Glendale, AZ: Bad Stadium Name Capital of the US

I just want to congratulate the city of Glendale for officially becoming the capital of the worst stadium names in the United States. Who would have thought that after naming the luxurious new Cardinals Stadium the "University of Phoenix Stadium," the city could top their own mistake and sell the naming rights of the Phoenix Coyotes stadium to Jobing.com.

Next time you are out in Glendale, be sure to stop by the "Jobing.com Arena." The two worst stadium names in America, only 100 yards away from each other. But hey, at least Phoenix's sports teams are getting publicity for something other than losing.

For All of the Haters

For everyone that was doubting me 2 months ago when I said the Sabres would win the cup, I hope you have been watching the first 10 games of the season.

Early NHL 2006-2007 Predictions, Part 3: The Playoffs

It seems my picks in these early predictions are really making some people mad, and I like it, it makes for good arguments. So, without further ado, it's time to spark some more arguments by making my Stanley Cup playoff predictions.

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

Stanley Cup Finals

defeats

Early NHL 2006-2007 Predictions, Part 2: Eastern Conference

Although I have been told it might be a little early to predict the NHL season, I will continue anyway to make my predictions for the upcoming 2006-2007 NHL season, today highlighting the Eastern Conference.

Atlantic Division

1) New Jersey Devils

2) Philadelphia Flyers

3) New York Rangers

4) New York Islanders

5) Pittsburgh Penguins

Probably the craziest finish in the NHL last season, with the New York Rangers holding the division title until the very last games of the season, and then seeing it drift away as the Devils won 10 straight to finish the season one point better. The Devils are the Eastern Conference since 1995. I don't know how to put that any other way. Three cups, 4 trips to the finals, and 6 division championships in the last 10 years, they have been the most consistently dominate team in the division and the conference, and will continue to be the divisions powerhouse. I think the Flyers will take second by more than one point, having dropped Donald Brashear, who isn't needed as much in the new NHL, and having a healthy Peter Forsberg(at least he is healthy right now, and expected to be ready for the first game of the season). The Rangers will come in a close third, and then the Islanders in 4th, as the Penguins haven't made a huge improvement from their awful season last year.

Northeast Division

1) Buffalo Sabres

2) Ottawa Senators

3) Montreal Canadiens

4) Toronto Maple Leafs

5) Boston Bruins

Buffalo was one game - one period - away from the Stanley Cup Finals, where they would have done the same thing Carolina did to Edmonton. Beat them. The Sabres are returning almost all of their line-up from last season, and the good thing for them is, they had one of the lowest payrolls in the league last year, meaning they can give huge pay-raises to their deserving stars, and still be well under the cap. Ottawa should be able to compete, not as well as last year, but still make the playoffs easily. Toronto and Montreal were neck-and-neck until the end of the season, I see that happening once again, but Montreal coming out on top again. Sorry Boston, I think it'll be the cellar for you again.

Southeast Division

1) Carolina Hurricanes

2) Tampa Bay Lightning

3) Florida Panthers

4) Atlanta Thrashers

5) Washington Capitals

The defending champions will outright dominate this division again. It's not the strongest division in the NHL, and the Hurricanes are too good for the other four teams. However, as weak of a division that it may be, you still have to remember that the division is home to the last two Stanley Cup champs. Even though it seems like Tampa Bay's victory was long ago, they were actually the reining Stanley Cup champions until a month ago. They made a good acquisition in goaltender Marc Denis, and have Brad Richards, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis all locked up, which should lead them into the playoffs once again. The Panthers were edged out by Atlanta last season, I think it'll switch up this season, and the Capitals are making stupid moves signing enforcers like Donald Brashear in a league that is now dominated by speed and goal scoring. They are living in the past, and that will keep them at the bottom

Playoff Seeds

1) Buffalo Sabres

2) Carolina Hurricanes

3) New Jersey Devils

4) Ottawa Senators

5) Philadelphia Flyers

6) Montreal Canadiens

7) Tampa Bay Lightning

8) New York Rangers

Early NHL 2006-2007 Predictions, Part 1: Western Conference

Free agency began a few weeks ago, and almost instantly most big name players got snatched-up. Rob Blake, Jeremy Roenick, Alex Tanguay, Bill Guerin, Doug Weight and Jason Arnott are some of the stars that were on the move early on, and for the most part, all the dealing is complete. Unless a blockbuster trade comes out of no where (which is unlikely, now that the king of all blockbusters, Pierre Lacroix is gone), what you see today will basically be the roster for your team come October. With that being said, it's time to make my predictions for the upcoming 2006-2007 NHL season, starting today with the Western Conference.

Central Division

1) St. Louis Blues

2) Nashville Predators

3) Detroit Red Wings

4) Columbus Blue Jackets

5) Chicago Blackhawks

Ok, ok, ok, let’s hear it... Get it out now... "Detroit won the Presidents trophy last year, they are going to win it again, they are so good, blah, blah, blah." I've explained that a million times, explained how they would lose in the first round, no one believed me then, and I was correct, so go ahead and think what you want now. Detroit isn't that good. The only reason they had so many points was because their division sucked last year, like I've explained. It won't suck as bad this year. They won't pick up an automatic 16 points from St. Louis like last year. They won't pick up an automatic 16 points from Chicago like last year. They won't even pick up an automatic 16 points from Columbus. That's 48 points right there that they won't automatically get next year. Take away all those points they won from awful teams (that aren't awful anymore), and you have an average team that finishes in the middle of the division. St. Louis picked up a few names like Bill Guerin, Dan Hinote, and Doug Weight, and Detroit lost a few names like Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman. I think that is enough said right there. Nashville picked up Arnott, and combined with Kariya that will be enough to sneak them into the 2nd seed. Both Columbus and Chicago have a few good names, on paper, too bad they can't get it together over there in the Midwest.

Northwest Division

1) Calgary Flames

2) Edmonton Oilers

3) Colorado Avalanche

4) Vancouver Canucks

5) Minnesota Wild

It's always a dog-fight until the very end, and (last year) all 5 teams were good enough to make the playoffs. The Calgary Flames are going to repeat as the division champions, and Minnesota will round it out at the bottom. Those are the only two I am comfortable placing solidly at a spot, after that, it's a little jumbled. The only reason I can't go ahead and throw the Avalanche into 4th place is because as many bad moves as they have made this off-season, the other two real contenders left in the division haven't done much better. Even after the Oilers cup run, Chris Pronger, Georges Laraque, and Jaroslav Spacek, three key names in last years playoffs, all booked it out of there like the city was burning. The same thing happened in Vancouver (is there something wrong with Canada?). Todd Bertuzzi and Ed Jovanovski were the big names that moved out, but Dan Cloutier, who was the starting goalie until he was injured, also decided to head south out of Canada. These three teams are going to be in a battle until the very end, Colorado always seems to find a way into the playoffs, and I don't think that streak is going to end, and Edmonton can still ride a little momentum throughout (at least part) of the season. Vancouver will have a new coach, and a new goalie (sure, he is supposed to be good, but look how far Florida went in the playoffs last year... 15 feet off their back porches to the golf course). Those two things will keep the Canucks near the bottom towards the end.

Pacific Division

1) Anaheim Ducks

2) San Jose Sharks

3) Dallas Stars

4) Phoenix Coyotes

5) Los Angeles Kings

This is going to be the hardest division to predict this season. All 5 teams have a legitimate chance at coming in first place, and all 5 have a good chance at coming in last. The Dallas Stars are almost always contenders, and the Ducks have risen to become a year-after-year threat. The Sharks are returning their key players Jonathan Cheechoo, and Joe Thornton, who just happened to be the league MVP and scoring champ last season. Phoenix has had a great off-season, picking up Jovanovski, Jeremy Roenick, and Georges Laraque to go along with their Captain Shane Doan and coach Wayne Gretzky. The Kings only big acquisition has been getting Rob Blake back in a purple uniform, and although it will help, it won't be enough to lift the Kings to the cup.

