as the Chargers ride home field to victory and a berth in the Super Bowl.
NFC
East
Dallas (12-4)
New York (10-6)*
Washington (7-9)
Philadelphia (6-10)
It's hard to imagine the Giants repeating this year, since it took everything falling into place perfectly last year for it to happen. But the Cowboys are unpredictable, and the Skins and Eagles aren't at the Giants level.
North
Green Bay (10-6)
Minnesota (10-6)*
Detroit (5-11)
Chicago (3-13)
This division is a toss-up between two mediocre teams, the Packers and the Vikings. Both squads have inexperienced pivots, so in the end, it comes down to the Vikes running game against the Pack's balance and experience from last year. Slight edge to the cheeseheads for one simple reason: If Minnesota wanted Brett Favre so badly, just how bad is Tarvaris Jackson anyway?
South
Tampa Bay (11-5)
New Orleans (9-7)
Carolina (5-11)
Atlanta (2-14)
The Saints, after an amazing season two years ago, are coming off a sub-par campaign, and as a result, are stocked up for this year. The only problem is, they aren't stacked up enough. Look for the Bucs to hold them off for the division title.
West
Seattle (11-5)
Arizona (6-10)
San Francisco (4-12)
St. Louis (3-13)
It's hard to imagine a division worse than the NFC West. So, once again, the Seahawks will walk away with the title.
Playoffs:
(6) Minnesota over (3) Tampa Bay; (5) New York over (4) Green Bay
(1) Dallas over (6) Minnesota; (5) New York over (2) Seattle
(1) Dallas over (5) New York
Dallas gets their revenge on their division rivals by knocking off the Giants at home to advance to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl: San Diego over Dallas. The Chargers balanced attack and defence prove too much for the Cowboys, who are worn down after a tough division race and punishing NFC Championship game to handle San Diego.
Friday, August 15, 2008
My View From The "Cheap" Seats
Well, there it is.A ticket from the "first" game for the Bills in Toronto (and by first, of course I mean third).
Please note the price.
Well, we all have, haven't we. The biggest complaint going into the Bills in Toronto experiment was the outrageous pricing Rogers put on seats to these games.
100 level seats are $575, and nosebleed 500 level seats like the one in the picture were almost $200 each.
And yet...48,000 people were in the Rogers Centre with me last night.
And yes, I know the stories. Scalpers unable to unload their plethora of tickets. Thousands given away by Rogers in the past week to show the NFL that this wasn't a colossal mistake. The Rogers tickets, by the way, were how I was able to get this seat, because, honestly, I wouldn't pay $10 for a pre-season game in any sport, let alone $200.
But throughout all the negative stories and frustrated CFL fans, one thing remained true about the game: it was entertaining. An opening drive deflected interception, a kickoff return for a touchdown and several exciting catch and runs. Was it worth $200-$575? I guess that depends on your disposable income.
The one thing I do know, though, is that the crowd at the game was evenly split between Bills fans and Steelers fans, who were only outnumbered by general NFL fans. When the Dolphins come here in December for Canada's first regular season NFL game, it will not seem like a home game for the Bills, regardless of the signs and cheerleaders on the field.
Until the Bills move here permanently, and build a new football-friendly stadium along with it, Toronto will just be a city where the Bills play, and not their home.
As for the CFL fans worried about the state of their preferred league...the only reason to be concerned would be if more people went to see the Bills in Toronto than the Argos or the Tiger-Cats. And if that happens, your preferred league wouldn't have stood a chance anyway.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Bretty And The Jets
So it's official - and just like a New York team to announce something big like this in the middle of the night - Brett Favre is a New York Jet.
Some things to keep in mind, roughly 24 hours after news of the trade broke:
1) For all the talk of the greatness, amazing ability, and all-around God-like qualities Mr. Favre apparently possesses, it strikes me as somewhat humbling (I hope) that the best deal the Packers could get for him was a conditional draft pick. For one of the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history, Green Bay is guaranteed a 4th-round pick, and only gets a 1st-round pick if the Jets make the Super Bowl under Favre's command. A tall order, especially since their odds of making the playoffs are low to begin with.
2) New York decided, in its infinite wisdom, that an accurate quarterback in Chad Pennington is less appealing to them and their future than a "gunslinger" QB who has the ability to lose a game as much as he has the ability to win it. Don't get me wrong; Brett Favre, even at age 38, is a better pivot than Chad Pennington. But is he really the saviour for a franchise trying to compete with a Super Bowl champion who plays in the same stadium?
3) If Favre had ended up in Tampa as was reported on Wednesday, Jeff Garcia would officially have the title of "Most Underappreciated Quarterback." All the guy does in win wherever he goes, and still nothing. He should have never left the Stampeders...
4) If Aaron Rodgers does well in Green Bay and Favre stumbles with the Jets, public and media sympathy for Brett will go very far...out the window.
5) The Jets and Packers don't play this year, which means we won't have to deal with the inevitable media build-up to such a match-up, particularly had it been in Green Bay.
6) Summer brings out some really lazy headlines by sports writers and editors: "Leaving On A Jet Plane"? How about "Pack, Pack, Gone!" or the title of this entry. Everyone checks out in August, it seems.
In the end, the NFL season is so unpredictable that a trade like this will have little to no effect on the outcome of the season. Neither Green Bay nor New York is a playoff team, so, once the season gets going and the post-Favre hangover wears off, we can focus on what matters: watching the Patriots crash and burn.
ADDENDUM: As per the headlines, the NFL home page probably had the most clever one: "New Jersey for Favre". Well done.
Some things to keep in mind, roughly 24 hours after news of the trade broke:
1) For all the talk of the greatness, amazing ability, and all-around God-like qualities Mr. Favre apparently possesses, it strikes me as somewhat humbling (I hope) that the best deal the Packers could get for him was a conditional draft pick. For one of the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history, Green Bay is guaranteed a 4th-round pick, and only gets a 1st-round pick if the Jets make the Super Bowl under Favre's command. A tall order, especially since their odds of making the playoffs are low to begin with.
2) New York decided, in its infinite wisdom, that an accurate quarterback in Chad Pennington is less appealing to them and their future than a "gunslinger" QB who has the ability to lose a game as much as he has the ability to win it. Don't get me wrong; Brett Favre, even at age 38, is a better pivot than Chad Pennington. But is he really the saviour for a franchise trying to compete with a Super Bowl champion who plays in the same stadium?
3) If Favre had ended up in Tampa as was reported on Wednesday, Jeff Garcia would officially have the title of "Most Underappreciated Quarterback." All the guy does in win wherever he goes, and still nothing. He should have never left the Stampeders...
4) If Aaron Rodgers does well in Green Bay and Favre stumbles with the Jets, public and media sympathy for Brett will go very far...out the window.
5) The Jets and Packers don't play this year, which means we won't have to deal with the inevitable media build-up to such a match-up, particularly had it been in Green Bay.
6) Summer brings out some really lazy headlines by sports writers and editors: "Leaving On A Jet Plane"? How about "Pack, Pack, Gone!" or the title of this entry. Everyone checks out in August, it seems.
In the end, the NFL season is so unpredictable that a trade like this will have little to no effect on the outcome of the season. Neither Green Bay nor New York is a playoff team, so, once the season gets going and the post-Favre hangover wears off, we can focus on what matters: watching the Patriots crash and burn.
ADDENDUM: As per the headlines, the NFL home page probably had the most clever one: "New Jersey for Favre". Well done.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Now THAT'S A Frenzy!
When comparing trade deadlines in sports, Major League Baseball's version is usually as exciting as a Tiger-less non-major golf tournament. But yesterday's (non-waiver) trade deadline produced 2 blockbuster deals that may dramatically shift the balance of power in half of the divisions in baseball.
First, the one no one saw coming as the deadline passed at 4 p.m.: Manny Ramirez to the L.A. Dodgers, Jason Bay to the Red Sox, and 4 guys named Moe to the Pirates. The A.L. East now no longer has to deal with Big Papi and Manny back-to-back, but Jason Bay is a very good hitter and fielder, and will fit in nicely with the Boston squad. Even with the Yankees improvements this week (Nady and Pudge), Boston is still the best team in the division, and should squeak by the Yanks and the Rays (who did nothing, but were close to getting Bay) to represent the East in the playoffs.
As for the Dodgers, the Ramirez acquisition puts them clearly ahead of Arizona in baseball's worst division. Adding his power to complement Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent should push this .500 team to the post-season, and it may allow them to challenge the Mets and Cubs for the NL pennant.
The other big deal of the day was Cincinnati sending Ken Griffey (please stop calling him Junior) to the White Sox. This gives Griffey his best shot yet of winning a World Series, but nothing is locked for him and Chicago. After fighting off Minnesota and Detroit for the Central crown, they will be forced to knock out at least one of Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Tampa, three of which have recent World Series championships. Kudos to the Sox for the trade, but in the deep American League, it likely won't help their chances.
And then, there's our beloved Blue Jays. Rumours say the Jays turned down a Jason Bay - Shaun Marcum/Travis Snider deal, as well as a deal with the Mariners for Raul Ibanez. At the end of the day, Toronto is not as strong a team as they were in April, what with the losses of Marcum, Aaron Hill and Dustin McGowan to injury this year. And let's be honest: they weren't that strong in April to begin with. But in a year where teams held on to future talent tighter than grim death, Toronto fell into line with the rest of the major leagues. We just need to hope that Snider is everything the Pirates wanted - and soon.
First, the one no one saw coming as the deadline passed at 4 p.m.: Manny Ramirez to the L.A. Dodgers, Jason Bay to the Red Sox, and 4 guys named Moe to the Pirates. The A.L. East now no longer has to deal with Big Papi and Manny back-to-back, but Jason Bay is a very good hitter and fielder, and will fit in nicely with the Boston squad. Even with the Yankees improvements this week (Nady and Pudge), Boston is still the best team in the division, and should squeak by the Yanks and the Rays (who did nothing, but were close to getting Bay) to represent the East in the playoffs.
As for the Dodgers, the Ramirez acquisition puts them clearly ahead of Arizona in baseball's worst division. Adding his power to complement Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent should push this .500 team to the post-season, and it may allow them to challenge the Mets and Cubs for the NL pennant.
The other big deal of the day was Cincinnati sending Ken Griffey (please stop calling him Junior) to the White Sox. This gives Griffey his best shot yet of winning a World Series, but nothing is locked for him and Chicago. After fighting off Minnesota and Detroit for the Central crown, they will be forced to knock out at least one of Los Angeles, Boston, New York and Tampa, three of which have recent World Series championships. Kudos to the Sox for the trade, but in the deep American League, it likely won't help their chances.
