Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Jim Nantz Fan Club
Watching the Memorial golf tournament this weekend, I heard Jim Nantz actually say the following: "[Tiger]Woods and [caddie Steve] Williams exchanging fives there on the green." Exchanging fives? Is Nantz really the squarest man in America right now? Seriously, he's like the Pat Boone of the 21st century.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
I've Been Spotted? Not.
This is not me. (Scroll down for the image.) But it's nice to know that great minds...well, maybe not.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Trade Deadline: Canes Get Cole
The NHL's trade deadline arrived at 3pm Eastern yesterday, and, unusually for recent years, most of the posted activity occurred after the official deadline. The Canes were involved in one deal, although it was fairly big: re-acquiring winger Erik Cole from Edmonton as part of a three-team deal that saw Carolina forward Justin Williams sent to Los Angeles.
What does this do for Carolina? Financially, maybe not much, as Cole's and Williams' salaries are almost a wash. Cole is a UFA after this season, so the question becomees whether or not the Canes will try to re-sign him. Given that it seems his best scoring days are behind him, it would seem likely that he won't get an offer anywhere close to the $4 million per annum he's getting now. On the ice, Cole could be what the Canes have been missing. Although not a big body, Cole will play the physical game, and always puts pressure on defenses to move the puck faster. Plus, he seems to make Eric Staal a better player. It will be interesting to see how Maurice lines them up tonight against Calgary.
More important, as the Canes are currently tied for ninth in the East, is what the teams around them did to get better. With 71 points, the Canes are tied with Buffalo, and are one point behind the 7/8 spot, currently shared by the Rangers and Pittsburgh. Florida is in 6th with 74 points, and Montreal in 5th with 75 points. Here's how they all fared yesterday:
Buffalo added goaltender Mikael Tellqvist and forward Dominic Moore, and lost forward Ales Kotalik. Good moves for the Sabres. With Ryan Miller out at least for the short-term, getting a backup G was paramount. Moore adds some energy and grit that the Sabres have been missing all year. This could push them into the playoffs, ultimately. It all hangs on their play in net.
Pittsburgh added forward Bill Guerin and defenseman Andy Wozniewski. They also picked up forward Craig Adams via waivers and added forward Chris Kunitz prior to the deadline. All to the good, I think. All four players should add some work effort, although none are the finisher to go with Crosby that Pens fans wanted. Plus, they waived the frustrating Miro Satan.
NY Rangers are trying for an Oprah makeover. New coach, new Sean Avery, plus winger Nik Antropov and defenseman Derek Morris. Although Morris is not the offensive sparkplug on the blueline the Rangers were looking for, he'll help matters, especially as this team still can't score. If Avery doesn't destroy the locker room, and losing 2/3 of their 3rd line doesn't hurt, it won't matter if they can't score, because with Lundqvist in net, they can still go far. I think they'll either surge and challenge Philly for the #4 spot, or flame out and miss the post-season altogether.
Florida only made one move, acquiring defenseman Steve Eminger from Tampa. But it's the move they didn't make -- trading D Jay Bouwmeester -- that will really pay dividends. The Panthers are a surprise playoff team right now, and are showing no signs of faltering. Barring a total collapse down the stretch, they'll make the playoffs, last for one series, and then lose Bouwmeester to free agency.
What does this do for Carolina? Financially, maybe not much, as Cole's and Williams' salaries are almost a wash. Cole is a UFA after this season, so the question becomees whether or not the Canes will try to re-sign him. Given that it seems his best scoring days are behind him, it would seem likely that he won't get an offer anywhere close to the $4 million per annum he's getting now. On the ice, Cole could be what the Canes have been missing. Although not a big body, Cole will play the physical game, and always puts pressure on defenses to move the puck faster. Plus, he seems to make Eric Staal a better player. It will be interesting to see how Maurice lines them up tonight against Calgary.
More important, as the Canes are currently tied for ninth in the East, is what the teams around them did to get better. With 71 points, the Canes are tied with Buffalo, and are one point behind the 7/8 spot, currently shared by the Rangers and Pittsburgh. Florida is in 6th with 74 points, and Montreal in 5th with 75 points. Here's how they all fared yesterday:
Buffalo added goaltender Mikael Tellqvist and forward Dominic Moore, and lost forward Ales Kotalik. Good moves for the Sabres. With Ryan Miller out at least for the short-term, getting a backup G was paramount. Moore adds some energy and grit that the Sabres have been missing all year. This could push them into the playoffs, ultimately. It all hangs on their play in net.