Playoff Seeds

1) Calgary Flames

2) St. Louis Blues

3) Anaheim Ducks

4) Nashville Predators

5) Edmonton Oilers

6) San Jose Sharks

7) Colorado Avalanche

8) Dallas Stars

Trade Tanguay, Don't Sign Blake... Next Move: Fire Giguere

Francois Giguere has been the Colorado Avalanche GM for less than 2 months, and he has already dismantled 8 years of former GM Pierre Lacroix's hard work. Alex Tanguay is gone, even after he expressed interest in returning to the Avs. Rob Blake is gone, even after he expressed interest in returning to the Avs. The same Rob Blake who led the Avs to a Cup in 2001. The same assistant captain Rob Blake who has been one of the only solid defensemen on the team since he was acquired in 2001. I'm guessing the next thing to come off the presses is that Dan Hinote is gone too.

What happened to the statement Giguere made a week ago about keeping the team together? The Avs were one of the most solid teams in the NHL last year. It's true they were swept by the Ducks in the second round, but that was after beating the second best team in the Conference in 5 games. In his statement, he said he would put the current Avs roster (the 2005-06 roster) up against any team, even the Carolina Hurricanes or Edmonton Oilers, and still expect to win. I guess he wasn't even planning on giving them a shot.

The Avs are in the toughest division in the NHL. Edmonton and Calgary both made the playoffs, and both were favored to win the cup all season long. Vancouver and Minnesota were in the playoff race until the very end. There was a time with less than 3 weeks left in the season when all 5 Northwest Division teams were set to be in the playoffs. How can the Avs expect to compete in the toughest division without their second-leading scorer, without their best defenseman, and if we lose Hinote, without one of the emotional leaders of the team.

The Avalanche have been one of the premiere teams in the NHL every year since they arrived in Denver. They have the best attendance record in the NHL year in and year out, one of the best records in the league every year, and haven't missed a single playoff since the moved. Most of this was due to the fact that Pierre Lacroix kept the team together, and made amazing acquisitions to further excite the fans. All Giguere has done is break down that work, and the way things are going, I won't be suprised if the Avalanche slowly slip to the bottom of the division, and lose some of the loyal fan base that's been around for the past 10 seasons.

Francois Giguere Has Got His "Priorities" a Little Mixed Up

"My priorities are to sign Joey and Blake. My intention after that is to get as many guys back as I can" -Francois Giguere

Oh really Giguere? Is that your intention? Well you are doing a pretty awful job at it so far. You come in here, take over for arguably the greatest GM of all time in Pierre Lacroix. Your first move is to sign Joe Sakaic, the best possible move, a nice ploy to get all the fans on your side. Then you go ahead and trade off Alex Tanguay. I thought your intention was to keep as many players as possible. Giving up our second-leading scorer is a pretty bad second move in that plan.

Then, you lolli-gag around for a week with no activity. Finally, some good news on the TV. The Avs have singed two more players. Could it be? Did the finally get Blake and Hinote? Nope, just Antti Laaksonen and Ossi Vaananen. It's ok, they are good players, and there are still 4 days until free agency. I know you said Blake was your priority, but you still have time.

3 days until free agency...

2 days until free agency...

1 day until free agency...

12 hours until free agency...

Yes! More news from the Avs camp. Blake has to be signed, I mean, it was your priority, and there are only 12 hours left!

"Avs resign Clark and Skrastins."

Either they made a pretty bad spelling error in the article, or you decided that Brett Clark was more important than Rob Blake.

Rob Blake has been one of the faces of this franchise for 6 years. He helped us win a cup. He has helped us in contention every year. He is a vetern. He has expressed to you he wants to stay in Colorado for less money than he makes now. What is the deal? Blake should have been the second player signed right after Sakic. There is not a single other player that should be signed until Rob Blake has his contract.

Giguere, buddy, you need to get your priorities straight real soon.

Giguère's Signing of Sakic Overshadowed by Tangauy Trade

A day after announcing that he wants to keep the same line-up as last season, Avs GM François Giguère made a move that already makes me miss Pierre Lacroix. With the trade of Alex Tanguay to division-rival Calgary, he just threw away one of the staples of the organization.

One year ago, the Colorado Avalanche were trying to figure out how to keep together one of the greatest line-ups (on paper) in the history of the game; Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Rob Blake, Milan Hejduk, Adam Foote, Teemu Selanne, and Paul Kariya were just a few names on that list. Yesterday, only three of those names were left.

Sakic, Hejduk, and Blake, along with Tanguay, are the faces of this organization. Sakic has been around since the beginning, Hejduk and Tanguay since they were drafted in the late 90's, and although Blake has only been around 5 years, he will be known forever as an Av, and his #4 will one day hang in the rafters.

The question last year was Forsberg, or Tanguay and Hejduk? In the end, Tanguay and Hejduk were seen more important to the organization than Peter Forsberg. "There was a possibility of offering more to Forsberg and parting with some of the younger players, like Tanguay and Hejduk, but I don't think the fans would have been proud of me for that," Lacroix said.

Kariya, Salanne, and Foote were gone already, and now Forsberg was gone because of Tanguay and Hejduk. This move made is seem like these two players were the future of the organization, which is (was) exactly what they are (were).

The new NHL is now made up of fast, good, young players. Tanguay is the trifecta. One of the teams leading scorers, and only 26 years old, Tanguay would have, and should have remained as one of the go-to guys of the organization.

Giguere re-signed Sakic, which was the priority, and also made it seem like Giguere was on the right track. This move not only makes me think twice about his power at GM, but also makes me shutter to think what else he might pull off in the future.

Responses to What Everyone Around Denver is Saying

I've seen many points on discussion boards, and talking to people around Denver, as to why the trade is good, but I don't agree with any of them:

1) "With a big time player such as Tanguay probably looking for a BIG contract (my guess is between 4.5 - 7.5 million), we probably wouldn't be able to sign the players we wanted while staying under the cap (i.e.: Blake, any big free agents, etc...)."

Joe Sakic, arguably one of the top 5 players in the league, and one of the top 20 all time, just signed a contract for $5 million. There is no way Tanguay would even try to get more money than that. Most players would give up money to play where they want for who they want. A great example is Paul Kariya and Teemu Salanne, who both signed for $1.5 million for a chance to play in Colorado. That was $8 million less (combined) than they would have made had they stayed with their respective teams.

2) "We had the 4th best offense in the NHL last year, and a terrible looking defense (especially for a team looking to be a playoff contender)."

Tanguay is a HUGE reason we had the 4th best offense. If you subtract Tanguay's statistics from the Avalanche last year, and add Leopold’s, the Avalanche would rank 15th, right in the middle of the pack. If one player makes that much of a difference, he should not be just tossed away (that's the way I see it).

3) "We opened up quite a bit more cap space, making it possible to sign Blake, 1 or 2 half-decent forwards (maybe better than Tanguay) for a cheap price, a high caliber defensemen."

We only opened up less than $2 million. Tanguay made $3.2 million last season, while Leopold mad $1.5 million. Blake won't make very much, if any, more than last season; in fact, a player like him might actually take LESS money (just like Sakic, who will make over $1 million less than last season). We could sign 2 or 3 players at the introductory salary, but in reality we will probably only be able to sign one other player for the $2 million saved on Tanguay. In addition, the cap is rising over $5 million next season. We could have kept Tanguay, and still had over $5 million to spend on new players.