And then, there's our beloved Blue Jays. Rumours say the Jays turned down a Jason Bay - Shaun Marcum/Travis Snider deal, as well as a deal with the Mariners for Raul Ibanez. At the end of the day, Toronto is not as strong a team as they were in April, what with the losses of Marcum, Aaron Hill and Dustin McGowan to injury this year. And let's be honest: they weren't that strong in April to begin with. But in a year where teams held on to future talent tighter than grim death, Toronto fell into line with the rest of the major leagues. We just need to hope that Snider is everything the Pirates wanted - and soon.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
"The Most Ambitious Single Media Project In History"
From today's Globe and Mail:
The ambition of this year's Olympic Games coverage - and the reason why I admire Bob Costas.
The ambition of this year's Olympic Games coverage - and the reason why I admire Bob Costas.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Time To Play Catch-Up...
It's been a while, mainly because summer turns the sports fan's mind to thoughts of things that aren't athletic, since the middle of the baseball season and the beginning of the CFL season aren't exactly huge draws. But, these last few weeks have seen some great and awful things in the sporting world, so it's time to play catch-up...
- This week, Toronto is the centre of the sporting world, and still no one seems to care. Fed and Rafa, Canadian Open with a real shot of a Canadian winning it, MLS All-star game with soccer's biggest star, David Beckham, and the Jays host Seattle and Asia's most famous baseball star, Ichiro. But yet, there is no buzz, no talk, no nothing here in the GTA. But if the Leafs were playing, watch out!
- Speaking of the Leafs, (former) captain Mats Sundin reportedly said that he will make his decision regarding his playing future on August 1. Funny, I thought it would take longer, but I just hope he sticks to it so we don't have to hear about this anymore.
- Hey, possible retirements! While we're on the subject, what of Mr. Brett Favre? The latest news is that NFL Commissioner Gordon - oops Goodell - (sorry, Dark Knight hangover) wants the Pack to deal him. In any other league would the Commissioner openly tell a team what to do regarding one of their players? While I agree with Goodell, it's not his place to say, and it speaks to the arrogance of the league and its leader. Here's hoping, though, that the Packers trade the old man quickly to an AFC team that will fail to make a mark this season, if only to shut Favre up once and for all.
- The Jays, meanwhile, are 14-12 under Cito Gaston since his return. Good? Yes. But not great, and this team needs great if there's any hope for 2008. They need to win these next two in Baltimore and take the series against Seattle to gain some confidence, because after that, the Rays come to T.O., and Tampa Bay has dominated Toronto this year. Ah, who are we kidding? There's always next year.
Wow, do I hate the summer. Only 6 weeks until the baseball season gets interesting and real football begins. Until then, I'll be watching tennis and golf on the off chance something interesting happens. If not, the Jays will be on, and I'll continue to be disappointed.
- This week, Toronto is the centre of the sporting world, and still no one seems to care. Fed and Rafa, Canadian Open with a real shot of a Canadian winning it, MLS All-star game with soccer's biggest star, David Beckham, and the Jays host Seattle and Asia's most famous baseball star, Ichiro. But yet, there is no buzz, no talk, no nothing here in the GTA. But if the Leafs were playing, watch out!
- Speaking of the Leafs, (former) captain Mats Sundin reportedly said that he will make his decision regarding his playing future on August 1. Funny, I thought it would take longer, but I just hope he sticks to it so we don't have to hear about this anymore.
- Hey, possible retirements! While we're on the subject, what of Mr. Brett Favre? The latest news is that NFL Commissioner Gordon - oops Goodell - (sorry, Dark Knight hangover) wants the Pack to deal him. In any other league would the Commissioner openly tell a team what to do regarding one of their players? While I agree with Goodell, it's not his place to say, and it speaks to the arrogance of the league and its leader. Here's hoping, though, that the Packers trade the old man quickly to an AFC team that will fail to make a mark this season, if only to shut Favre up once and for all.
- The Jays, meanwhile, are 14-12 under Cito Gaston since his return. Good? Yes. But not great, and this team needs great if there's any hope for 2008. They need to win these next two in Baltimore and take the series against Seattle to gain some confidence, because after that, the Rays come to T.O., and Tampa Bay has dominated Toronto this year. Ah, who are we kidding? There's always next year.
Wow, do I hate the summer. Only 6 weeks until the baseball season gets interesting and real football begins. Until then, I'll be watching tennis and golf on the off chance something interesting happens. If not, the Jays will be on, and I'll continue to be disappointed.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Thought Of The Day
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/save-the-press/
Something every budding journalist, and everyone concerned about the state of the world, should read.
Something every budding journalist, and everyone concerned about the state of the world, should read.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
I Don't Know If I'd Call It A Frenzy...
So, Happy Canada Day and all that. Canada's lone baseball team is playing a series on the other side of the continent in another country. Remember when Canada Day weekend meant the Jays played the Expos every year? Ah, memories.
But of course, July 1 is the first day for unrestricted free agents to sign with new teams in the NHL. There were plenty of signings to satisfy the cravings of hockey fans who cannot wait the 3 months in between the draft and training camp, so let's break them down.
First, Brian Campbell signed the biggest deal of the day, going to Chicago for 8 years. Nice to see him mention the classy nature of the Sharks organization twice to James Duthie on TSN. Good luck, Brian. Your playing elsewhere next year helps me forget that you were in the penalty box for the elimination goal against Dallas. But, he's a great player and Chicago is looking dangerous in the years ahead - the next Pittsburgh. And apparently he owes Duthie dinner...
Speaking of Chicago, they also picked up Cristobel Huet today to (presumably) back up Nik Khabibulin. But, as was pointed out by Gord Miller, the B-Hawks are over the cap right now, and with two quality goalies, does this mean the end of the Bulin Wall in Chicago? Seriously, name the last team with two starting goalies that won the Cup. Exactly. One of these two will fail and either be traded or released by this time next year. Mark my words, it'll be Nik.
Meanwhile, Huet's former team, Washington, let him and his competition last year, Oleg Kolzig, go. So, to make up for it, they signed - say it with me now - former Hart Trophy winner Jose Theodore for 2 years. You know, Jon Stewart said it best about Sly Stallone, and it's oddly appropriate in this case: Once you win an Oscar, they can't take it away from you for any reason. So why would a team with 2 quality starting tenders let them both go to sign Theodore? Between Chicago, Tampa Bay (Kolzig's new home) and Washington, there will be failure in 2009.
And of course, it wouldn't be a free agent discussion with Mats Sundin, who was offered $20 million over 2 years to play in Vancouver. And of course, we won't hear his decision until, what? Thanksgiving?
All in all, not a bad day for these players. Once Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr sign, though, the frenzy will be over.
Oh.
The Jays are wearing red-coloured logos on their hats. That makes up for it.
But of course, July 1 is the first day for unrestricted free agents to sign with new teams in the NHL. There were plenty of signings to satisfy the cravings of hockey fans who cannot wait the 3 months in between the draft and training camp, so let's break them down.
First, Brian Campbell signed the biggest deal of the day, going to Chicago for 8 years. Nice to see him mention the classy nature of the Sharks organization twice to James Duthie on TSN. Good luck, Brian. Your playing elsewhere next year helps me forget that you were in the penalty box for the elimination goal against Dallas. But, he's a great player and Chicago is looking dangerous in the years ahead - the next Pittsburgh. And apparently he owes Duthie dinner...
Speaking of Chicago, they also picked up Cristobel Huet today to (presumably) back up Nik Khabibulin. But, as was pointed out by Gord Miller, the B-Hawks are over the cap right now, and with two quality goalies, does this mean the end of the Bulin Wall in Chicago? Seriously, name the last team with two starting goalies that won the Cup. Exactly. One of these two will fail and either be traded or released by this time next year. Mark my words, it'll be Nik.
Meanwhile, Huet's former team, Washington, let him and his competition last year, Oleg Kolzig, go. So, to make up for it, they signed - say it with me now - former Hart Trophy winner Jose Theodore for 2 years. You know, Jon Stewart said it best about Sly Stallone, and it's oddly appropriate in this case: Once you win an Oscar, they can't take it away from you for any reason. So why would a team with 2 quality starting tenders let them both go to sign Theodore? Between Chicago, Tampa Bay (Kolzig's new home) and Washington, there will be failure in 2009.
And of course, it wouldn't be a free agent discussion with Mats Sundin, who was offered $20 million over 2 years to play in Vancouver. And of course, we won't hear his decision until, what? Thanksgiving?
All in all, not a bad day for these players. Once Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr sign, though, the frenzy will be over.
Oh.
The Jays are wearing red-coloured logos on their hats. That makes up for it.
Friday, June 13, 2008
In a Few Years
In a few years, when we look back at the week that was in professional sports, we may realize that this week has had a profound impact on the sporting world more than we do today. In a stunning allegation, gambling's favourite son, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, claimed that the outcomes of past playoff games were fixed by "company-men" refs who called the games in order to see the series extend to a game 7, and therefore, give the league the extra ratings it needed.
Many writers who covered one of the series in question, the West Final between the Kings and Lakers in 2002, said at the time that the calls in Game 6 were "offensively bad". Whether one believes the disgraced referee now or not, revelations like this, when tied to recent history, are too much of a coincidence to ignore.
If, in the next few weeks and months, more revelations of this sort come out against the NBA, the NFL's SpyGate will seem like minor shoplifting when compared to the game fixing the NBA will be accused of. How can we know it's not going on now? The league already admitted they wanted a Celtics-Lakers Final before the playoffs began; now we have one. Coincidence? When so much circumstancial evidence is presented, it's difficult to give the league a free pass. Let's hope the league steps up and tries to clean up after itself like baseball did after allegations of steroids.
In other (seemingly) more important news, CBC did not renew the famous "Hockey Theme" song, leaving the door open for rival CTV to purchase it for TSN and for its Olympic coverage in 2010. Besides my obvious joy from this (being an intern at TSN this fall), I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for hockey on Canada's public broadcaster. Will CTV go after Don Cherry next? Bob Cole? And when will the next eventual bid for full broadcasting rights be? One year, two tops?
In a few years, we may look back at June 2008 and pinpoint this week as the time that the NBA hit rock bottom and the death of hockey on CBC. And if not, it's just another week in sports.
Many writers who covered one of the series in question, the West Final between the Kings and Lakers in 2002, said at the time that the calls in Game 6 were "offensively bad". Whether one believes the disgraced referee now or not, revelations like this, when tied to recent history, are too much of a coincidence to ignore.
If, in the next few weeks and months, more revelations of this sort come out against the NBA, the NFL's SpyGate will seem like minor shoplifting when compared to the game fixing the NBA will be accused of. How can we know it's not going on now? The league already admitted they wanted a Celtics-Lakers Final before the playoffs began; now we have one. Coincidence? When so much circumstancial evidence is presented, it's difficult to give the league a free pass. Let's hope the league steps up and tries to clean up after itself like baseball did after allegations of steroids.
In other (seemingly) more important news, CBC did not renew the famous "Hockey Theme" song, leaving the door open for rival CTV to purchase it for TSN and for its Olympic coverage in 2010. Besides my obvious joy from this (being an intern at TSN this fall), I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for hockey on Canada's public broadcaster. Will CTV go after Don Cherry next? Bob Cole? And when will the next eventual bid for full broadcasting rights be? One year, two tops?