Pittsburgh added forward Bill Guerin and defenseman Andy Wozniewski. They also picked up forward Craig Adams via waivers and added forward Chris Kunitz prior to the deadline. All to the good, I think. All four players should add some work effort, although none are the finisher to go with Crosby that Pens fans wanted. Plus, they waived the frustrating Miro Satan.
NY Rangers are trying for an Oprah makeover. New coach, new Sean Avery, plus winger Nik Antropov and defenseman Derek Morris. Although Morris is not the offensive sparkplug on the blueline the Rangers were looking for, he'll help matters, especially as this team still can't score. If Avery doesn't destroy the locker room, and losing 2/3 of their 3rd line doesn't hurt, it won't matter if they can't score, because with Lundqvist in net, they can still go far. I think they'll either surge and challenge Philly for the #4 spot, or flame out and miss the post-season altogether.
Florida only made one move, acquiring defenseman Steve Eminger from Tampa. But it's the move they didn't make -- trading D Jay Bouwmeester -- that will really pay dividends. The Panthers are a surprise playoff team right now, and are showing no signs of faltering. Barring a total collapse down the stretch, they'll make the playoffs, last for one series, and then lose Bouwmeester to free agency.
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Curse Continues
With the Denver Broncos late-season collapse, and the Minnesota Vikings playoff defeat yesterday, one of the most obscure curses in pro football will live for another year. Okay, maybe THE most obscure curse:
No player from my alma mater, William & Mary, has ever won a Super Bowl.
Not for lack of trying, mind you. Tribesters have played in eight SB games, with two games featuring a dynamic duo of W&M talent, Mark Kelso and Steve Christie. Here's the complete rundown:
XVII, Miami LB Steve Shull
XXI and XXII, Denver LB Jim Ryan
XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, Buffalo S Mark Kelso
XXVII, XXVIII, Buffalo K Steve Christie
XXXII, Green Bay S Darren Sharper
It probably won't change any time soon. The only W&M alums in the NFL currently are Denver TE/LS Mike Leach and Minnesota S Darren Sharper. Sharper didn't even last the entire game yesterday, depriving a national TV audience from seeing his amazing lack of tackling skills. His age and frequent injuries mean his time is likely running out. Leach has made his mark as a long snapper, so he could play for another, oh, 10 or 20 years. But I'm not holding my breath.
Of course, had Denver and Minnesota both gone on the the Super Bowl this year...
No player from my alma mater, William & Mary, has ever won a Super Bowl.
Not for lack of trying, mind you. Tribesters have played in eight SB games, with two games featuring a dynamic duo of W&M talent, Mark Kelso and Steve Christie. Here's the complete rundown:
XVII, Miami LB Steve Shull
XXI and XXII, Denver LB Jim Ryan
XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, Buffalo S Mark Kelso
XXVII, XXVIII, Buffalo K Steve Christie
XXXII, Green Bay S Darren Sharper
It probably won't change any time soon. The only W&M alums in the NFL currently are Denver TE/LS Mike Leach and Minnesota S Darren Sharper. Sharper didn't even last the entire game yesterday, depriving a national TV audience from seeing his amazing lack of tackling skills. His age and frequent injuries mean his time is likely running out. Leach has made his mark as a long snapper, so he could play for another, oh, 10 or 20 years. But I'm not holding my breath.
Of course, had Denver and Minnesota both gone on the the Super Bowl this year...
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Oh-fers
The Detroit Lions made history Sunday, becoming the first NFL team to finish a season 0-16. Officially, they are now the eighth team to complete a winless season. The complete list is:
1982 Baltimore Colts 0-8-1 (strike season)
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-14
1960 Dallas Cowboys 0-11-1
1944 merged team of the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers 0-10
1943 Chicago Cardinals 0-10
1942 Detroit Lions 0-11
1934 Cincinnati Reds 0-8
I remember the '82 Colts clearly -- my best friend at the time was a huge and very bitter Colts fan, and I'm old enough to remember the '76 Bucs. I was (still am) a Packers fan, a team with their own tough years in the '70s. So it made me feel good to have at least one team I could laugh at during those Monday morning football smackfests while waiting for the school bus. Those Bucs were awful -- shut out five times, failed to total 200 yards of offense five times, and a loss to that year's other expansion team, Seattle. Four quarterbacks took snaps for TB that year: Steve Spurrier, Parnell Dickinson, Terry Hanratty, and Larry Lawrence. None ever played in the NFL again. Still they made the playoffs three years later, riding a stout defense all the way to the conference championship -- one game from the Super Bowl. So take heart Lions fans, maybe you'll get there yet.
(Worst. Sign. Ever. Seriously, if you're going to make a sign for the whole football-watching world to see, try to make it look better than a Lions fist round draft pick.)
CREDITS: Photo, AP Photos; winless list, Yahoo Answers.