4) "If we were to sign Tanguay and Blake, we would most likely see little changes for the Avs in 2006/07 season (mainly because we would be really tight to the cap)."

Again, we automatically get $5 million more because of the cap increase, plus the $1 million from Sakic. In addition, little changes isn't a bad thing. Giguere told the radio station in Denver that he would put up our team from last year against Edmonton or Carolina, and thinks they would be equals.

5)"We got two 2nd round picks in the deal."

Cool, so for giving up one of the best players on our team, we got two prospects whom may or may not pan out to be anything good. They will probably be traded off in the future anyway.

Where Did My Sports Go?

Today (Today Today), I consider myself (myself myself), the most bored man (man man), on the face of the Earth (Earth Earth).

The Miami Heat stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to win the NBA Championship last night. The Carolina Hurricanes have already had their victory parade for their Stanley Cup Championship. The Vince Lombardi trophy has been sitting in Pittsburgh for 5 months. And now, I am bored.

The slow-paced, tedious game of baseball is all I have in the sports world today. No bone crushing hits from a football or hockey game. No amazing MVP worthy throws by Brett Favre. No one-timer goals from the blue line by Rob Blake. No slams by LeBron or three’s by Nash. Nothing. All I have is nine long innings, three long hours of pitch after pitch after pitch, with an occasional home run or good catch thrown in every other game or so.

America’s pastime is becoming history. Sure, it’s a classic. Sure, the playoffs are fun. But what about the other 162 games that we have to sit through?

It’s a fast paced society we have today. We love the 97 yard runs, the 102 MPH slap-shots, and the 130-128 score games we see in today’s NBA. We are bored with 3-2 pitching duels. We are tired of steroid controversy. Why do you think that the average attendance at any Major League Baseball game is less than 65% capacity? At the Rockies/Athletics game last night, a bigger crowd was gathered inside watching the NBA Finals than there was 15 feet away watching the game that they paid to see.

What used to be the greatest sport in America is slowly fading away, becoming the black sheep of the American sports family. Summertime, the previous home to the most exciting, electifying competitions, is becoming a time for the fan to rest, to take a break from the sports world, to rest up for the next NFL, NBA, or NHL season. The game we used to love so much stopped loving us. It stopped giving us what we needed, and one-sided relationships never work out.

I'm sorry baseball, but football, hockey, and basketball are giving me what I need. Only 77 days until kickoff, and sadly, I think I can make it without you.

Give It Back to Maris

Steroids will forever be a blemish to today’s era of baseball. In the minds of many fans, Barry Bonds will always have an asterisk next to his name. Soon, with all the revelations about baseballs recent history coming out, Mark McGwire's 70 home runs, Sammy Sosa's 66 home runs; maybe even Ichiro's 262 hits will have an asterisk accompanying the record. There is no way to know which records were achieved fairly, and which ones were achieved through the means of cheating. Every record will have to be thoroughly reviewed.

Marc “The Mose” Moser, a radio personality at Denver’s AM 950 The Fan, wants to do something about it. He believes there is only one solution to the problem; Give It Back to Maris.

"This website is designed for the sole purpose of setting the Major League Baseball Single Season Home Run Record straight. With the acknowledgement of an era of baseball where the legitimacy of every record is in doubt, we believe there is only one solution to the ongoing steroid controversy and mistrust that not only surrounds the game but has created doubt in the game for the last 16 years. That solution is for Major League Baseball to GIVE IT BACK TO MARIS!

The 61 home runs that Roger Maris hit in 1961 were the benchmark that every major league slugger was shooting for 37 years. We contend that the passing of the Maris record by Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa in 1998 and the subsequent mark set by Barry Bonds in 2001 CAN’T BE TRUSTED. We know it, they know and Major League Baseball knows it!"

While the effort might (and most likely will) be thrown aside, not even recognized by those who need to see it, it can’t hurt to try and at least show that there are thousands, maybe millions of fans out there who want something done about the contraversy.

So for everyone who questions these records, who disagrees with them, who wants to make sure that an asterisk be placed next to Bonds’ name forever in the record books, take a minute of your time and try to Give It Back to Maris.

http://www.giveitbacktomaris.com

"World Cup, USA Style"

Almost everyone will agree that soccer is not a huge sport in the United States. If you don't agree, you should probably open your eyes and look around. Compared to (American) football, baseball, basketball, and even hockey, soccer is just pushed aside and declared a sport for the Europeans. Blame it on the origin of the sport, blame it on the lack of TV exposure, blame it on whatever you want, but it's fact that MLS (Major League Soccer) games draw an average attendance of roughly 12,000 per game. That average includes games played in Mexico City (92,000 in attendance), where soccer is much more popular. Take away the Mexico City games, and the average attendance for teams like the Colorado Rapids is barely above 4,000 (which again, is deceiving, as that number includes the July 4th game, where 70,000 people pack into Invesco Field to see not the Rapids, but the fireworks).

That being said, soccer is about to invade our televisions for the next 30 days. Fans who have never watched a second of soccer in their lives will almost be forced to endure a few minutes of at least one World Cup match. Who knows, maybe it will catch our interest, maybe we will want to know more.

Until then, however, we are still stuck wondering about every team, their abilities, their players.

I wish I could take credit for this idea myself, but I have to credit this to Cormac Eklof, who, in an attempt to "Americanize" the World Cup, has broken down each team, and compared them to something we might be more familiar with: American Sports. Eklof has taken each team, and compared them with a team of equal caliber in the American sports world (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA).

Here is the original article, posted from Boston Globe writer Eric Wilbur, with the link to the original article following the post.

"World Cup, USA Style"

Group A

Germany

-The Detroit Pistons 2006. A defensive team, built on some powerful players, but playing with a huge psychological weight (Germany is expected to do well being the home team, much as Detroit was the defending Beast of the East). Outlook grim for those watching and for the Germans themselves, who should show us a new level of defensive, terrified play.

Poland

-The current Baltimore Ravens squad. Ostensibly a defensive team, but without any real defensive ability. Should be offensive to watch.

Group B

England

-The 2000-06 New York Mets. Massively, ridiculously overrated by their local media, always involved in some sort of comical downfall, insane injuries, woeful management. A huge car crash waiting to happen, at which stage the local media go absolutely berserk in berating the team that they themselves told literally everyone was going to win the tournament

Sweden

-The 2005 Baltimore Orioles or the 2006 Detroit Tigers. Potential dark horses until they have to play decent teams.

Group C

Argentina

-The 2005 Chicago White Sox. Nowhere near as colorful as their illustrious neighbors (The Cubbies/Brazil), but built to perform as a team. They just keep on winning.

Ivory Coast

-Syracuse hoops team, 2006. Colorful, talented, might make a decent run, might get knocked out in the first round, Didier Drogba is Gerry McNamara.

Serbia

-The Pistons from the ‘90s. REALLY dour, defensive and brought up in the school of hard knocks. Maybe you'll beat them, but you'll know about it physically after.

Netherlands

-Ladies and gentlemen your New York Knicks. A collection of individuals rather than a team, simmering below the surface is the local media waiting to pounce on first year coach and former god Van Basten, his decisions are Isiah-like in leaving out several stars, including the potentially influential Van Bommel. Could get buried early in the hardest group by far.

Group D

Mexico

-The 2005 Houston Astros or the 2006 Seattle Seahawks. Not quite sure how they got here, just kinda happy to be here, and not entirely sure they will actually do anything while here.

Portugal

-The Yankees post-2004. An impressive collection of names under possibly one of the best coaches in the game (Big Phil Scolari/Joe Torre). Destined to look pretty and crash horribly, ala NY in 2004 and Portugal in the European Championships.