In a few years, we may look back at June 2008 and pinpoint this week as the time that the NBA hit rock bottom and the death of hockey on CBC. And if not, it's just another week in sports.
Friday, June 6, 2008
One of the Funniest Things I Have Read In A Long While
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/080604
The NHL's "secret" response to Tiger Woods' comment that no one watches hockey anymore.
The NHL's "secret" response to Tiger Woods' comment that no one watches hockey anymore.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Time for a New Obsession
Well, another hockey season is in the books, and, for once, the best team in the regular season was the best team in the playoffs, and, as a result, no one can deny that the Detroit Red Wings were the NHL's best in 2007-2008. As much as everyone wanted to pick Pittsburgh, Montreal, or (gulp!) San Jose, the better team won. And we can't even complain that they rode a hot goalie or bullied their way to the Cup (ah, the Ducks): Detroit played smart, classy hockey and deserved to win.
But there is no hockey until training camp starts in September (yes, only 3 months from now), so now we must focus our attention on other sports.
First, the NBA.
Crap. Their final (heretofor referred to as "Finals") begins tonight and as I write this the Celtics lead by 5 with 5 minutes left in the first half. I guess that means I can turn the channel back in 90 minutes and very little will change. Any sport that has a referee with gambling and Mafia connections and another who was openly hostile against one particular player one year - Tim Duncan last year - then suspended for such hostility, then referees a series featuring that exact player the following year has some serious issues with fair play. Forget the SpyGate and steroid hearings, U.S. Congress; get your attention towards the unfair competition at hand in the NBA. Maybe that's why the league got their dream Finals match-up...
Okay, well, there's always baseball. But it's June, and virtually nothing is decided now. Oh, except that the Blue Jays are an average team and will likely stay that way throughout the rest of the year. Next.
The NFL season is still 3 months away, and hockey is 4. Maybe it's time I brush up on my CFL knowledge.
Or I could just stop watching sports...
Hmm...
How many teams are in the CFL again?
But there is no hockey until training camp starts in September (yes, only 3 months from now), so now we must focus our attention on other sports.
First, the NBA.
Crap. Their final (heretofor referred to as "Finals") begins tonight and as I write this the Celtics lead by 5 with 5 minutes left in the first half. I guess that means I can turn the channel back in 90 minutes and very little will change. Any sport that has a referee with gambling and Mafia connections and another who was openly hostile against one particular player one year - Tim Duncan last year - then suspended for such hostility, then referees a series featuring that exact player the following year has some serious issues with fair play. Forget the SpyGate and steroid hearings, U.S. Congress; get your attention towards the unfair competition at hand in the NBA. Maybe that's why the league got their dream Finals match-up...
Okay, well, there's always baseball. But it's June, and virtually nothing is decided now. Oh, except that the Blue Jays are an average team and will likely stay that way throughout the rest of the year. Next.
The NFL season is still 3 months away, and hockey is 4. Maybe it's time I brush up on my CFL knowledge.
Or I could just stop watching sports...
Hmm...
How many teams are in the CFL again?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Pens/Wings Prediction
I know, it's a boring title, but my creativity is waning a bit today; I'm even for the playoffs (7-7), so this is my big chance to finish above .500 for the NHL playoff season. Here goes nothing...
Penguins v Red Wings: Ignoring all the talk of youth v experience, this series, to me, is pretty simple: Pittsburgh has yet to lose at home in the playoffs. There is nothing like home ice advantage in the playoffs, and even if Pittsburgh loses the first 2 in Detroit, they will still be confident heading home for Games 3 and 4.
I see a split in the first 2, as Marc-Andre Fleury comes off a shaky Game 1 to steal Game 2 from Detroit. Pittsburgh sweeps at home, but loses their first chance at the Cup in a Game 5 defeat at Joe Louis. Game 6, on a Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the Pens will knock off the President's Trophy winners and win their first Cup in the Sidney Crosby era.
And because the league and its writers want to anoint the new Gretzky properly, Sid the Kid will win the Conn Smythe. There's a very good chance that he'll deserve it.
Penguins in 6.
Record: 7-7
Penguins v Red Wings: Ignoring all the talk of youth v experience, this series, to me, is pretty simple: Pittsburgh has yet to lose at home in the playoffs. There is nothing like home ice advantage in the playoffs, and even if Pittsburgh loses the first 2 in Detroit, they will still be confident heading home for Games 3 and 4.
I see a split in the first 2, as Marc-Andre Fleury comes off a shaky Game 1 to steal Game 2 from Detroit. Pittsburgh sweeps at home, but loses their first chance at the Cup in a Game 5 defeat at Joe Louis. Game 6, on a Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the Pens will knock off the President's Trophy winners and win their first Cup in the Sidney Crosby era.
And because the league and its writers want to anoint the new Gretzky properly, Sid the Kid will win the Conn Smythe. There's a very good chance that he'll deserve it.
Penguins in 6.
Record: 7-7
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Final (Boring) Four
So here we are, 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs down and they were fantastic. Great goals, sensational saves, and awesome alliteration were the name of the game. But, with 3 of the 4 remaining squads offering little to no appeal to the casual hockey fan, these playoffs will likely be as interesting as a NFL pre-season game.
Anyway, onto the picks, such as they are.
Pittsburgh v Philadelphia: For the last two rounds, I have picked against the Flyers (and, if you saw my 2nd round picks, you'll see that none of my predictions came through). But, there is something about Pittsburgh this year, and as long as Marc-Andre Fleury continues his strong play, the Pens will please us all and head to the Finals. Penguins in 6.
Detroit v Dallas: The new trendy Stanley Cup pick - now that the Sharks are out (tear) - is the Red Wings, but, after watching the Stars in a grueling series against the aforementioned Sharks and dominating the Cup champions, Detroit's first 2 series wins don't look that great by comparison. Marty Turco is the best goalie of the 4 remaining tenders, and Brendan Morrow is dominating the game like few others right now. Call it a hunch. Stars in 7.
Record: 6-6
Anyway, onto the picks, such as they are.
Pittsburgh v Philadelphia: For the last two rounds, I have picked against the Flyers (and, if you saw my 2nd round picks, you'll see that none of my predictions came through). But, there is something about Pittsburgh this year, and as long as Marc-Andre Fleury continues his strong play, the Pens will please us all and head to the Finals. Penguins in 6.
Detroit v Dallas: The new trendy Stanley Cup pick - now that the Sharks are out (tear) - is the Red Wings, but, after watching the Stars in a grueling series against the aforementioned Sharks and dominating the Cup champions, Detroit's first 2 series wins don't look that great by comparison. Marty Turco is the best goalie of the 4 remaining tenders, and Brendan Morrow is dominating the game like few others right now. Call it a hunch. Stars in 7.
Record: 6-6
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
La Forza Del Destino (Part 2:30)
{NB: As with the previous post, this is a personal rant and lacks a logical thought process, planned out arguments, and sometimes, even correct grammar.}
After Game 5's seemingly improbable comeback by the Sharks to get their series with the Stars back to Dallas, I wrote about the power of fate (La Forza Del Destino for me and the other 7 Sports Night fans) and my belief that this was the year for the boys in teal.
On Sunday night, I was glued to my television from 9 p.m. to just before 2:30 Monday morning when, after 3 and a half overtimes which followed 3 periods of tight play, Brendan Morrow - the Conn Smythe winner should Dallas win the Cup - scored on the power play after Brian Campbell was forced to take a tripping penalty.
After a day's reflection - and a night's sleep - I choose not to complain about it. I could focus on the non-calls before Campbell's trip was noticed, but the non-calls went both ways throughout the marathon. The Sharks' goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, was fantastic, and had no chance on the winning goal. The Sharks' offence was as good as Dallas', and had numerous chances to win if not for the brilliant goaltending of Marty Turco.
The Sharks' season is now over, and Ron Wilson would almost certainly be fired as coach. However, he deserves a lot of credit for keeping his team upbeat after a crippling 3-0 series deficit. Throughout the Dallas series, with the exception of the 3rd period of Game 2, either team could have won, as the Sharks and the Stars were evenly matched, and played that way, for the duration of the series.
Should Wilson be fired? I don't know. Doug Wilson, the GM, put all the pieces in place, and something intangible seems to be missing from San Jose. Is it the coach? Maybe. The captain? Possibly. One thing is for sure - it's not the goaltender. It's not Jeremy Roenick, who was fantastic throughout the playoffs.
Changes will need to be made, but if they are, one thing needs to be kept in mind. This is the only team who has made the second round for the last four seasons in a row. One wonders, though, how much longer this crew can push in order to finally win a Cup for San Jose. And for me...
After Game 5's seemingly improbable comeback by the Sharks to get their series with the Stars back to Dallas, I wrote about the power of fate (La Forza Del Destino for me and the other 7 Sports Night fans) and my belief that this was the year for the boys in teal.
On Sunday night, I was glued to my television from 9 p.m. to just before 2:30 Monday morning when, after 3 and a half overtimes which followed 3 periods of tight play, Brendan Morrow - the Conn Smythe winner should Dallas win the Cup - scored on the power play after Brian Campbell was forced to take a tripping penalty.
After a day's reflection - and a night's sleep - I choose not to complain about it. I could focus on the non-calls before Campbell's trip was noticed, but the non-calls went both ways throughout the marathon. The Sharks' goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, was fantastic, and had no chance on the winning goal. The Sharks' offence was as good as Dallas', and had numerous chances to win if not for the brilliant goaltending of Marty Turco.
The Sharks' season is now over, and Ron Wilson would almost certainly be fired as coach. However, he deserves a lot of credit for keeping his team upbeat after a crippling 3-0 series deficit. Throughout the Dallas series, with the exception of the 3rd period of Game 2, either team could have won, as the Sharks and the Stars were evenly matched, and played that way, for the duration of the series.
Should Wilson be fired? I don't know. Doug Wilson, the GM, put all the pieces in place, and something intangible seems to be missing from San Jose. Is it the coach? Maybe. The captain? Possibly. One thing is for sure - it's not the goaltender. It's not Jeremy Roenick, who was fantastic throughout the playoffs.
Changes will need to be made, but if they are, one thing needs to be kept in mind. This is the only team who has made the second round for the last four seasons in a row. One wonders, though, how much longer this crew can push in order to finally win a Cup for San Jose. And for me...
Saturday, May 3, 2008
La Forza Del Destino
{NB: This is a personal post, without the usual well thought out ideas that fill this page. Please keep that in mind.}
Friday night. 11:59. The clock literally about to strike midnight for the San Jose Sharks, ending their season with yet another second-round defeat, this time at the hands of division rival Dallas. Down 2-0 after 2 sloppy periods, I hang my head, begging for a miracle, but realizing that one will not come.
James Duthie and the TSN panel discuss the likely end to the Sharks season and how it is all but over after two.