1982 Baltimore Colts 0-8-1 (strike season)
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-14
1960 Dallas Cowboys 0-11-1
1944 merged team of the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers 0-10
1943 Chicago Cardinals 0-10
1942 Detroit Lions 0-11
1934 Cincinnati Reds 0-8
I remember the '82 Colts clearly -- my best friend at the time was a huge and very bitter Colts fan, and I'm old enough to remember the '76 Bucs. I was (still am) a Packers fan, a team with their own tough years in the '70s. So it made me feel good to have at least one team I could laugh at during those Monday morning football smackfests while waiting for the school bus. Those Bucs were awful -- shut out five times, failed to total 200 yards of offense five times, and a loss to that year's other expansion team, Seattle. Four quarterbacks took snaps for TB that year: Steve Spurrier, Parnell Dickinson, Terry Hanratty, and Larry Lawrence. None ever played in the NFL again. Still they made the playoffs three years later, riding a stout defense all the way to the conference championship -- one game from the Super Bowl. So take heart Lions fans, maybe you'll get there yet.
(Worst. Sign. Ever. Seriously, if you're going to make a sign for the whole football-watching world to see, try to make it look better than a Lions fist round draft pick.)CREDITS: Photo, AP Photos; winless list, Yahoo Answers.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
We're No. 26!! We're No. 26!!
No no, not Erik Cole. And not quite the same ring as being number 1, but...
...in Hockey's Future Fall 2008 Organizational Rankings, which assesses the prospect pools of all NHL teams, the Hurricanes ranked 26th. "Wow, that's....special," I hear you saying. Well it is when you consider that the 'Canes were 30th -- dead last -- in 2007, and even the Hockey News ranked their prospects 29th in its own pre-season ranking. You can read for yourself here, and soak in all the backhanded compliments the folks at HF have to offer.
The new #30? Our favorite: New Jersey.
...in Hockey's Future Fall 2008 Organizational Rankings, which assesses the prospect pools of all NHL teams, the Hurricanes ranked 26th. "Wow, that's....special," I hear you saying. Well it is when you consider that the 'Canes were 30th -- dead last -- in 2007, and even the Hockey News ranked their prospects 29th in its own pre-season ranking. You can read for yourself here, and soak in all the backhanded compliments the folks at HF have to offer.
The new #30? Our favorite: New Jersey.
Friday, December 12, 2008
I Thought They Won?
After holding a 5-1 lead into the 3rd period, the Canes end up with a 6-5 shootout loss to Philadelphia. That's what I get for turning off the computer after 40 minutes.
Although it's a terribly tough loss to swallow, there were still some good signs here, right? Five goals scored; a big lead through two periods against a tough Eastern Conference opponent; solid play (finally) from Eric Staal. Still, a loss is a loss, and the team's confidence has to be even shakier after that ugly third period. This may be the biggest example where blame can be pointed squarely at the ginormous pile of injuries this team has suffered: four recent AHL call-ups on the blue line, and Leighton in net. The inexperience obviously showed late.
Next game: Saturday in New York vs. the Rangers. A couple of questions must be asked:
1. Will Seidenberg and even Gleason be back on defense? Let's hope so, as the team needs some veteran stability on the back line now more than ever.
2. Is this the time to give Peters his first start? If the Canes play poorly, would it be worse to have Leighton or Peters in net? Whose confidence would be shaken more?
Anyway, we're still in a tough stretch for the Canes. After the Rangers, it's games against Montreal, Florida, Boston, and Montreal again. All tough games, even now given the recent surge by the Panthers. Is going 2-3 in this next stretch too much to ask?
Although it's a terribly tough loss to swallow, there were still some good signs here, right? Five goals scored; a big lead through two periods against a tough Eastern Conference opponent; solid play (finally) from Eric Staal. Still, a loss is a loss, and the team's confidence has to be even shakier after that ugly third period. This may be the biggest example where blame can be pointed squarely at the ginormous pile of injuries this team has suffered: four recent AHL call-ups on the blue line, and Leighton in net. The inexperience obviously showed late.
Next game: Saturday in New York vs. the Rangers. A couple of questions must be asked:
1. Will Seidenberg and even Gleason be back on defense? Let's hope so, as the team needs some veteran stability on the back line now more than ever.
2. Is this the time to give Peters his first start? If the Canes play poorly, would it be worse to have Leighton or Peters in net? Whose confidence would be shaken more?
Anyway, we're still in a tough stretch for the Canes. After the Rangers, it's games against Montreal, Florida, Boston, and Montreal again. All tough games, even now given the recent surge by the Panthers. Is going 2-3 in this next stretch too much to ask?
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