Snowzilla

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/anchorage/story/630926.html

Shake-up

Well, the team shake-up I expected is coming a few games later than I predicted. Today, the Senators GM promised to do just that. I'm not sure that it puts you in the best bargaining position to tell the media that a "shake-up" is coming. But, c'mon how many GMs don't know that an underachieveing team is trading/dealing under a position of weakness. I'm interested to see what, if anything happens. It won't be that soon, however. As, the holiday roster freeze is coming up. So, probably something to announce early next year/month.

 

I did read that the Heatley/Spezza/Alfredsson line is being broken up, among 3 different lines. So be it. Those guys haven't had the mojo this year. I think Heatley and Spezza will do less defensive damage on separate lines. The fourth line can remain intact; as they are the only ones playing hard. (Kelly, Neil and Fisher being exceptions) I think Volchenkov was missed last night, too.

Horrible

Well, last night's game was another stinker. Not too many scoring chances and lackadaisical play. The 4th line was out there to bang around and gets some shots. But no one else seemed interested. The Top Line couldn't play defense and effectively neutralized themselves, by being in their own zone too much. Chris Neil attempted to spark the team with a freight-training, open ice check. It woke-up the Thrashers and did nothing for the Sens. Gerber was OK, but gave up two quick goals in the 3rd to further demoralize the team. Good thing the Kings are decent, 'cause I'm having a hard time watching this crap. If the team is playing to get Hartsburg fired, they are doing an excellent job.

Benching

Well, inconsistency rules. The Sens still can't seem to bring a solid 60 minutes. They have averaged 0.66 goals the last 3 games and are a surprising 1-2, thanks to a Gerber shutout. Sens/Lightning had to be one of the most boring games I've seen this year. They are the bottom two ranked offensive teams and it showed. I think I've reached the limits of my patience with the team.

 

Hartsburg has talked about benching players to the media. Although, he admits that it is a bit of a coaching cop-out. I agree. Pro players should respond without having to go that route. But I also think that whatever methods he's used so far are not working.

Consistently Inconsistent

Well, after a world beating perfornace against the Penguins, the Sens lost in OT to the Panthers. They got a point, but a very disappointing point. No where near the level of play displayed against Crosby and Co. That's when I realized what has been missing. Beside the obvious lack of consistent offense, the defense has not been physical. My boy Volchenkov had returned to his former wrecking-ball self and neutralized two of the best young players in the League (in the Pens game). The Panthers were allowed to skate all over the place. A pretty big 180 in intensity.

Gerber is schedule to start tonight. I agree with this move. Auld was not great in his last two games. Last game was the first time I've seen him allow a 'marginal' goal. Gerber is rotting away on the bench and Auld might need a rest. It's a good excuse to give Gerber a start. Who knows, maybe Gerber is up to the task.

 

Q-school

Did you happened to notice who's leading Q-school qualifying? No, I'm not talking about Michelle Wie. Although her leading the women's Q-school is no small feat. I heard on the radio that James Nitties is currently on top. James who? Yeah, unless you watch The Big Break the guy isn't a household name. But here's to pulling for the Aussie.

Magic Jerseys

The emergency is over, the Sens won. Everyone is happy and relieved and the Senators are back! Well, that's what the hockey media is saying this morning. I will agree that they had a convincing victory in the 5-1 thrashing of the Thrashers. Granted the Thrash were playing back-to-back road games, are the worst team in the league, and one of the worst defensively ranked teams. But the Sens have lost three times to the Islanders in 'easy' games this year, so nothing is taken for granted anymore.

 

The team did look good. Heatley/Spezza/Alfredsson were scoring. Donovan played really well with Fisher & Vermette. Defense was solid and PK killed off a long 5-on-3. To me Auld looked a bit shaky even though he only allowed 1 goal. But about time that the team support the goalie and not the other way around. There were a few early fights, so everyone came to play. It was nice to see. Now they just need to do that every game, and against the top teams in the league. They get a change to prove it against the Penguins on Saturday...

 

I secretly think it's the new 3rd jersey. Those black beauties are like a superhero's costume. Put it on and miraculous things happen. As superstitious as hockey players are, I wouldn't be surprised to see them replace the red jersey.