{As an aside, should former Star Matthew Barnaby be allowed to comment on this series? He's clearly biased. Although Glenn Healy is clearly biased towards Dallas and that doesn't seem to matter...}
I look around my room. The first thing I see - my Sharks puck on top of my bookcase. I have been a San Jose fan since they entered the league in 1991, and am still anxiously waiting for a Stanley Cup. My hope for this year's team is falling.
Then it dawns on me. I open my closet to find my original Sharks jersey, circa 1991. Sure I was 10 then, and it clearly doesn't fit anymore, but this is a sign. I take it out and lay it on the bed.
Third period starts with the Stars on the power play. Brendan Morrow looks like he has the dagger with a goal, but it's immediately waived off, after replays show the puck went off his glove and in. No penalty on the cross check from Craig Rivet either. The tide is turning.
Patrick Marleau gets his third breakaway in as many games, but Marty Turco pokes checks him and perserves the shutout. No goal, but the confidence is building.
Christian Ehrhoff takes another dumb penalty, and common sense says pull him off the ice and send him to the minors forever for another stupid penalty in a playoff game, but the Sharks kill it off easily. But, it's still 2-0.
After the penalty, Joe Thornton steals the puck behind the Dallas net and throws it out front to Milan Michalek, who beats Turco to cut the lead to 1. After being invisible in the Calgary series, Michalek now leads all scorers in the series with 4 goals.
4 minutes later, the aforementioned Ehrhoff sets up the ageless Jeremy Roenick, who outlets to Brian Campbell, who shoots a bullet past Turco to tie the game. Campbell's finally on the scoresheet and the comeback is complete.
The jersey seems to have worked, and as the overtime starts, I sit up, jersey clutched in hand. The jersey I wore to school in grade 8 after the Sharks completed their improbable upset over the 1st seeded Red Wings in their first ever playoff round. The jersey I wore while watching Mike Gartner beat Arturs Irbe in game 7 of the Leafs-Sharks playoff. I think my tears are still on there, buried deep in the teal fabric.
The jersey I held in my hand when Joe Pavelski beat Turco above the glove hand to seal the victory for the Sharks in Game 5 to send the series back to Dallas 3-2.
The jersey I will leave on my bed throughout these playoffs from now on. The jersey I will clutch on Sunday night at 9.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
And yes, there is something to be said about the power of fate.
It's been 33 years since the '75 Islanders came back from 3-0. And it was 33 years before that when the Red Wings did it to the Leafs.
La Forza Del Destino. The Power of Fate. 2 more wins to go.
Friday night. 11:59. The clock literally about to strike midnight for the San Jose Sharks, ending their season with yet another second-round defeat, this time at the hands of division rival Dallas. Down 2-0 after 2 sloppy periods, I hang my head, begging for a miracle, but realizing that one will not come.
James Duthie and the TSN panel discuss the likely end to the Sharks season and how it is all but over after two.
{As an aside, should former Star Matthew Barnaby be allowed to comment on this series? He's clearly biased. Although Glenn Healy is clearly biased towards Dallas and that doesn't seem to matter...}
I look around my room. The first thing I see - my Sharks puck on top of my bookcase. I have been a San Jose fan since they entered the league in 1991, and am still anxiously waiting for a Stanley Cup. My hope for this year's team is falling.
Then it dawns on me. I open my closet to find my original Sharks jersey, circa 1991. Sure I was 10 then, and it clearly doesn't fit anymore, but this is a sign. I take it out and lay it on the bed.
Third period starts with the Stars on the power play. Brendan Morrow looks like he has the dagger with a goal, but it's immediately waived off, after replays show the puck went off his glove and in. No penalty on the cross check from Craig Rivet either. The tide is turning.
Patrick Marleau gets his third breakaway in as many games, but Marty Turco pokes checks him and perserves the shutout. No goal, but the confidence is building.
Christian Ehrhoff takes another dumb penalty, and common sense says pull him off the ice and send him to the minors forever for another stupid penalty in a playoff game, but the Sharks kill it off easily. But, it's still 2-0.
After the penalty, Joe Thornton steals the puck behind the Dallas net and throws it out front to Milan Michalek, who beats Turco to cut the lead to 1. After being invisible in the Calgary series, Michalek now leads all scorers in the series with 4 goals.
4 minutes later, the aforementioned Ehrhoff sets up the ageless Jeremy Roenick, who outlets to Brian Campbell, who shoots a bullet past Turco to tie the game. Campbell's finally on the scoresheet and the comeback is complete.
The jersey seems to have worked, and as the overtime starts, I sit up, jersey clutched in hand. The jersey I wore to school in grade 8 after the Sharks completed their improbable upset over the 1st seeded Red Wings in their first ever playoff round. The jersey I wore while watching Mike Gartner beat Arturs Irbe in game 7 of the Leafs-Sharks playoff. I think my tears are still on there, buried deep in the teal fabric.
The jersey I held in my hand when Joe Pavelski beat Turco above the glove hand to seal the victory for the Sharks in Game 5 to send the series back to Dallas 3-2.
The jersey I will leave on my bed throughout these playoffs from now on. The jersey I will clutch on Sunday night at 9.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
And yes, there is something to be said about the power of fate.
It's been 33 years since the '75 Islanders came back from 3-0. And it was 33 years before that when the Red Wings did it to the Leafs.
La Forza Del Destino. The Power of Fate. 2 more wins to go.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Now the Real Fun Begins
Not that the 1st round of the NHL playoffs wasn't great - because it was - but now, as we prepare for Round 2 tomorrow night, we can get ready to watch games with those "average" teams that get into the playoffs just to be knocked out early. The Nashvilles, the Bostons, and yes the Ottawas, are all calling their friends to book tee times today. It's time for the elite eight to show why they belong at this point in the playoffs.
EAST
Montreal v Philadelphia: When both teams are pushed to the brink in their 1st round series, the boring argument of rest v momentum gets thrown out the window. Thankfully. For the Habs, you can look at their near-collapse - followed by a dominating game 7 performance - either as an eye-opener or cause for concern. While it may be the latter, I don't think the Flyers pose a serious enough threat to make it worrisome. Canadiens in 6.
Pittsburgh v New York: As much as everyone - including me - wants to see the Pens advance to the East final, let me make these arguments for the Rangers: more experience with the likes of Jagr and Shanahan, the advantage in the pest department (who would you hate to play more? Avery or Ruutu? Exactly.), and, most importantly, superior goaltending. Sorry, Sid. Not this year. Rangers in 7.
WEST
Detroit v Colorado: As much as we'd all like a rematch of the great series these two teams had in the 90s, the absence of Claude Lemieux really dents that dream. Maybe the Avs can work out a deal to bring him back for the week. With Detroit's goaltending, or lack thereof, and the way Colorado played against Minnesota, I could see this one ending with an upset. Avalanche in 7.
San Jose v Dallas: The Sharks are in a similar spot to the Habs; taking to the max by a team that didn't belong to their talent pool. But while Montreal is inexperienced, San Jose isn't, and the scare against Calgary (and trust me, it was a scare) should wake up the Sharks. I hope. Sharks in 6.
Record: 6-2
EAST
Montreal v Philadelphia: When both teams are pushed to the brink in their 1st round series, the boring argument of rest v momentum gets thrown out the window. Thankfully. For the Habs, you can look at their near-collapse - followed by a dominating game 7 performance - either as an eye-opener or cause for concern. While it may be the latter, I don't think the Flyers pose a serious enough threat to make it worrisome. Canadiens in 6.
Pittsburgh v New York: As much as everyone - including me - wants to see the Pens advance to the East final, let me make these arguments for the Rangers: more experience with the likes of Jagr and Shanahan, the advantage in the pest department (who would you hate to play more? Avery or Ruutu? Exactly.), and, most importantly, superior goaltending. Sorry, Sid. Not this year. Rangers in 7.
WEST
Detroit v Colorado: As much as we'd all like a rematch of the great series these two teams had in the 90s, the absence of Claude Lemieux really dents that dream. Maybe the Avs can work out a deal to bring him back for the week. With Detroit's goaltending, or lack thereof, and the way Colorado played against Minnesota, I could see this one ending with an upset. Avalanche in 7.
San Jose v Dallas: The Sharks are in a similar spot to the Habs; taking to the max by a team that didn't belong to their talent pool. But while Montreal is inexperienced, San Jose isn't, and the scare against Calgary (and trust me, it was a scare) should wake up the Sharks. I hope. Sharks in 6.
Record: 6-2
Monday, April 21, 2008
Big Hurt's Bitching may bring Barry Bonds
After yet another slow start for Frank Thomas, rather than assuming this is just like most other seasons and wait it out, the Blue Jays have decided to grant him his unconditional release.
Rumours abound that the decision was for business reasons, as the Jays would have had to pay an extra $10 million if Thomas passed 1,000 plate appearances over this season and last. With 600+ already in the bank, it seemed the Big Hurt was well on his way to the mark.
The one thing that the Jays did right here was release Thomas before he became a distraction. Leaving a future Hall of Famer on the bench while starting Rod Barajas of all people at DH would have been uncomfortable for many. However, releasing him of his contract does not release the Jays of the $9 million-odd payout for the rest of this year and next.
Clearly, there were other forces at work here rather than just business and baseball. After the unfortunate departures of Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly, the forces that be foresaw another ugly incident in their future, and cut the cord before the damage was done.
Now the Jays need a DH, and a rotation of Matt Stairs, Lyle Overbay, Shannon Stewart, and Rod Barajas will not cut it in the increasing difficult A.L. East. The Jays need a big bat in the middle of the line-up to protect Alex Rios and Vernon Wells, and there's only one man out there with the kind of talent who is available:
Barry Bonds.
Yes, that Barry Bonds. Mr. Tax Cheating, Steroid Taking, Mad at the World Bonds. But, he would add left-handed power the Jays sorely lack, and with frequent visits to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park - two parks with short right field perches - a left-handed power bat would be welcome.
Also, even though he's 147 now (give or take), he'll still command respect from A.L. pitchers, so a .500 OBP isn't out of the question, and for a team that struggles to get base runners, Bonds would fit in nicely.
Yes, his personality is a problem. Yes, he has legal issues. Yes, many fans would not be happy. But all that would go away if the Jays win the World Series.
Is this likely? About as likely as Bonds being proven innocent. But, one can dream.
Rumours abound that the decision was for business reasons, as the Jays would have had to pay an extra $10 million if Thomas passed 1,000 plate appearances over this season and last. With 600+ already in the bank, it seemed the Big Hurt was well on his way to the mark.
The one thing that the Jays did right here was release Thomas before he became a distraction. Leaving a future Hall of Famer on the bench while starting Rod Barajas of all people at DH would have been uncomfortable for many. However, releasing him of his contract does not release the Jays of the $9 million-odd payout for the rest of this year and next.
Clearly, there were other forces at work here rather than just business and baseball. After the unfortunate departures of Shea Hillenbrand and Ted Lilly, the forces that be foresaw another ugly incident in their future, and cut the cord before the damage was done.