Group E

Italy

-Peyton Manning. High hopes lead to low yields.

USA

-Phoenix Suns 2006. Pacey, unbelievably fit, and play an alien style that should confuse many teams. If everyone stays fit the Yanks could go deeper than expected.

Czech Republic

-The Yankees of 2006. Huge injury problems should lead to an early exit ... but ... you just don't know ...

Group F

Brazil

-The Yankees of the late ‘90s. If they avoid injuries, forget about it.

Croatia

-The 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers. Tough team from a hard knock school of learning; no one will want to draw them in later rounds.

Group G

France

-Ladies and gentlemen, your 2004 Boston Red Sox. An experienced, talented bunch of individuals who know how to win and could very well do it again. Thierry Henry is Pedro Martinez whilst Zinidine Zidane is Curt Schilling.

Switzerland

-I don't know anything about the NHL but name any boring, bad NHL team and this is who the Swiss are. I hope France puts 9 past them.

Group H

Spain

-Alex Rodriguez. They will look excellent in initial league play, will probably tear Tunisia and the Saudis apart, might even make Ukraine look silly, but will choke harder than the 2004 Yankees when push comes to shove.

Ukraine

-The 2005 Dallas Mavericks. They go as their superstar striker, and genuine world beater, Andrei Schevchenko, goes. He is Dirk to them, if he twists his ankle the Ukrainian nation holds its breath.

Korea, Togo, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Australia, Japan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Iran

-Any first round exiting team in March Madness.

Trinidad and Tobago, Angola

-The Kansas City Royals

Update

I've been busy doing a few things the last week or so. Mourning the Avalanche loss to the Mighty Ducks, attemping to find a job, and trying to put together a site for a girl named Molly Bloom. For those who don't know, Molly is a girl who was run over by her limo on Prom night. I attended the high school she went to, and my sister was in the same limo with Molly, so it hit's really close to home.

I'll start writing again once I figure the other site out, as that is a lot more important than who wins the game tonight. As of now, there is a Blogger site set up for Molly. Keep her in your prayers.

On a happier note, I'll be working at KKFN AM 950 The Fan in Denver this summer. Marc Moser and Sandy Clough will be on air from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m., and I will be doing some behind the scenes work. Both those guys are really, really great broadcasters, hopefully I'll be able to pick up on some of their skills over the summer.

Sports articles soon...

ESPN and their False Reporting

The first thing you learn in journalism school is that as a journalist, you must accurately report the news. That is the cardinal rule. It doesn’t matter if you are the best or the worst reporter out there, you must portray the news accurately.

In some instances, it doesn’t affect very much if the news is 100% correct or not. Today, on ESPN, there is an article which ends in “Brunette has three goals in the Avs' eight playoff games this year,” when in fact, the Avalanche have only played in six playoff games (at the time the article was posted online). A few days ago, also on ESPN, an article stated that the Los Angeles Lakers had won the first three games of their series with Phoenix, and then Phoenix had won the next three. Actually, Phoenix won the first game, then Los Angeles won three, then Phoenix won two more (and went on to win game seven, but not until after the article was posted). Again, it’s not a huge mistake that will affect very much, if anything at all, but it still makes a difference. Weather it affects something greatly or not, the information needs to be correct.

The two examples weren’t huge mistakes, and didn’t affect very much, especially since they were sports stories, which don't have as big of a social impact as a murder story or a financial story might. However, those weren't the only mistakes that were made. Over the last week, there have been 5-10 discrepancies that I have noticed casually reading the site. None were overwhelmingly wrong, but in any case, ESPN needs to make sure that the information on their site is correct. They are the leader, both on TV and on the web, in providing sports news to fans. It may start out with little mistakes like this, and eventually lead to a big problem and a huge decline in their credibility.

Everyone makes mistakes, even ESPN can't be correct 100% of the time, but they need to be more careful with what the post as "official" sports news online.

Western Conference Predictions (Semifinals)

It’s not hard to believe that the top-4 seeds in the Western Conference all lost in the first round of the playoffs. Like I’ve been saying all year long, the teams that looked really good, standings-wise, were highly over-rated (Detroit, Dallas), and the teams that looked not too great in the standings (Edmonton, Colorado) were ten times better than people thought they were. Up until the last week or so of the regular season, The Western Conference seeds 3 through 10 were all separated by 4 points. With so many teams compacted like that, it’s not really surprising that all four series’ were “upsets” in the first round.

The only series that was even a little surprising was the Calgary/Anaheim series. Towards the end of the season, Calgary looked like the much better team, but Anaheim proved why playoffs are the best time of the year; anything can happen on any night.

In the first round, I picked Edmonton, Colorado, San Jose and Calgary. Three for four (.750), not too shabby considering the combined total for the “experts” at ESPN was seven for twenty (.350). Considering the pounding both Colorado and Edmonton put on Dallas and Detroit, respectively, it should be easy to pick the winners of the Semifinal round.

With that all said it’s time to make my second round predictions…

Colorado over Anaheim in 6 games.
Colorado beat Dallas in every aspect of the game. From penalty kills, to power plays, to shots, to blocked shots; Colorado even outnumbered Dallas in hits, which is abnormal, because Dallas is a much more physical team than Colorado. Colorado conquered every aspect of the game against the second best team in the West, and should have no trouble against Anaheim, a team which Dallas dominated in the regular season, compiling a 6-2 record against. The Avalanche were 3-1 against Anaheim in the regular season, the only loss coming in a shoot-out, which, as I mentioned in my first round predictions, should not be held against the Avalanche, as they were abnormally awful at shootouts. The Avalanche will dominate the Ducks, and the only reason I’m giving the Ducks 2 wins, is because the Avalanche will have Steve Konowalchuk back, and will be experimenting with different lines in order to see what will fit them best in the next round.

Edmonton over San Jose in 5 games.
I don’t even know if much needs to be said in this series. Edmonton dominated the best team in hockey in the first round. An eight seed absolutely killed a one seed in six games. As I have mentioned many times before, Detroit is not as good as they seemed in the standings, and should not have been considered as big of a favorite as they were. However, they were still a good team, and Edmonton dominated. Edmonton played in the toughest division in hockey, and earned stamina and strength doing that. San Jose beat Nashville, a team whose final point-tally was inflated in the same way that Detroit’s was. San Jose was a better team than Nashville all along, and no one should be surprised that San Jose made it past the first round. Edmonton will come out and play at the same level they played at against Detroit, and that will be too much for San Jose.

#24, Kobe Bryant

It was announced Wednesday that Kobe Bryant will be changing his uniform number next year, from his current #8, to #24. Kobe wearing #24 will be like if Wayne Gretzky decided midway through his career that he wanted to be #14. It's just not right. Why didn't Kobe choose #24 when he entered the League? I'm not 100% sure if another player had it or not at that time Kobe entered the League, but that's irrelevant, because another player, Jim Jackson, currently wears the number, and will have to give it up for Kobe anyway. A number is a player. Wayne Gretzky IS #99, Michael Jordan IS #23 (sorry LeBron, I think you need a new number), Mickey Mantle IS #7. To think of these players as anything else is ridiculous, and to think of Kobe as anything but #8 is also ridiculous.

So why the sudden change for Kobe? How come after 10 years, he suddenly decides #24 is the way to go? The same reason the rest of the NBA has other jerseys. Why do you think teams have been wearing third jerseys, Sunday jerseys, alternate Sunday jerseys, throwback jerseys, semi-throwback jerseys, jersey's from when the team was in another city, jerseys from...Where ever they are from? Money is the only reason. Every new jersey is profit. A fan sees the new jersey, and instantly wants to be cool, and to have that jersey. Every new jersey that is available, there will be fans to purchase it.