30 of 30

If the Sens lose tonight they become the bottom team of the NHL. A rather dubious destinction. I think some shake-up of the team is coming if they lose tonight. The team has had enough time to adjust to the new head coach. They are playing pretty well defensively (6th overall), but aren't scoring like last year despite having pretty much the same forwards. I wouldn't be surprised to see a has-been forward or two come to town. I don't think that's a good answer. I'm hoping for an offensive resurgence with the current personnel instead.

Beware of Godzilla...

I found an interesting story about Toho lawyers making sure that Godzilla is not copyright infringed. They even went after a blog that had a "-zilla" name like mine, and a skinny walking dinosaur-type logo. So, if one day this blog is gone, chances are the Godzilla police came after me. At least I don't have any images of Godzilla on my site and make zero profit from the site.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/11/godzilla-terror.html

Finally

Well its been a few games (like 6) but the Sens finally won. They had some pretty good efforts in the previous two games, only to lose in the shootout. So, technically they have points in their last 3 games. But the last home game against the Rangers was a solid victory. It was also the unveiling of the Senators 'new' third jersey. The theme was Back in Black; accordingly the new jerseys are black. I think they look really good. Black always looks good, but the styling of the red and white striping on the arms looks good on the players. What I don't really care for is the word "Sens" printed on the front. I do refer to the team as the "Sens". But I can already see people unfamiliar with hockey asking, "What is a Sen?". I tend to not like team name jerseys: Rangers, Islanders, Dallas, etc. It usually means that the marketing team can't make a decent logo. That's true in this case. I hate the Senators many logos. So maybe the "Sens" script is an improvement? I would have gone old school and brought back the big "O" logo instead. It may be kinda lame, but at least it has some tradition to it. The best logos are original six teams: Blackhawks, Redwings, Bruins, Maple Leafs, Montreal. So going old-school is at least justifiable, more so than with a nickname like "Sens". I will probably buy this jersey when it goes out of style at this time next year. But if it had a better logo, I would have been tempted to pay full price and get it now.

Winner

The Kings game was great. Before the game, AM radio color analyst Daryl Evans gave us a brief update on the Kings and Capitals. There was a raffle for some autographed pucks and stick. Alisia won an Anze Kopitar autographed puck. He's the first Solvenian pro hockey player and is known to befriend Sasha V of the Lakers. We both got free Kings hats, pretty cool. Alisia noticed that the color was blue instead of purple on the hats, so the joke was that we got the defective overrun hats. The game itself was good. The Kings can really clamp down on the defense and really limited the Caps scoring chances. Kings win 5-2.

Last

The Senators droped into 15th place in the Eastern Conference with the recent shootout loss to the Rangers. Seems like the team has more meetings than practices lately and the media has fully pushed the panic button. There are talks of blowing-up the team by trading for better defensemen, more scoring, a better goalie, new head coach, or new GM. Kind of like the Yankees, the Senators can't do anything without it getting picked up in the media. So, when the team struggles it's big news in Canada. To make matters worse both Neil and Fisher went out with knee injuries in the last game and look to be out for weeks. (At least that excludes them from trade rumors). It is frustrating to watch the team struggle so badly, and yet I keep expecting them to snap right out of it. They still have three of the top scoring forwards in the league; but no one is getting it done. I still wait for a turnaround.

 

Excited about the Kings/Capitals game tomorrow. We got a babysitter for the kids. The best part is that the babysitter is free! Alisia is hoping to meet Luc Robitaille. I doubt it, but it's not totally out of the realm of possibility. Luc has a high level marketing position with the Kings, he could appear. Either way the seats are good, around the 14th row of the bottom bowl, and I get a date evening without the kids.

First game of the season

I just scored tickets to the Kings game. Sweet. I love free tickets. I'd pretty much watch any free sporting event. (possibly not WNBA) As a bonus, they are playing the Capitals. I have yet to see Ovenchicken play live. That will be kewl. As a bonus, bonus I get to have dinner before the game.  Free meal and free game. The triple bonus is a chance to meet a player or telecaster at this dinner, win Kings swag in a raffle, and I have two tickets to this, not just one.  YES.

Afro's back!

Well, I usually save this space for hockey related info and opinion but there are always exceptions. This is one of them. I just read that Afro Samurai is going to be on Spike TV for season two. I didn't exactly see season one on TV, but happened upon the DVD set at a Suncoast store and bought it. It's great japanimation. Samuel L Jackson voices a particularly bad @ss samurai. There's also a twist in that the music is hip-hop inspired. I'm not a big fan, but it really makes for an interesting mix and it works. The character design is very good in the animation. So, I'm pretty pumped that they made a second season. I am just wondering how they got this trailer past me since I do watch a little Spike, with their ties to MMA/UFC.