Now the Jays need a DH, and a rotation of Matt Stairs, Lyle Overbay, Shannon Stewart, and Rod Barajas will not cut it in the increasing difficult A.L. East. The Jays need a big bat in the middle of the line-up to protect Alex Rios and Vernon Wells, and there's only one man out there with the kind of talent who is available:
Barry Bonds.
Yes, that Barry Bonds. Mr. Tax Cheating, Steroid Taking, Mad at the World Bonds. But, he would add left-handed power the Jays sorely lack, and with frequent visits to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park - two parks with short right field perches - a left-handed power bat would be welcome.
Also, even though he's 147 now (give or take), he'll still command respect from A.L. pitchers, so a .500 OBP isn't out of the question, and for a team that struggles to get base runners, Bonds would fit in nicely.
Yes, his personality is a problem. Yes, he has legal issues. Yes, many fans would not be happy. But all that would go away if the Jays win the World Series.
Is this likely? About as likely as Bonds being proven innocent. But, one can dream.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Maybe Next Year
Today, Trevor Immelman, a golfer who only his parents have heard of, won the Masters by three strokes over the heretofor invincible (or maybe it just seemed that way) Tiger Woods. The talk this morning was that even though Tiger was FIVE shots back, and even though he has never come back to win a major on Sunday, that today was the day for Tiger to do it and win yet another green jacket.
Immelman shot a poor 75, yet still cleared Tiger by 3 strokes.
The point of all this? It's time for the sports media to open their collective eyes and realize that Tiger Woods, amazing as he is, is still a human being. He has bad days, or even bad tournaments. Although he wasn't bad this weekend, he was too far behind on Thursday and Friday to have a legitimate shot to win the Masters in '08.
The second point? Never again (or, at least until next April) will we have to hear about Tiger's chances at the grand slam.
Yet, I have a hunch we won't hear that talk about Trevor Immelman either.
Immelman shot a poor 75, yet still cleared Tiger by 3 strokes.
The point of all this? It's time for the sports media to open their collective eyes and realize that Tiger Woods, amazing as he is, is still a human being. He has bad days, or even bad tournaments. Although he wasn't bad this weekend, he was too far behind on Thursday and Friday to have a legitimate shot to win the Masters in '08.
The second point? Never again (or, at least until next April) will we have to hear about Tiger's chances at the grand slam.
Yet, I have a hunch we won't hear that talk about Trevor Immelman either.
Monday, April 7, 2008
April Is The Cruelest Month
The NHL playoffs are 48 hours away (approximately), and it's time to fail miserably at my predictions for the outcomes of the series. As always, any monetary loss that comes from following these picks will not be recouped by me.
EAST
Montreal v Boston: The Habs have a long history of riding rookie goaltenders to playoff glory (Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden), and they have dominated the Bruins this year. Even without Saku Koivu, it's hard to imagine Montreal losing this series. Canadiens in 4.
Pittsburgh v Ottawa: The Sens are in free fall; after starting out 16-3 this year, Ottawa has crumbled, finishing 7th in the East. Dysfunctional locker room, below average goaltending, injured captain against a team that is looking for revenge after losing to the Sens in 5 last year. Pens in 5.
Washington v Philadelphia: The hottest team in the Eastern Conference are the Capitals, and with the presumed Hart Trophy winner leading the way, things are looking up for Washington. Philly struggled in February and March, but picked it up late in the season to clinch a playoff birth. This one could go either way, and in those cases, I always go with the better goalie. Capitals in 6.
New Jersey v New York: The best series of the 4. The Rangers dominated Jersey this year, only losing one game. But, that game was Sunday's finale, where a Rangers win would have given them home ice. This one will go 7, and I have a hunch the Rangers will find a way to pull it out against Brodeur and the Devils. Rangers in 7.
WEST
Detroit v Nashville: It's hard to imagine, but the President's Trophy winners are forgotten in the world of Sharks, Ducks, and Penguins. But if the Wings lose to Nashville, heads will roll. Red Wings in 5.
San Jose v Calgary: Do you even have to ask? Sharks in 6.
Minnesota v Colorado: The Wild quietly won the the Northwest division this year, but with the addition of Foote and Forsberg, not to mention the cavalcade of talent that was there before, I can't see Minnesota taking this series. Avalanche in 6.
Ducks v Stars: The defending Cup champs are poised for another deep run this year, but the Stars should give them enough of a run to make things difficult for Anaheim in the second round. Ducks in 6.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Caps In, Canes Out, Jays Dominate, Raptors Suck
That's Saturday's sports in a nutshell, folks. Washington did what Carolina couldn't - beat the Florida Panthers (a team long out of the playoffs) when it counted for real. As a result, the Canes are out of the playoffs this year, not too far removed from their Stanley Cup winning year. It just goes to show you how even the NHL is this year.
On the other side, the league, TSN, and NBC must be happy tonight; instead of having to show Carolina hockey this post-season, they get to show Alex Ovechkin and the exciting Capitals. Here's hoping they draw the Pens in the 2nd round.
The Jays won their second straight over the Red Sox, 10-2, in a dominating performance by the majority of the team. Jesse Litsch kept the Jays' starters' streak going of 5 straight strong outings by the starting staff. Tomorrow, one of the best pitching match-ups of the year (and it's only April) - Roy Halladay v Josh Beckett.
Apparently, the Raptors are still playing. I had no idea. You see, after the Leafs were eliminated and the Jays started this season, the Toronto sports media has ignored the Dinos. Good thing too - they lost again tonight, this time to New Jersey. They have now lost to Charlotte (twice), Atlanta, and the Nets this week. I should have faith in this team this year because...?
NHL playoff predictions coming soon...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Call It Wishful Thinking
With the baseball season's first pitch (in North America) less than 24 hours away, I felt it was time to offer up my predictions for the upcoming campaign. As always, these merely represent my personal views, and will certainly not pan out by October. Enjoy.
AL
East: Boston
Central: Detroit
West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Toronto
Yes, I have the Yankees not making the playoffs, and Toronto getting in. The Wild Card will be an amazing race this year, as, in addition to New York and Toronto, expect to see challenges from Cleveland and Seattle. I believe it will go down to the last day.
AL Champion: Los Angeles
NL
East: New York
Central: Chicago
West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Arizona
The NL West is the league's best division, and its most difficult to predict. With the exception of the Giants, every team has a realistic shot at playoff ball. It's time for Joe Torre to prove that he can win without the bottomless pockets of the Yankees.
NL Champion: New York
World Series: New York (Mets) over Los Angeles (Angels)
Call it a hunch: teams that blow division leads (like the Mets did last year) either collapse further down the standings or rally around it and succeed. With the addition of the majors' best pitcher, Johan Santana, the Mets have the ability to succeed. The only question is, can the Mets get past the mental block of last September and win it all? I think they can.
AL
East: Boston
Central: Detroit
West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Toronto
Yes, I have the Yankees not making the playoffs, and Toronto getting in. The Wild Card will be an amazing race this year, as, in addition to New York and Toronto, expect to see challenges from Cleveland and Seattle. I believe it will go down to the last day.
AL Champion: Los Angeles
NL
East: New York
Central: Chicago
West: Los Angeles
Wild Card: Arizona
The NL West is the league's best division, and its most difficult to predict. With the exception of the Giants, every team has a realistic shot at playoff ball. It's time for Joe Torre to prove that he can win without the bottomless pockets of the Yankees.
NL Champion: New York
World Series: New York (Mets) over Los Angeles (Angels)
Call it a hunch: teams that blow division leads (like the Mets did last year) either collapse further down the standings or rally around it and succeed. With the addition of the majors' best pitcher, Johan Santana, the Mets have the ability to succeed. The only question is, can the Mets get past the mental block of last September and win it all? I think they can.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Post #100 Means More Random Ramblings
First, am I the only one who is surprised by the fallout of the Jonathan Roy pummeling/subsequent suspension? Roy get 8 games for beating the daylights out of an unwilling participant, and the outrage sparks a debate on whether or not fighting in junior hockey should be banned.
While I think it should, as a long proponent of banning fighting at all levels of hockey - including the NHL - fighting generally involves two people who are, you know, interested in fighting each other. What Roy did was above and beyond cruel, and his famous father encouraging to do so was just as bad.
Roy Jr. should have been thrown out of the league, for good, and his daddy should have had his bags packed. But don't tell me that a ban on junior fighting would have saved this situation from happening. After all, when you watch the video (which I specifically will not link from here), you can't see a referee in sight.
When something of this magnitude occurs, it is only natural to discuss the ramifications for the rest of the league, and the sporting world in general. In this case, the Q sent a message to the hockey world that bullying is permitted in their game.
Second, a huge thumbs-up to Raptors point guard Jose Calderon. In a sporting world filled with narcissistic, selfish dolts, Calderon is a breath of fresh air. Before Wednesday's game against the Pistons, Calderon suggested to his coach, Sam Mitchell, that T.J. Ford take his place in the starting line-up. Calderon said it was the best move for the team, and he was dead-on. Toronto beat the far superior Pistons by 7. If more players acted like Jose, sports fans would be far less cynical.
Third, on the same topic, Calderon makes less than one million dollars this season, and is up for free agency. If Bryan Colangelo and his team don't resign the guard, the fallout will be epic for years to come.
Fourth, it has finally come to a head for the Leafs. Last night, Toronto lost 4-2 to the Bruins, taking any remote chance of playoff hockey away from the Buds. The best thing the Leafs can do for the rest of the season is to start Andrew Raycroft in net, so one of two things can happen: either lose more to get a better draft spot, or show him off as trade bait this summer. Either way, Vesa Toskala deserves a break after 26 straight starts for the blue and white.
While I think it should, as a long proponent of banning fighting at all levels of hockey - including the NHL - fighting generally involves two people who are, you know, interested in fighting each other. What Roy did was above and beyond cruel, and his famous father encouraging to do so was just as bad.
Roy Jr. should have been thrown out of the league, for good, and his daddy should have had his bags packed. But don't tell me that a ban on junior fighting would have saved this situation from happening. After all, when you watch the video (which I specifically will not link from here), you can't see a referee in sight.
When something of this magnitude occurs, it is only natural to discuss the ramifications for the rest of the league, and the sporting world in general. In this case, the Q sent a message to the hockey world that bullying is permitted in their game.
Second, a huge thumbs-up to Raptors point guard Jose Calderon. In a sporting world filled with narcissistic, selfish dolts, Calderon is a breath of fresh air. Before Wednesday's game against the Pistons, Calderon suggested to his coach, Sam Mitchell, that T.J. Ford take his place in the starting line-up. Calderon said it was the best move for the team, and he was dead-on. Toronto beat the far superior Pistons by 7. If more players acted like Jose, sports fans would be far less cynical.
Third, on the same topic, Calderon makes less than one million dollars this season, and is up for free agency. If Bryan Colangelo and his team don't resign the guard, the fallout will be epic for years to come.