Fan #1 - "The Laker's colors aren't even baby blue and white!"
Fan #2 - "Who cares, I gotta get the new jersey, it's only $75!"

The Los Angeles Lakers have worn essentially the same home and road jersey's since Kobe entered the league 10 seasons ago. A few minor changes here and there, but if you put two fans side by side, one with a 10-year-old jersey, and one with a one-year-old jersey, most people could not tell the difference. The Lakers jerseys are classic, and they can't be changed without creating an uproar. So what do the Lakers and Kobe do to make more money from jersey sales? Change Kobe's number. Now you aren't cool unless you have the new #24 Kobe jersey. Every fan of Kobe now feels obligated to go buy another jersey, to give the League more profits from it's sale. If they don't have the #24 jersey, they aren't a real fan.

The idea is stupid, and the players and the League are greedy. Fans support the athletes enough without having to buy a new jersey every night, just because a team decides to wear their alternate-third-Sunday-of-an-odd-month-when-it's-raining-outside jersey. Stop exploiting your fans for a few extra dollars.

Western Conference Prediction Update

ESPN hasn't called to hire me yet, but I'm expecting that call to come any day now. A week ago, I predicted the exact opposite of EVERY SINGLE "expert" in the two "upset- potential series'." A 3-seed vs. a 6-seed and a 4-seed vs. a 5-seed could, and should always be open to go either way, so I can't argue with the so-called "experts" in the Calgary/Anaheim and San Jose/Nashville series', because either team they pick has a decent chance. However, a 2-seed should almost always beat a 7-seed, and a 1-seed should always beat an 8-seed, so I call those the "upset-potential series'." A so-called "expert" should know when to pick the lower seed, and not just pick the higher seed because they are ranked higher. Anyone ever heard of George Mason?

Like I've been saying over and over, Detroit's regular season record was decieving. They acquired all their points against awful teams, which made them look ten times better than they actually are. Edmonton is exposing this weekness, and as of now has a 2-1 lead in the series. Only one "expert" picked the Oilers to win, and only one of the "experts" is going to be correct. Nice pick, Amber.

Dallas won 12 of their games because of shootouts. Guess what? No shootouts in the playoffs. The Avalanche have dominated the Stars in every aspect of every game, and will continue to do so. The only change I would make on this prediction is changing it to Avs in 5 instead of Avs in 6, and that's only if the Stars can get lucky enough to win one game.

The "experts" are awful. They need to hire me next year.

Where are the East updates?

I know I said I would have Eastern Conference predictions about a week ago, but unfortunently I live in Phoenix. Why is that a problem? Phoenix is in the middle of the desert, and they don't care about hockey down here. They don't even really care about the Coyotes. What that means for me is I had no chance to watch any Eastern Conference team all season, because they don't show national hockey games on any channel (Cox Cable doesn't include OLN). All I've been able to watch all year is Western Conference games on Fox Sports Arizona, so unfortunently, I can only make predictions on the Western Conference.

Western Conference Predictions (Quarterfinals)

The Western Conference is officially done with it's regular season. Detroit won the Western Conference, along with the Presidents Trophy for having the best regular-season record. Dallas came in second, followed by Calgary, Nashville, San Jose, Anaheim, Colorado, and Edmonton. The playoffs start Friday night; here are my first round Western Conference predictions.

Edmonton over Detroit in 7 games.
Almost everyone thinks that Detroit is going to breeze through the playoffs. I don't think that will happen. Like I've said many times before, yes, Detroit is a good team; however, the way the NHL is set up now, with so many inter-division games, Detroit's 124 points is impressive, yet it is deceiving, because a good chunk of those points came against St. Louis, Columbus, and Chicago, who are the three worst teams in hockey. Take any team from the Northwest division, and switch them with Detroit, and that team would have also ended up with 124 points. Edmonton beat Detroit the same amount of times as Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis and Chicago (Detroit's entire division) combined. Detroitis so used to playing bad teams, that when they have to play so many in a row against a much better team, they will struggle. Edmonton will hang in there the first couple games, and then after Detroit gets tired from playing a good team night after night, Edmonton will dominate and take the series.

Colorado over Dallas in 6 games.
Dallas is good in shootouts. Colorado isn't. Good thing there are no shootouts in the playoffs. The Avalanche and Stars split the regular season 1-1 in regulation games. The only reason Dallas won the series overall 3-1 is because of two shootout victories. The Avalanche have a better-conditioned team, which helps them out in the long run when it gets down to the end of the games, and down to double or triple overtime. A majority of the Stars losses this season came after they were up by a goal or tied, and lost the lead or gave up a goal late in the game. In the playoffs, games go down to the very end, and Colorado is better suited for staying alive into overtime.

Calgary over Anaheim in 6 games.
Both teams proved themselves this year, Calgary a little more though. Calgary has had to battle against 4 of the top teams in the conference regularly throughout the season (the entire Northwest Division), and has more strength and momentum coming into the playoffs. Anaheim split the series with the Flames, including a win in the regular-season finale, but Calgary had already known their playoff situation, and weren't in top form. They have too much momentum and too much talent to go down to the Ducks.

San Jose over Nashville in 6 games.
Just like with Detroit, Nashville's points are a deceiving number. The only reason that Nashville doesn't have as many as Detroit, is because they had to play Detroit. They did get off very easy playing the three worst teams in the West, however, they are still a very good team. San Jose hasn't really proven themselves that well in what is probably the 3rd best division in hockey, behind the Northwest and the Atlantic. They have a losing record against the Northwest division, which Nashville dominated. Joe Thorton, the Sharks leader, doesn't have any Western Conference playoff experience, which is a lot different than the experience he has from the Bruins. Paul Kariya has enough playoff experience with the Avalanche and the Ducks to know the situation of the West, but San Jose's Cheechoo and Thorton are amazing together, and will dominate a goalie-less (Vokoun is still out) Nashville, leading the Sharks into the next round.

NHL Prediction Updates

I made some predictions earlier in the season. For the most part, I have been correct. I predicted 4 teams from the Northwest would make the playoffs, and I was damn close with that. If Vancouver wouldn't have slacked off, I would be right. As for the East, I was right in saying "New York is New York." Sure, they made the playoffs, but as of right now, they lost the 12 point lead they had on both New Jersey and Philadelphia, and are on the verge of having a possible #6 seed in the playoffs, instead of the #2 seed they were gunning at a month ago. I'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens there.

"Detroit's Power Surge Keys 4-0 Start"

"Detroit's Power Surge Keys 4-0 Start"

That's the AP's headline for todays baseball news. Are you fucking kidding me? The Tigers have played Kansas City and Tampa Bay. They are not having a god damn power surge. They are playing the worst two teams in Major League baseball. Ahh. Stupid AP writers. In order to be considered a good team, you need to beat some good teams, not just hit a few homers off the worst teams since the 2002 Devil Rays. Wait a few weeks before writing about shit like this.

Colorado Rockies: 2006 World Series Champions?

Believe it or not, my hometown, Denver, is home to the team who is tied for having the best record in Major League Baseball. That is correct. You read it right. The Colorado Rockies have the best record in all of baseball. Not just the National League West (which is the worst division in baseball). Not just the National League. The Entire League. Live it up, Coloradans, because it won't last more than a week, and will probably never happen again. But for now, we can celebrate!

The Best Losers in the NBA

Congratulations Houston Rockets, you are the best losers in the NBA. On Sunday afternoon's game in Los Angeles, the Rockets, down by 16, did something for the fans; not their fans, the Lakers fans. With around 8 seconds left, and the rockets with the ball, they picked up the ball, and held if for the remaining 8 seconds. No drive to the net. No three point shot. No effort at trying to make the score a little bit better.