 

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/11/afro-samurai-co.html

worse than the worst

Sens lost a disappointing game to the basement dwelling Islanders. I don't know what to say. They just don't look sharp. There was some running around in the defensive end during the Montreal game, but as a whole have been stronger than during the first 'slump'. They have just been making each goalie they face look like a stud. Ultimately, scoring 2 goals in the last 3 games is their problem. While the defense has improved, you don't win if you can't score. The Sens can't score.

 

I just heard that Barry Melrose got fired from the head coaching job of the Lightning. I'm a bit surprised that it happened this early. But I wasn't sure how much of a coaching pedigree Barry had other than letting Gretzky do his thing for the Kings. Melrose is a solid commentator so I don't think he will remain unemployed, but I would be surprised to see him as a head coach again.

500

Well, despite a recent turnaround the Senators returned to mediocrity. Having scored one goal in the last two games has been a low-light. Last night's game was supposed to be a measuring stick with Montreal expected to be a playoff contender. They failed that test and played inconsistent hockey. I'm starting to realize that a .500 record is in the cards unless a more consistent game is found. I'm not sure how much the new head coach can scream and yell. There's a lot of season left, but I'm disappointed in the last two games after looking promising the previous 4.

On another note, Kings 'backup' goalie Ersberg has looked promising winning a few games and that means bad news for LaBarbara.

Fan-atic

I will admit that I usually watch my Senators or Kings games with an appropriate team logo hat on. Which is kinda lame.  But I've taken it to a new level this year with a fake player jersey, t-shirt of Mike Fisher. Well, it did wonders for his career as he went pointless and minus-5, through the first 10 games. Last night he had an assist and the overtime game winner. Also, he's showing some chemistry with new linemate Alfredsson. These two guys can skate, so they bring a high speed attack to the second line. I hope this is the start to a solid season for Fisher.

NHL Notes

Damn. That's what I get for hyping Brodeur; I guess talking about a shutout record should be taboo, just like talking about a shutout before it happens. Martin, one of the most durable goalies in the league, went down with an elbow injury and looks to require surgery. Bottom line is 3-4 months of rehab, that's most of the season.  Bummer.

 

Speaking of goalies, I just discovered that another Marty has been horrible. Turco is sitting with a 4.0+ GAA and sub .900 SV%. No wonder Dallas is off to a rough start. Not that's its his fault, but a goalie standing on he head can hide a lot of problems/deficiencies on a team. So, naturally he gets the blame when the team is bad.

 

On the "not surprising" list is having Auld outplayed Gerber. Auld has made the stops he can see, plus a few he shouldn't. I think Auld has only allowed 1 regulation goal, the rest have been powerplay goals. Gerber wasn't making routine saves, much less the miracle stops. It's not hard to look good against that. But I give Auld credit for playing really well when given the chance. The team defense has definitely improved in front of him, but how much of that is more confidence that a few mistakes can be made without it ending up in the net?

 

 

Center Ice?

I missed this weekend's Senators game.  Usually that has to do with a last minute change in the channel guide, so that I end up taping nothing or the wrong game. What's one game out of 82? Well, I'm paying for the Center Ice Package and even though its only about $1.50 per game, I don't miss very many. This time neither Florida or Ottawa was televising the game, but there's not much anyone can do about that. On another note, I've noticed several games not being in HD. After watching HD hockey, it's really hard to go backward. The downside of having a big picture, is that a big blurry picture sucks that much more.

Turnaround

Going into last night's game the Sabres had not lost in regulation. Well, now they have. Sens came out with a solid, if not slightly overzealous effort. And won going away 5-2. Buffalo got a couple late powerplay goals, one a 5-on-3 advantage. Everything appeared rosey as all lines were playing well. Auld had a shutout going well into the third period. Defense played much better. A nice level of deperation was shown by all lines.

 

The bad side is too many penalties. Some were 'necessary' penalties that prevented a goal, and the Sens PK is very good. And I accept the occasional penalty for aggressive play. Or Fisher fighting a guy for what appeared a knee shot on Alfredsson.  But there were also some lazy play and retaliation penalties thrown in there too. Coach won't like that.