Fourth, it has finally come to a head for the Leafs. Last night, Toronto lost 4-2 to the Bruins, taking any remote chance of playoff hockey away from the Buds. The best thing the Leafs can do for the rest of the season is to start Andrew Raycroft in net, so one of two things can happen: either lose more to get a better draft spot, or show him off as trade bait this summer. Either way, Vesa Toskala deserves a break after 26 straight starts for the blue and white.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Definition Of Insanity
It was reported today in The Globe and Mail that plans are in the works to bring a CFL franchise back to the nation's capital by the 2010 season.
For a league presumably concerned with its long-term survival with the likely arrival of the big, bad NFL soon, expansion seems like the last good option for Canada's football league, and expansion to Ottawa, a city where football failed twice before, appears to be an idea conceived out of idiocy.
Albert Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The CFL's decision to move back to Ottawa after 2 failed attempts fits the category.
For a league presumably concerned with its long-term survival with the likely arrival of the big, bad NFL soon, expansion seems like the last good option for Canada's football league, and expansion to Ottawa, a city where football failed twice before, appears to be an idea conceived out of idiocy.
Albert Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The CFL's decision to move back to Ottawa after 2 failed attempts fits the category.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
For Once, Toronto's Division Pays Dividends
For years, baseball fans in the GTA have gripped that the Blue Jays' fortunes were hampered by playing in the same division as the high spending Yankees and Red Sox.
Arguments against that aside (hello, remember 1992 and 1993?), Toronto sports fans get it both ways, as the Raptors are currently enjoying being 5th in the NBA's Eastern Conference, one and a half games back of home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
A quick look at the standings, though, reveals that if the Raps were in the Jays' boat, and in the tougher conference, Toronto's basketball team wouldn't even make the playoffs; in fact, they would be about 5 games out of the last playoff spot.
The reason, of course, is that the NBA's Western Conference dominates the East like the Maple Leafs dominate... well, bad example. The point is, when the 8th best in the West would be 3rd in the East, something needs to be done to level the playing field.
(Insert ironic Tim Donaghy joke here)
The purpose of the post-season should be to determine the champion, and that cannot be done if the best teams don't make the playoffs because of their particular division or conference.
So, how would it look?
Here, if the season ended today and the top 16 teams made the playoffs, is how it would look:
(1) Boston v (16) Washington
(2) Detroit v (15) Portland
(3) L.A. Lakers v (14) Toronto
(4) San Antonio v (13) Cleveland
(5) Houston v (12) Denver
(6) New Orleans v (11) Orlando
(7) Utah v (10) Golden State
(8) Phoenix v (9) Dallas
Under this format, only 1 sub-.500 team makes the playoffs, and that's only because, currently, there are only 15 teams above .500.
Are there problems? Of course. A Lakers/Raptors series would be logistically troubling, as would Pistons/Blazers. But we make accomodations for TV, why not for travel? Give the bi-coastal series an extra day off and call it even.
In the end, playoff ball would be improved because the best teams get in, and isn't that the point of all this? Oh, and keeping pathetic teams like Atlanta and New Jersey out of the post-season dance.
Arguments against that aside (hello, remember 1992 and 1993?), Toronto sports fans get it both ways, as the Raptors are currently enjoying being 5th in the NBA's Eastern Conference, one and a half games back of home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
A quick look at the standings, though, reveals that if the Raps were in the Jays' boat, and in the tougher conference, Toronto's basketball team wouldn't even make the playoffs; in fact, they would be about 5 games out of the last playoff spot.
The reason, of course, is that the NBA's Western Conference dominates the East like the Maple Leafs dominate... well, bad example. The point is, when the 8th best in the West would be 3rd in the East, something needs to be done to level the playing field.
(Insert ironic Tim Donaghy joke here)
The purpose of the post-season should be to determine the champion, and that cannot be done if the best teams don't make the playoffs because of their particular division or conference.
So, how would it look?
Here, if the season ended today and the top 16 teams made the playoffs, is how it would look:
(1) Boston v (16) Washington
(2) Detroit v (15) Portland
(3) L.A. Lakers v (14) Toronto
(4) San Antonio v (13) Cleveland
(5) Houston v (12) Denver
(6) New Orleans v (11) Orlando
(7) Utah v (10) Golden State
(8) Phoenix v (9) Dallas
Under this format, only 1 sub-.500 team makes the playoffs, and that's only because, currently, there are only 15 teams above .500.
Are there problems? Of course. A Lakers/Raptors series would be logistically troubling, as would Pistons/Blazers. But we make accomodations for TV, why not for travel? Give the bi-coastal series an extra day off and call it even.
In the end, playoff ball would be improved because the best teams get in, and isn't that the point of all this? Oh, and keeping pathetic teams like Atlanta and New Jersey out of the post-season dance.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Trade Deadline Was Anything But
So now that we are a day removed from the NHL's trade deadline, or, as Tony Kornheiser put it, "a national holiday in Canada", we can objectively look back at what was, in the end, an eventful day for the league.
The Pens acquisition of Marion Hossa from the Thrashers surprised many, as the consensus seemed to be that Montreal or Ottawa were the frontrunners for the sniper's services. But with the addition of Hossa and Hal Gill to the line-up, Pittsburgh is loading up for a championship run this year, which makes sense in the wide open Eastern Conference. I only hope for their sake that trading away such great young talent as Colby Armstrong and Angelo Esposito doesn't come back to bite them.
Staying in the East, Washington seems to be priming themselves for a playoff push, likely followed by a first-round loss. The Caps picked up Cristobel Huet from Montreal for a 2nd round pick, and took Matt Cooke off the hands of the Canucks. Will either of these moves make the Capitals a contender? No. Will the addition of old man Sergei Federov from Columbus? No. But it will be fun to watch, and I for one look forward to seeing both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the post-season.
In the West, Dallas and my beloved Sharks made big splashes by getting Brad Richards and Brian Campbell, respectively. However, in the deep and talented Western Conference, those moves may end up being moot. Anaheim seems poised for another Cup run, and Detroit is always strong, their recent struggles notwithstanding.
One more point on the deadline; there are a lot of people out there who blame Mats Sundin for not waiving his no-trade clause. Two things to keep in mind: first, he's not the only one, as Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Darcy Tucker, and Pavel Kubina all did the same thing (thankfully, as Kubina was set to go to San Jose on Monday, and, if that happened, no Brian Campbell for my boys.) Second, someone who has dedicated 13 years of his life to one organization, and more importantly, one city, deserves the right to say, "I want to stay." Any Leaf fan that chooses to jeer their captain for exercising his contractual right and stay in the city he loves should be ashamed of himself. Sundin is the best Leaf of the last 10 years, and one of the best ever, and Toronto sports fans should be honoured to have him play in blue and white, not fretting over the loss of 2 top prospects and a first round pick.
The Pens acquisition of Marion Hossa from the Thrashers surprised many, as the consensus seemed to be that Montreal or Ottawa were the frontrunners for the sniper's services. But with the addition of Hossa and Hal Gill to the line-up, Pittsburgh is loading up for a championship run this year, which makes sense in the wide open Eastern Conference. I only hope for their sake that trading away such great young talent as Colby Armstrong and Angelo Esposito doesn't come back to bite them.
Staying in the East, Washington seems to be priming themselves for a playoff push, likely followed by a first-round loss. The Caps picked up Cristobel Huet from Montreal for a 2nd round pick, and took Matt Cooke off the hands of the Canucks. Will either of these moves make the Capitals a contender? No. Will the addition of old man Sergei Federov from Columbus? No. But it will be fun to watch, and I for one look forward to seeing both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the post-season.
In the West, Dallas and my beloved Sharks made big splashes by getting Brad Richards and Brian Campbell, respectively. However, in the deep and talented Western Conference, those moves may end up being moot. Anaheim seems poised for another Cup run, and Detroit is always strong, their recent struggles notwithstanding.
One more point on the deadline; there are a lot of people out there who blame Mats Sundin for not waiving his no-trade clause. Two things to keep in mind: first, he's not the only one, as Bryan McCabe, Tomas Kaberle, Darcy Tucker, and Pavel Kubina all did the same thing (thankfully, as Kubina was set to go to San Jose on Monday, and, if that happened, no Brian Campbell for my boys.) Second, someone who has dedicated 13 years of his life to one organization, and more importantly, one city, deserves the right to say, "I want to stay." Any Leaf fan that chooses to jeer their captain for exercising his contractual right and stay in the city he loves should be ashamed of himself. Sundin is the best Leaf of the last 10 years, and one of the best ever, and Toronto sports fans should be honoured to have him play in blue and white, not fretting over the loss of 2 top prospects and a first round pick.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The New Liar's Club
A day after Roger Clemens and Brian MacNamee testified before Congress regarding the former's alleged steroid and HGH use, we are no closer to understanding anything about the situation at hand.
It appeared from the testimony that neither Clemens nor MacNamee has any credibility left; both were shown to be liars, or, at least, very sketchy in their recollections of the events in question.
Skipping the argument that such discussions should or should not take place under oath in front of Congress (they shouldn't), the fact remains that players such as Clemens and Barry Bonds are but two of dozens of baseball players who have taken performance-enhancing drugs.
All of this talk about baseball, by the way, takes away from the fact that football, basketball, hockey, track and field, and cyclists either are or likely are taking some sort of booster that is against the law.
It's all a matter of degrees, and the consensus seems to be that Roger Clemens taking legal drugs to boost his health to pitch are fine, and him taking illegal drugs to do the same thing is a crime beyond words.
I am not a part of this consensus.
You can say all you want about "protecting the kids", but if there are kids who decide that taking drugs like these to enhance their performance, then blame their parents, not Clemens and Bonds.
It still remains that baseball completely ignored drug use in the past 10-15 years, and they are now paying the price. Getting shady trainers to testify against superstars is not going to solve the problem, either for Congress or for baseball.
To me, there is one simple solution: acknowledge that the league screwed up, and move on. Banning players like Clemens and Bonds from the Hall of Fame ignores the accomplishments they achieved before their alleged steroid use, and the league would be better off if they admitted cupability in this mess, and led the charge from here on in to a clean sport.
Will this happen? It's about as likely as Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose getting into the Hall. But, here's hoping.
It appeared from the testimony that neither Clemens nor MacNamee has any credibility left; both were shown to be liars, or, at least, very sketchy in their recollections of the events in question.
Skipping the argument that such discussions should or should not take place under oath in front of Congress (they shouldn't), the fact remains that players such as Clemens and Barry Bonds are but two of dozens of baseball players who have taken performance-enhancing drugs.
All of this talk about baseball, by the way, takes away from the fact that football, basketball, hockey, track and field, and cyclists either are or likely are taking some sort of booster that is against the law.
It's all a matter of degrees, and the consensus seems to be that Roger Clemens taking legal drugs to boost his health to pitch are fine, and him taking illegal drugs to do the same thing is a crime beyond words.
I am not a part of this consensus.