Every night is a potential free taco night in LA. If the Lakers hold their opponents to under 90 points, everyone in the crowd receives two free tacos from Del Taco. With six minutes left, the Rockets had scored 80 points. With three minutes left, they were up to 84. With two minutes left, they were up to 86. With one minute, they were up to 88.

"Lets go tacos, lets go" was all that could be heard from the fans. It got so intense, that the announcers on TV started to comment how they could only hear chants for tacos. When the camera focused in on Houston's players on the bench, you could see them mouthing the word "tacos" to each other, with a questionable look on their face.

A few missed shots later, the Rockets had the ball with 8 seconds left in LA territory. The chants for tacos were getting louder and louder. Enter Stormile Swift, Lakers fans savior. Swift picked up the ball, and held it for the remaining 8 seconds. The crowd went wild. Swift smiled. Free dinner for Mr. Nicholson and his Lakers faithful, courtesy of the best losers in the NBA.

Give Us a Name We Can Be Proud Of

With only five months until opening day, the Arizona Cardinals still don’t have a definite name for their future home. Currently tagged as “Cardinals Stadium,” it’s “highly unlikely that the name will stick around in today’s sports world,” says Gina Fey, spokeswoman for HOK Sports, the company constructing the new stadium in Glendale.

According to information published by the four major professional sports associations in the United States - The NHL, NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball – there are currently 103 different stadiums housing one or more professional sports teams. Seventy-one of those stadiums are named after corporations, and six of those share a name with another stadium in a different city, such as the American Airlines Arena, which is the name of the NBA facilities in both Dallas and Miami. Of the 32 not named after a corporation, only six of them have been built in the last 15 years. The remaining 26 are all aging buildings, likely to be replaced with a corporate-named, new-aged building in the near future.

“You want to go to the National Car Rental Center and catch a game?” Nick Morelli, 19, and an avid sports fan asks. “How about Quicken Loans Arena? Or the Pepsi Center; the one in Denver, not the one in Albany. Stadium names today are pathetic.”

While pathetic might not be the best term, unoriginal and un-identifying might be better. There are very few stadiums left whose name defines its occupants. “Arrowhead, Fenway, Yankee Stadium, Mile High. You hear those names, and you know where they are, you know who plays there. You hear FedEx Forum, and it has no identity. It could be anywhere, with any team,” states Morelli. “Even some corporate names are ok, like Coors Field in Denver. Everyone knows it’s in Denver, and Coors is made there, it’s a good match. Busch Stadium in St. Louis is the same thing. That’s not the case for most of the stadiums though. I would never associate Papa John’s Stadium with Louisville, Ky., if someone didn’t tell me it was there.”

Even in the rare case a corporate name fits the stadium, it’s very likely that the name won’t be around for long. One consequence of corporate naming is that many corporations don’t last very long. They are bought out, renamed, resold, and then renamed again. Phoenix’s Chase Field, for example, was previously known as Bank One Ballpark, but was renamed after Bank One was bought out by Chase. US Airways Arena, also in Phoenix, was known as America West Arena until this January, when it was renamed to reflect the merger between the two airlines. Boston’s NHL and NBA arena, currently named TD Banknorth Garden, has undergone 34 name changes since it opened in 1993, all because of various buyouts and mergers with different companies. “I’m from Maine, I go down to Boston two or three times a year to catch a Bruin’s game. Every time I go, the stadium has a different name,” says Morelli. “Why can’t they just rename it the ‘Boston Garden,’ everyone loved that name, and everyone in Boston still calls it that.”

Bostonians aren’t alone. San Franciscans recently voted to change Monster Park, the current name of their football stadium, back to it’s original name, Candlestick Park, after Monsters naming rights contract expires. Candlestick was originally changed to 3Com Park, but the name never caught on. “People were too used to Candlestick, the park is a legend in itself,” says San Francisco native Jesse Weinberger. “And now it’s Monster Park. I hate it; it’s just another chance for big corporations to get their products out. It’s awful. I can’t wait until it’s Candlestick again.” In Denver, most fans refuse to call their new stadium Invesco Field, and simply refer to it by its predecessor’s name, Mile High. “Once you get inside, there are ads all over. Drink this beer, eat this brand of hot dog, drink Coke because Pepsi sucks. Why can’t the companies leave part of the stadium for something meaningful?” asks Weinberger.

The Cardinals have already started to find sponsors for the stadiums interior. It was announced last week that Budweiser has bought the naming rights to an entire end of the new stadium, which will be known as the Budweiser Red Zone. “It’s awful, I want to go see a football game, not be bombarded with advertisements. If I wanted to see ads all day long, I’d just sit at home and watch TV,” states Weinberger.

“The fans are the ones who go to the games, the ones who support the team. Not the corporations. We should have a say in what the stadium should be called. Not some big company just because they have money. I don’t want to go to the Budweiser Red Zone at American Airlines Field inside Snyder Pretzel Stadium. I want to go to a place aptly named like Cactus Stadium or Tillman Field,” says Weinberger. “Products don’t last but ten minutes. Places and heroes live forever. Give us a name we can be proud of.”

Stump the Schwab

I like women.

I like basketball.

I don't like womens basketball.

Come on ESPN, you can find something better to put on the air. Bring back "Stump the Schwab" or "Teammates." Anything else, PLEASE!

What a Boring Week

What a boring couple of days in sports. As soon as that last game ended Sunday night, it was like the sports world went into a 6 day coma until the Final Four comes back on Saturday. Sure, there is hockey, but they don’t show hockey on TV. Sure, there is the NBA, but how can the NBA compare to George Mason beating UConn in overtime. Sure, there is spring training, but that’s exactly that… training. The players don’t even show up to play. Damn, I can’t wait for Saturday.

No, that is not me.

March Madness

Too many NCAA games to watch, not enough time to write.

Fuckin' UCLA

Damn, there goes my bracket.

Freedom of Speech

Since today was a slow sports day in general, I figured I'd take a break and spread the word on a controversial issue, Free Speech. Free speech is undoubtedly important, as 99% of the internet wouldn't exist without it. This issue affects you, me, and everyone else.

Those who read Tucker Max know he is currently being sued for things he said on his website. Here is his take on things, taken directly from his site, www.tuckermax.com

There is no question that on an average day, I am a huge attention whore, but that is not what is going on here. This is not about me; this is a very serious legal matter, not just for me, but for the entire internet. The issues at stake here could potentially affect every single website and individual who posts on messageboards and chatrooms.

I try not to ask much of you people, but please send the relevant links/my blog post to anyone and everyone you can who has a site that could talk about this and publicize it, and if you have a website, please post about and publicize this case.

In defending my rights I will by proxy be defending everyone's free speech rights, and by writing about this you will be helping defend this cause. The more attention that we focus on this case, the better the chances that freedom will prevail and censorship will be beaten back.

Remember: I don't ask that you endorse me or my site, but only that you endorse the fight against censorship.

Here are some links relating to the current lawsuit, from Tucker's Site:
The Original Aritcle
Updated Article
Newer Article
A great article explaining the consequences of this case

Defending the Kingdom, Part 2

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how UNC should get an automatic bid to the big dance for being the reigning champion. They made it in anyway, without a “Reigning Champ Automatic Bid.” Today, the Frozen Four bracket was announced. For those who don’t know, “Frozen Four” is the clever name for the NCAA Hockey championship. One team missing from the bracket: Denver University, the 2-time defending champions.