You can say all you want about "protecting the kids", but if there are kids who decide that taking drugs like these to enhance their performance, then blame their parents, not Clemens and Bonds.
It still remains that baseball completely ignored drug use in the past 10-15 years, and they are now paying the price. Getting shady trainers to testify against superstars is not going to solve the problem, either for Congress or for baseball.
To me, there is one simple solution: acknowledge that the league screwed up, and move on. Banning players like Clemens and Bonds from the Hall of Fame ignores the accomplishments they achieved before their alleged steroid use, and the league would be better off if they admitted cupability in this mess, and led the charge from here on in to a clean sport.
Will this happen? It's about as likely as Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose getting into the Hall. But, here's hoping.
Monday, February 4, 2008
I've Never Been So Happy To Be Wrong
24 hours after the upset to end all upsets, it still seems hard to believe: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14. 18-0, and then...18-1.
There were, of course, many factors that gave the Giants the win: excellent pass rush, timely catches, a consistent running game, and so on, but to me, the greatest factor in the upset was the Patriots' inability to control the ball offensively. All year, Tom Brady and company were able to beat their opponents any way possible; short passes, long passes, play action, and, towards the end of the season, running the ball. On Super Sunday, Laurence Maroney was non-existent, and the Giants defense shut down everyone on the Pats' receiving corps not named Wes Welker, who, if the Pats won, would certainly have received the MVP award.
One more point on the game: I didn't have the cahones to pick the Giants, even though I wanted to. All credit to Mike Ditka, who was the only member of ESPN's countdown show to pick New York, and, of course, John Smylie, who was even really close on the final score.
Now, to copy one of my favourite writers, Chris Zelkovich, here's my Good, Bad, and the Ugly from the coverage of Super Bowl XLII:
The Good:
- Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the Fox commentators for the game, didn't mention the Pats pursuit of perfection until about the 5 minute mark in the 4th quarter. They left the empty rhetoric to the 4 hour pregame show and focused on the game itself. Great job.
- All the postgame coverage on both Fox and NFL network focused on the Giants' win, instead of the easier trap of directing their attention to the Pats' collapse. The game belongs to the winners, and the interviews should also.
- Curt Menefee, the host of Fox's pregame show, questioned Jimmy Johnson's opinion of Bill Belichick's tactics during the season, asking if the praise of Belichick was because of the friendship between the coaches. It's not often that a host will openly question the integrity of an expert on his panel. Good work.
The Bad:
- There were two significant issues with the clock in the first half, but only one of them was from the game itself. On the Giants' opening drive, 2 minutes were suddenly taken off the clock after the commercial break. Was there a time warp or something?
- In the postgame scrum, Marshall Faulk of NFL network told Giants coach Tom Coughlin that he liked Coughlin's term of "green zone". As Faulk said it, Deion Sanders beside him rolled his eyes so far back, he could have seen the inside of his skull. Wouldn't PrimeTime realize he's on camera there?
The Ugly:
- Okay, CTV, I get it, Dexter and Jericho are debuting this month. The 20-odd commercials for each only makes me want to watch it less. Next year, mix up the ads; your viewers aren't going anywhere.
- When Bill Belichick walked off the field with 1 second left in the game, not only did Chris Myers and the rest of the reporters covering Belichick's press conference ignore the issue, no one talked about it afterwards, either last night or today. When Randy Moss walked off in Minnesota, he was villified. What Belichick did was worse, since he's in charge of his team. It was a classless move by a classless man, and the media completely ignored it.
There were, of course, many factors that gave the Giants the win: excellent pass rush, timely catches, a consistent running game, and so on, but to me, the greatest factor in the upset was the Patriots' inability to control the ball offensively. All year, Tom Brady and company were able to beat their opponents any way possible; short passes, long passes, play action, and, towards the end of the season, running the ball. On Super Sunday, Laurence Maroney was non-existent, and the Giants defense shut down everyone on the Pats' receiving corps not named Wes Welker, who, if the Pats won, would certainly have received the MVP award.
One more point on the game: I didn't have the cahones to pick the Giants, even though I wanted to. All credit to Mike Ditka, who was the only member of ESPN's countdown show to pick New York, and, of course, John Smylie, who was even really close on the final score.
Now, to copy one of my favourite writers, Chris Zelkovich, here's my Good, Bad, and the Ugly from the coverage of Super Bowl XLII:
The Good:
- Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, the Fox commentators for the game, didn't mention the Pats pursuit of perfection until about the 5 minute mark in the 4th quarter. They left the empty rhetoric to the 4 hour pregame show and focused on the game itself. Great job.
- All the postgame coverage on both Fox and NFL network focused on the Giants' win, instead of the easier trap of directing their attention to the Pats' collapse. The game belongs to the winners, and the interviews should also.
- Curt Menefee, the host of Fox's pregame show, questioned Jimmy Johnson's opinion of Bill Belichick's tactics during the season, asking if the praise of Belichick was because of the friendship between the coaches. It's not often that a host will openly question the integrity of an expert on his panel. Good work.
The Bad:
- There were two significant issues with the clock in the first half, but only one of them was from the game itself. On the Giants' opening drive, 2 minutes were suddenly taken off the clock after the commercial break. Was there a time warp or something?
- In the postgame scrum, Marshall Faulk of NFL network told Giants coach Tom Coughlin that he liked Coughlin's term of "green zone". As Faulk said it, Deion Sanders beside him rolled his eyes so far back, he could have seen the inside of his skull. Wouldn't PrimeTime realize he's on camera there?
The Ugly:
- Okay, CTV, I get it, Dexter and Jericho are debuting this month. The 20-odd commercials for each only makes me want to watch it less. Next year, mix up the ads; your viewers aren't going anywhere.
- When Bill Belichick walked off the field with 1 second left in the game, not only did Chris Myers and the rest of the reporters covering Belichick's press conference ignore the issue, no one talked about it afterwards, either last night or today. When Randy Moss walked off in Minnesota, he was villified. What Belichick did was worse, since he's in charge of his team. It was a classless move by a classless man, and the media completely ignored it.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Super Bowl Pick - By Popular Demand
Since I'm being bullied into revealing my Super Bowl pick, here it is, because, well, I'm just that spineless.
Giants v Patriots: All the talk this week has been about Tom Brady's ankle, which is precisely why we need to eliminate the bye week in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. Nothing pisses the sports media off more than not talking football after doing nothing but for the last few months, so non-stories like the Brady ankle become Watergate-ish in their perceived importance.
But I digress...
The easy thing to do here is look back at the Giants-Pats game at the Meadowlands last month and assume it'll be a similar game; after all, neither team has changed that much since that fantastic game on the last Saturday in December, and, of course, neither team has lost since then.
On the Giants side, Eli Manning and the New York offense are moving the ball extremely well, and balancing the run and pass well. The defence is solid, and any team with a former Ottawa Renegades kicker can't be all bad. (Wait, maybe it can...)
For New England, any so-called adversity the Pats have had to face this year has been met with a punch in the face and a quick count from the ref. No team, especially the Giants, can match the Pats on either side of the ball, and no one does better with 2 weeks to plan for an opponent than Darth Belichick.
Also, let's remember that this version of the Patriots is 3-0 in the Super Bowl and 18-0 this year, while the big stage is new for most of the Giants' roster.
I think New England will start out strong, say 10 or 14-0, but New York will stay in the game until the end. Unfortunately, the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl and go 19-0 this season.
But rest assured I will be cheering for the Giants.
New England 37, New York 31.
Record: 7-3
Giants v Patriots: All the talk this week has been about Tom Brady's ankle, which is precisely why we need to eliminate the bye week in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. Nothing pisses the sports media off more than not talking football after doing nothing but for the last few months, so non-stories like the Brady ankle become Watergate-ish in their perceived importance.
But I digress...
The easy thing to do here is look back at the Giants-Pats game at the Meadowlands last month and assume it'll be a similar game; after all, neither team has changed that much since that fantastic game on the last Saturday in December, and, of course, neither team has lost since then.
On the Giants side, Eli Manning and the New York offense are moving the ball extremely well, and balancing the run and pass well. The defence is solid, and any team with a former Ottawa Renegades kicker can't be all bad. (Wait, maybe it can...)
For New England, any so-called adversity the Pats have had to face this year has been met with a punch in the face and a quick count from the ref. No team, especially the Giants, can match the Pats on either side of the ball, and no one does better with 2 weeks to plan for an opponent than Darth Belichick.
Also, let's remember that this version of the Patriots is 3-0 in the Super Bowl and 18-0 this year, while the big stage is new for most of the Giants' roster.
I think New England will start out strong, say 10 or 14-0, but New York will stay in the game until the end. Unfortunately, the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl and go 19-0 this season.
But rest assured I will be cheering for the Giants.
New England 37, New York 31.
Record: 7-3
Monday, January 21, 2008
Giants-Patriots Game Best Possible Outcome
So, here we are, 32 teams and five months later, and New England and New York are meeting for the Super Bowl in two weeks. The consensus from the series of tubes (read: Internet) is that a Packers-Pats match-up was the best way to go from the four possible outcomes.
Apparently, a Brett Favre-Tom Brady match-up, plus the slim possibility of the ageless one knocking out the undefeated Pats and marching off into the sunset was a storyline few could pass up. But the Pack proved yesterday that they would be no match for New England if they had pulled out the win.
A Giants-Pats game for the league championship is the best game of the four available, for one simple reason: their game in week 17 was the Pats' (second) closest game of the year, and the Giants are on a roll unmatched by any team not from New England. New York goes in as a 14-point underdog, and I'm sure that's just how they like it; no one giving them a chance to win.
But, in the end, the game will be a close one, and likely one of the more entertaining games in the past 10 years. It would not surprise me if the Giants pull off the upset to end all upsets.
But only time will tell. My pick for the game comes next week.
Apparently, a Brett Favre-Tom Brady match-up, plus the slim possibility of the ageless one knocking out the undefeated Pats and marching off into the sunset was a storyline few could pass up. But the Pack proved yesterday that they would be no match for New England if they had pulled out the win.
A Giants-Pats game for the league championship is the best game of the four available, for one simple reason: their game in week 17 was the Pats' (second) closest game of the year, and the Giants are on a roll unmatched by any team not from New England. New York goes in as a 14-point underdog, and I'm sure that's just how they like it; no one giving them a chance to win.
But, in the end, the game will be a close one, and likely one of the more entertaining games in the past 10 years. It would not surprise me if the Giants pull off the upset to end all upsets.
But only time will tell. My pick for the game comes next week.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Conference Championship Sunday
Well, the time is finally here, the "Final Four" of the NFL playoffs. Like most people, I was looking forward to a Pats-Colts AFC final rematch, but I suppose the Chargers will have to do. It's not like anyone can stop the Cheaters this year anyway. In the NFC (read: loser conference) the upstart Packers (with their barely upright QB) host the surprising Giants in a battle of "really? those two teams? Okay.) Oh, well. On with the picks.