At least in the NCAA Basketball, even after the 35+ automatic bids, there are still 31 at large bids left, enough to include every deserving team. If UNC had been #66 this year, the committee would have bumped off one of the other at-large bids to include UNC. Not so in hockey. There is only a 16-team playoff, with 6 automatic bids. That means 10 teams are still at-large, which might seem like a lot, except that the automatic bids come largely from bad conferences. The WCHA and Hockey East are the only big name conferences in hockey, and they only have two automatic bids. Usually, the 10 at-large bids come from these two conferences, which generally have 90% of the top 25 teams in the country. Those extra four automatic bids, given to Bemidji State, Harvard, Holy Cross, and Michigan State (The only automatic bid that is justified), take up four teams that should make the tournament, such as Denver.

Denver is one of the biggest hockey towns in the country, from the Avalanche, to the Pioneers, down to the Littleton Hawks, one of the best club hockey organizations in the country. To keep Denver out of the tournament is ridiculous. Denver finished ranked #11 in the country, ahead of 6 teams that made the tournament. They also finished 2^nd in the WCHA, arguably College Hockey’s best conference, ahead of 3 other WCHA teams who made the tournament.

It’s ridiculous to think that a team of this caliber does not even have a chance to play for the championship. Especially when they are defending it. There should be a new rule in all college sports, no matter what happens, no matter where the defending champion finishes in the regular season, they should have a chance to defend their crown. The 35+ automatic bids in basketball, the 6 automatic bids in hockey, and all other automatic bids in any other sport, should all have one more automatic bid added to them, the "Defending the Kingdom" automatic bid. While there will be controversy, as some teams may not be up to caliber as they previously were, examples like this, where a two-time defending champion, ranked #11 in the country, is left out of the hunt, should provide enough support for the "Defending the Kingdom" bid.

I'm Pulling for a Shocker

Let's Go Shockers! Even though a Wichita State championship would completely fuck up my bracket, I want the Shockers to win it all. It's not very often a 7 seed makes it this far. Even less often a 13 seed does, that's why I think Wichita State is going to crush Bradley, and then Washington. Yeah, that's right. UConn is not beating Washington. They could barely beat a pathetic Kentucky team, how are they going to beat an underrated Washington?

Shockers is just a cool name too, why have the Huskies or the Wildcats win. And, for us journalists, it's the easiest headline to ever write. "Villanova 'Shocked.'"

Oh, yeah, and I went to high school with Sean Ogirri, and he is a pimp... So it's final, Wichita State needs to win.

My Bracket so far (click on it to make it readable)

Could be better, could be ALOT worse...

To My (30) Loyal Readers

To the 30 or so people who visit my site everyday, and those who accidently stumble upon it, I will be chilling on the beach for the next week and a half, away from my computer and all other forms of civilization, except hot girls in swimsuits...

I'll be back on March 20, so until then, there won't be any new posts.

Farewell Abby

I watched from my 3^rd level, top row seats, the first game David Aebischer played in after he had officially taken the reins from the greatest goaltender in the history of the game. I was there when his whole family and another 30 or so friends took over section 372 at the Pepsi Center, waving flags and screaming like there was no tomorrow every time Aebischer came close to the puck. I was there when the Avs lost in the second round of the playoffs to Minnesota last year (two years ago actually, last “hockey year” though). Unfortunately, I wasn’t there to see Aebischer’s last game in Colorado.

He had his ups and downs, but in the end, he did the best he could, and never got any credit for it. Following up Patrick Roy is like Santana following Jimi Hendrix. Both are amazing, but once you hear Hendrix, even Santana’s greatest performance doesn’t even compare.

For years - actually, since the day Patrick Roy announced his retirement – Pierre Lacroix has been under pressure to find a “playoff-worthy” goalie. Finally, nearly 3 seasons later, he accomplished that task. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of Abby. Although he actually was well liked in Colorado, contrary to many beliefs, we knew this day would come. Hopefully Pierre’s genius mind has brought in another legend from Montreal.

The Todd Bertuzzi Handbook, Pg. 34

In a move straight out of the Todd Bertuzzi handbook, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Evgeny Artyukin was suspended for taking off the Senators Antoine Vermette’s helmet, and then smashing over his head multiple times.

Is this guy insane? Sounds like something from Happy Gilmore (the only player to take his skate off and try to stab someone with it). Artyukin received only a two game suspension. I know that if I would have even attempted this in an ACHA game, I would have been done for at least the season.

I know that hockey is a violent sport, and I know Vermette is ok, but that move is unexcusable. A hockey helmet is designed to withstand a solid piece of rubber hitting it at 100 MPH. It is a sturdy instrument, and could easily kill someone if it’s smashed into their head. Just because nothing did happen to Vermette doesn’t meant that Artyukin should be let off this easily. It was essentially assault with a deadly weapon. Artyukin should not only be suspended for the rest of the season, but should be charged with a crime.

I play hockey, I know the sport. I know it’s violent, and shit happens. I have been the target of many cheap shots, and have cheap shot people a thousand times myself. Nothing like this though. This was a blatant attempt to hurt someone, and should have a much greater punishment than a two game suspension.

Click Here to go to the article on ESPN.com, which includes a video of the incident

Boom Goes the Dynamite!

I’m sure most people have already seen this clip, but I didn’t feel like writing anything today, and the clip is fucking hilarious. I feel bad for this guy. I do the same thing he does, sports updates for my school. Luckily I’m on the radio though, so no one knows what I look like when I fuck up hardcore, and I have a much better producer than this show, who knows to cut to commercial if I start fucking up this bad.

#42

Pat Tillman is a Hero. He is a legend. His story will live on forever. Here in Tempe, at his alma mater Arizona State University, there is not a single person that is more respected and honored than Mr. Tillman.

For those of you who don’t know the story, first punch yourself continuously in the face until you realize what an idiot you are, and then continue reading. Tillman was killed in 2004 during a tour of Afghanistan. He played football side-by-side with Jake Plummer at ASU, and led the Sun Devils to the 1997 Rose Bowl, where they were one play away from winning their first national championship. He was then drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, where he played a few seasons, before turning down a $3.6 million contract extension, so he could go serve his country in the military. During a skirmish, Tillman was shot and killed. Tillman was initially believed to be killed by enemy forces, but it later surfaced that he was killed by friendly-fire in a crossfire situation.

Today, the Army opened up a criminal investigation into the matter, looking to charge a fellow ranger with negligent homicide. Looking back on the life of this man, I do not believe that this investigation should continue. Tillman dropped his whole life and went into the army to protect his country. He knew what a dangerous job it was going to be, and he wanted to be a part of that. He wanted to fight for his right to live in America, and he did a damn good job. He is a role-model for thousands, and should be a role model for everyone. Tillman understood the dangers of death, and continued anyway. He knew that it could be friendly fire, enemy fire, or any other number of reasons that might lead to injury. He took that risk.

By investigating the matter, the army is putting the blame on someone. Think of how hard it is for the man who knows he accidentally shot a nations hero. His life must be a living hell already. Is the army’s goal to make it worse? To put a man in front of an entire nation, and say “This is the man that killed Pat Tillman.”

I don’t believe Pat Tillman would want it that way. He put his life on the line, and knew the risks involved. His name will live on forever alongside words like “Hero” and “Role Model.” He was the most unselfish person I have ever heard about. He wouldn’t want to ruin another mans life.

Click on the Pat Tillman Fund link on the right side of the page for more information, or to donate money to one of the best charities around.