Chargers @ Patriots: The Chargers would need the miracle of miracles to beat the Pats in New England, and that's with Rivers, Tomlinson, and Gates healthy. But they aren't, so this one should be over early. New England 34, San Diego 17.
Giants @ Packers: Everyone seems to be salivating at the prospect of a Brady v Favre Super Bowl, but the Giants have won 9 straight road games, and seem to do everything right, at least in the last half of the season. This one will be close. New York 19, Green Bay 17.
Record: 5-3
Chargers @ Patriots: The Chargers would need the miracle of miracles to beat the Pats in New England, and that's with Rivers, Tomlinson, and Gates healthy. But they aren't, so this one should be over early. New England 34, San Diego 17.
Giants @ Packers: Everyone seems to be salivating at the prospect of a Brady v Favre Super Bowl, but the Giants have won 9 straight road games, and seem to do everything right, at least in the last half of the season. This one will be close. New York 19, Green Bay 17.
Record: 5-3
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Come On!!
The one thing I've learned watching the NFL playoffs for the last 15 years or so is on divisional weekend, the home teams never sweep. There is always at least one team from the wild card round that takes out a team that had a week off to prepare. After the Seahawks got trounced in snowy Green Bay (hello, stop the run Seattle!) and the Jaguars fell short to New England (unfortunately) I said to some of my colleagues at work today that San Diego or New York would win.
But I never thought both Indianapolis and Dallas would fall today.
In the bits of the games that I saw (the blessing and curse of working in an area with dozens of televisions), I noticed that the Colts had several chances to win the game, but a lack of execution from the Indianapolis receiving corps cost them their season. And in Dallas, I managed to get home to see the last 21 seconds of the game, only to see Romo and the 'Boys get stuffed on 2nd and 3rd down, followed by an end zone interception on 4th down.
The moral? Always take at least one road team on divisional weekend. And don't trust my Super Bowl picks.
The other thing we learned today? New England cannot be stopped now. And that's depressing.
But I never thought both Indianapolis and Dallas would fall today.
In the bits of the games that I saw (the blessing and curse of working in an area with dozens of televisions), I noticed that the Colts had several chances to win the game, but a lack of execution from the Indianapolis receiving corps cost them their season. And in Dallas, I managed to get home to see the last 21 seconds of the game, only to see Romo and the 'Boys get stuffed on 2nd and 3rd down, followed by an end zone interception on 4th down.
The moral? Always take at least one road team on divisional weekend. And don't trust my Super Bowl picks.
The other thing we learned today? New England cannot be stopped now. And that's depressing.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A Perfect Start, Except I Didn't Cheat
Okay, 4-0 in the wild-card round, so I'm feeling pretty good. Here goes nothing...
Seahawks @ Packers: Everyone remembers their last playoff meeting, coincidentally enough the last time Favre and the Pack won a playoff game. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck said, after winning the overtime coin toss, "we want the ball, and we're going to score." Of course, Hasselbeck threw a pick to Al Harris, who ran it back for the winning touchdown.
I'm not sold on the Pack this year, as they had a relatively easy schedule. Seattle looked good in the 4th quarter last week, but they still weren't great. This one will be close, but the Seahawks pull it out; I see Favre throwing a pick in the 4th to seal it for Seattle. Seattle 24, Green Bay 20.
Jaguars @ Patriots: I want so badly to pick the Jaguars. Going into the playoffs, they were the "team that no one wanted to play." But you can't blow an 18 point lead in Pittsburgh, barely squeak out a win, and expect to beat the Pats in Foxboro.
It pains me to type this. New England 34, Jacksonville 21.
Chargers @ Colts: You know, every time I read about Pro Bowl picks, All-Pro picks, MVP votes, I kept wondering: Isn't Peyton Manning still the reigning Super Bowl MVP and one of the best quarterbacks ever? Aren't the Colts the second-best team in the NFL this year? They prove it on Sunday. Indianapolis 35, San Diego 20.
Giants @ Cowboys: First things first, the "Jessica" factor is non-existent; the hot blond who can't sing (I know, I know, which one?) won't be at the game, so Tony Romo has no excuse if he fumbles the snap on the potential game-winning kick. Dallas hasn't played well since the Packers game, but it counts now. T.O. should play, and Eli's coming off two strong games in a row. He hasn't had 3 good games in a row yet. Dallas 31, New York 21.
There you go, Seattle @ Dallas and Indy @ NE. Here's hoping.
Seahawks @ Packers: Everyone remembers their last playoff meeting, coincidentally enough the last time Favre and the Pack won a playoff game. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck said, after winning the overtime coin toss, "we want the ball, and we're going to score." Of course, Hasselbeck threw a pick to Al Harris, who ran it back for the winning touchdown.
I'm not sold on the Pack this year, as they had a relatively easy schedule. Seattle looked good in the 4th quarter last week, but they still weren't great. This one will be close, but the Seahawks pull it out; I see Favre throwing a pick in the 4th to seal it for Seattle. Seattle 24, Green Bay 20.
Jaguars @ Patriots: I want so badly to pick the Jaguars. Going into the playoffs, they were the "team that no one wanted to play." But you can't blow an 18 point lead in Pittsburgh, barely squeak out a win, and expect to beat the Pats in Foxboro.
It pains me to type this. New England 34, Jacksonville 21.
Chargers @ Colts: You know, every time I read about Pro Bowl picks, All-Pro picks, MVP votes, I kept wondering: Isn't Peyton Manning still the reigning Super Bowl MVP and one of the best quarterbacks ever? Aren't the Colts the second-best team in the NFL this year? They prove it on Sunday. Indianapolis 35, San Diego 20.
Giants @ Cowboys: First things first, the "Jessica" factor is non-existent; the hot blond who can't sing (I know, I know, which one?) won't be at the game, so Tony Romo has no excuse if he fumbles the snap on the potential game-winning kick. Dallas hasn't played well since the Packers game, but it counts now. T.O. should play, and Eli's coming off two strong games in a row. He hasn't had 3 good games in a row yet. Dallas 31, New York 21.
There you go, Seattle @ Dallas and Indy @ NE. Here's hoping.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The NHL's Backyard Rink
On New Year's Day, the NHL held its second regular season game outdoors, but the first to be played in the U.S., and the first to be broadcast nationally south of the border. In a dull game, Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 2-1 in a shootout, with wunderkid Sidney Crosby scoring the winning goal.
Frequent stoppages for snow removal aside, the game was a resounding success, as over 70,000 people braved the elements at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and NBC enjoyed their highest hockey ratings by a country mile.
There is, of course, talk now about making this an annual event, because if it worked once and everyone watched, why wouldn't it work again? And again... and again...
The problem here is that repeating a regular season game outdoors once a year, or even once every two years, has the very real potential of becoming stagnant and boring, something no league, or network, wants to have happen.
I think the outdoor game is a great idea, and the lack of offense aside, the Pens-Sabres game was immensely entertaining. But there is a better solution than merely playing a game for 2 points outdoors. (Oh wait, it's the NHL. 3 points.)
Why not have the All-Star Game played outdoors? The outdoor idea is still new enough to attract the casual or curious viewer, and showcasing the league's best talent in a game that ultimately means nothing will appease the GM's and coaches who fear the outdoor game may cost their team just enough points to miss the playoffs in the pathetic NHL.
Also, the game could be made into a real event, with the skills competition, oldtimers game, and rookie game also being played on the largest backyard rink. The players who have played in either Buffalo or Edmonton have already said they loved the game and are more than willing to do it again.
The league is calling in for a miracle, and the phone was answered with the results of the Winter Classic. Now the league needs the message to get through to the right people, and an outdoor All-Star Game should do that.
Frequent stoppages for snow removal aside, the game was a resounding success, as over 70,000 people braved the elements at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and NBC enjoyed their highest hockey ratings by a country mile.
There is, of course, talk now about making this an annual event, because if it worked once and everyone watched, why wouldn't it work again? And again... and again...
The problem here is that repeating a regular season game outdoors once a year, or even once every two years, has the very real potential of becoming stagnant and boring, something no league, or network, wants to have happen.
I think the outdoor game is a great idea, and the lack of offense aside, the Pens-Sabres game was immensely entertaining. But there is a better solution than merely playing a game for 2 points outdoors. (Oh wait, it's the NHL. 3 points.)
Why not have the All-Star Game played outdoors? The outdoor idea is still new enough to attract the casual or curious viewer, and showcasing the league's best talent in a game that ultimately means nothing will appease the GM's and coaches who fear the outdoor game may cost their team just enough points to miss the playoffs in the pathetic NHL.
Also, the game could be made into a real event, with the skills competition, oldtimers game, and rookie game also being played on the largest backyard rink. The players who have played in either Buffalo or Edmonton have already said they loved the game and are more than willing to do it again.
The league is calling in for a miracle, and the phone was answered with the results of the Winter Classic. Now the league needs the message to get through to the right people, and an outdoor All-Star Game should do that.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Wild Card Weekend
So, here we are, NFL playoff time. Looking back on my picks at the beginning of the season, I made some colossal mistakes, but I'm sticking with my pick of an Indianapolis/Dallas Super Bowl.
Anyway, the picks are back for the playoffs, but without the spreads:
Redskins @ Seahawks: It's hard to go against Washington right now; they've won 4 straight, and are clearly playing inspired football after the tragic death of safety Sean Taylor. But Seattle is the better team, and are even stronger at home. Seattle 27, Washington 14.
Jaguars @ Steelers: A month ago, everyone and their mother would have taken Pittsburgh as the team most likely to do damage in the playoffs, and possibly knock out the Patriots. But an injury to Willie Parker and a loss to both New England and Jacksonville later, and they're in trouble. Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 24.
Giants @ Bucs: Neither one of these teams seem to be consistent enough to move on past this weekend, but someone has to win. New York is a strong road team, and took New England to the brink last week. New York 21, Tampa Bay 13.
Titans @ Chargers: Their last meeting went to overtime, but San Diego is better than they were then, and the Titans' Vince Young is playing hurt. San Diego 24, Tennessee 10.
Anyway, the picks are back for the playoffs, but without the spreads:
Redskins @ Seahawks: It's hard to go against Washington right now; they've won 4 straight, and are clearly playing inspired football after the tragic death of safety Sean Taylor. But Seattle is the better team, and are even stronger at home. Seattle 27, Washington 14.
Jaguars @ Steelers: A month ago, everyone and their mother would have taken Pittsburgh as the team most likely to do damage in the playoffs, and possibly knock out the Patriots. But an injury to Willie Parker and a loss to both New England and Jacksonville later, and they're in trouble. Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 24.
Giants @ Bucs: Neither one of these teams seem to be consistent enough to move on past this weekend, but someone has to win. New York is a strong road team, and took New England to the brink last week. New York 21, Tampa Bay 13.
Titans @ Chargers: Their last meeting went to overtime, but San Diego is better than they were then, and the Titans' Vince Young is playing hurt. San Diego 24, Tennessee 10.
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