If you like sports, don't move to Phoenix

Growing up in Denver, I came under the impression that the local sports teams were respected and cheered for no matter what. No matter what kind of season the Broncos had, people would be at the games. Lose by the biggest margin in Super Bowl history, and there is still a parade thrown in your honor. One of the worst teams in baseball still holds the single-season attendance record, and Coors Field continues to draw one of the biggest crowds league wide. A Nuggets team, who only made the playoffs once in the 10 years before Carmello arrived, has one of the biggest fan-bases in professional sports. And then there are the Avalanche, who have sold out a record 472 consecutive games. November 9^th, 1995, was the last time an Avs game was not sold out. That means all-time, there were less than a dozen Avs games that weren’t sold out.

Yeah, that's the number of people present during the game.

Then I moved down to Phoenix for school, and one of the first events I attended was an Avalanche vs. Coyotes game at Glendale Arena. Pathetic is the only way to describe the atmosphere. Only about 40% of the stadium was full, and of those 7,000 or so fans, I would estimate about 5,000 were rooting for the Avalanche. How is a team supposed to thrive when the only fans that attend their games are the away teams fans? The Arizona Cardinals play at our football stadium, Sun Devil Stadium. While living in the dorms, every Sunday I would see the crowd rush in and out of the stadium. Again, less than half (only about 25%) of the stadium was full, and well over half of those fans were rooting for the opposing team. A Diamondbacks game had the same statistics. A pathetically filled stadium, with most of the fans against the home team. The only team that has any real fans is the Suns, and that is only because they were good last year.

It’s no wonder that the only championship brought to the Valley was the Diamondbacks in 2001. The only reason they had any fans was because they were still essentially an expansion team, and the fans hadn’t yet lost their interest. Phoenix is one of the youngest big cities in America. We just overtook Philadelphia as the 5^th largest metro area in the country, with over 3 million people in the city. With that kind of number, you would assume that a stadium of 20,000 (Suns, Coyotes), 50,000 (Diamondbacks), even 80,000 (Cardianls) would fill up. In any other city of 3 million people, you could find 1/40 of those people to attend games. In Phoenix, it just isn’t happening. That’s why my only advice is, if you love sports, don’t move here.

Defending the Kingdom

There was a time, about a month ago, when it looked like North Carolina might not even make it to March Madness. This isn’t the case anymore, as UNC is now ranked 15^th and has pretty much locked-in a spot. However, what would the tourney have been like without the ‘Heels, the defending national champions?

I think that it should be made mandatory that the reigning champion has one of the 65 slots in the tournament, even if they are stuck with the play-in game. In the pro’s, it’s not uncommon for a team to win the championship, and then dismantle their whole team (cough, Florida Marlins, cough cough). When a team doesn’t make it to the playoffs the next year, it’s usually not the same team at all, so they shouldn't have the right to defend their championship. There are rarely more than a handful of players from the previous years team. That’s not the case in college though. Teams hold on to a good chunk of their players, and even those that leave, it’s not like they go to another team. They leave completely. They were the champions the year before, and even if they might have a slump, it should be their right to defend their title. Just as all the conferences get an automatic bid, the defending champion should “win” an automatic bid for the next year along with their championship run.

Duke Sucks (Thanks Fark)

I hate Duke. I don’t’ know why exactly. Maybe it’s because I used to like Kentucky. I don’t know why I did that either. Anyway… thank the lord that someone finally beat them. These kids are going to Duke. They are going to be rich one way or another, whether it’s from basketball, or from becoming a lawyer. And I hate lawyers too. I love to see Duke get disappointed, especially by a team that a week ago had “lost their chance to make the tournament,” according to the “Senior Bracketologist” at ESPN, whoever the fuck that is. The main reason I’m glad it’s Florida State that won though, and not some other team like UConn or Villanova:

There aren’t girls like these in Connecticut or Tennessee. And now FSU is almost guaranteed a tourney spot, so we get to see fans like this on TV for another few weeks at least.

Just a sidenote: I go to ASU, so it's not like I don't see girls like this everyday anyway. Basketball isn't my favorite sport in the world though, so when there are girls like this in the crowd it helps keeps me entertained with the game a little more.

Here we go again...

Doesn’t anyone remember what happened the last time a baseball game ended in a tie?

That was one of the worst moments in the history of baseball. Why have the chance of repeating that every game? Why are the commisioners of this World Baseball Classic only letting games go into the 14th inning? Baseball isn't a game where there should be ties. Baseball is one of the most boring sports to watch. I’m sorry if you love baseball, It’s true, it IS boring. The only baseball I watch is the playoffs, and that's because it's exciting seeing a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 18^th. By not even allowing that, you are essentially dropping baseball down to the boredom level of soccer. And that’s not good. Let them play until they win. There should be only two rules in baseball… No Crying, and no ties.

Life's Unfair...

According to this test (the NFL Combines Wonderlic), I am 8.3 times smarter than Vince Young (I scored 9/9, which is equivalent to 50/50. He scored 6/50). It's pretty sad... not that I'm that much smarter, but that he'll be making at least (and most likely way, way, way more than) 8.3 times as much money as I will be making my first year out of college.

I still love you though Vince. Thanks for making me that $1000 on the Rose Bowl buddy.

"Fuck the World Series. Our goal is to finish top 3 in the NL West."

"We want to win it this year," the Yankees owner said Wednesday. "We're going after it."

NO SHIT! An owner saying his team wants to win the World Series? This is fucking crazy! I’m sure no one else had ever done that, everyone else’s goal is just to sit on their fucking asses and do nothing all year. "Fuck the World Series; we just want to finish in the top 3 of the NL West."

Shut the fuck up Steinbrenner. Obviously you want to win the World Series. That’s like me saying I want to win the lottery. It’s obvious I want to, but it’s not going to happen.

You have the best team that money can buy. You are paying these players $300 million dollars. And you know why you won’t win…

A-rod is a cancer to every team he has been and will be on. And he will not win a championship. Ever. God won’t let him.

The Infamous All-Star/Olympic Break Predictions…

No one listened to me when I predicted Calgary/Tampa Bay two years ago, and no one listened to me when I said the Mighty Ducks were going to make it three years ago. So blow me off as some crazy asshole again if you wish. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m batting 1.000 with these predictions…

Some one from the Northwest Division will play for the Stanley Cup. Argue with me all you want. Tell me how the Red Wings have the best record in the NHL. Well, here is all I have to say to you…

Yeah, that's Ponch...

You know why Detroit has the best record? It’s because they are in the shittiest division in hockey. I will give Nashville some credit; they are actually proving themselves this year. However, look at the other three teams Detroit plays the majority of their games against; St. Louis, Chicago, and Columbus, the three worst teams in the West, and three of the five worst teams in the whole league. Any team can rack up 83 points when 35 of them come against those three teams.

Now you will probably say “the first place team in the Northwest is 10 points behind Detroit.” That is true. And it is because the Northwest division has to play the Northwest division for half of its games. When you have four of the best teams in hockey in the same division, there is not going to be one real winner or one real loser in the group. All the teams will win about the same amount, and lose the same amount. So while Detroit is off parading about how they can beat the St. Louis Blues (Whoopty fucking doo), Colorado is just hanging in there battling it out with the toughest competitors in the sport, and still staying on track to make the playoffs. Right now four of the five teams from the Northwest would make the playoffs. Minnesota is barely two games back from that #8 spot. All five teams could legitimately make the playoffs, and I guarantee at least four of them will. Just as the “Frozen Four” was all WCHA teams last year in college hockey, I predict a Northwest Division only Western Conference semi-final. Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

As for the East, Philadelphia is going to win. Carolina is Carolina, the Rangers are the Rangers, and the Dominator could be out that rest of the season. There is nothing more to say.

Stanley Cup Finals – Calgary (or another Northwest team) vs. Philly

The Champ - The Flyers are going to win it all