 

Auld was good, but also gave away the puck too much. He's an adventure when handling the puck. Fortunately none of those gaffes ended up in the net, so its fine. I'll give Auld a pass, since he has only played his third game this season. But I would like to see that type of unnecessary scoring chance eliminated. If he keeps up his solid play, Gerber will be riding the pine this season.

 

Apparently, the Sens owner has a horse ranch in Florida, which is their next game on this road trip. Melnyk is a less-annoying Mark Cuban of the NHL, too much of a fan at times and heavily invested in the team. He holds an annual lunch for the players at his ranch and it is scheduled before the Panthers game. I can't imagine the atmosphere if they had lost their fifth game in a row. One game does not make a season. But with a ton of pressure by the owner and facing a hot opponent, the Senators stepped it up. Now they just have to bring it with more frequency/consistency.

Suck

Well, I don't know what to say other than my team sucks right now. The Sens dropped their 4th game in a row last Saturday. Auld was pretty good, for taking so many shots and powerplays; he kept them in the game. Everyone else was frustrating. It's not like the team can't be good, but they are only good for flashes. Slow starts are the norm right now. And playing from behind hasn't been the Senators' strong suit. I'm worried 'cause this may lead to an unnecessary, drastic trade. Not time to push the panic button yet...

 

UFC 90 was horrible. I was pretty amped about watching Anderson Silva destroy somebody. So, when he just danced around for two rounds I wasn't amused. Then seeing Cote blow-out his knee for no apparent reason, was about the strangest finish I've ever seen in a fight. All the write-ups agree that it was a weird fight. I wonder what Silva was thinking? Is he bored? Dana White said that the fight was like a bad dream, I agree.

Random NHL update

A couple highlights from this week. Roenick had the deciding shootout game winner for the Sharks, over his old Philly squad. JR still has sick breakaway moves, if not breakaway speed. The shootout suits him. Brodeur got revenge over Sean Avery, shutting-out Dallas for his second shutout of the year. There's a countdown about him passing Patrick Roy in all time wins, and he should get it this year. I think he's also sneaking-up on 100 shutouts, or something crazy like that. Brodeur is the man. I have tons of respect for the guy. Speaking of goalies, the Sens and Kings continue to have issues. Labarbera and Gerber look soft at times. Gerber has had trouble with the first shot in most games, and has allowed some soft, back-breaking goals. Granted the team defense is up and down, but the soft goals are VERY soft. Naturally, the back-up Alex Alud will be getting his chance and it's tonight against Anaheim. If he's superman, he gets to start tomorrow too. I wish Gerber well, but the bottom line is that the team needs solid goaltending and if it's at the expense of Gerber getting a demotion, so be it. To add to this mess, Brian Elliott is tearing it up in the AHL and has yet to lose a game. 5-0-1. So, don't count the #3 goalie out either.

Blah

I've been waiting for hockey season to start for months and now that it is here I'm not too excited. Maybe it's the weather, still a bit too hot for hockey. Or maybe it is the gloomy economy getting me down. I just haven't been into the swing of things yet. Most likely, it was the Sens early start to the season and them only playing once in 10 days. Like their start to the season, I'm a little uninterested so far.

Underwhelming

Not a whole lot to say about the Senators. After looking pretty competitive in the first two regular season games, in Sweden, the Sens have looked very mediocre. At times the team looks good, but it is only for 20 minute stretches at best. Everyone is inconsistent. Defense, scorers, goaltending. But to be fair, Auld has only played one game and he was consistent. Grinders Nick Foligno and Jarkko Ruutu have been pretty solid. The rest of the team is a merry-go-round; always up or down and only going in circles.

At least Hartsburg has called his team out and challenged them. It's still early, but never too early to spank the team into action. This is exactly why they brought him in as the new coach. I look forward to results. Actually, I am expecting results.

RIP Kevin Ferguson

Well, the Kimbo hype-train has left the station. Dana White and 99% of the MMA world had called this one right, he was an over-hyped fighter that wasn't that good. Good for him to ride the 15 minutes of fame and cash-in. Now, the only thing EliteXC has going for it is the girls. I would like to see the Carano vs. Santos fight. Also, they are giving Eddie Alvares a lightweight title shot next month. But other than that, there's not a lot of future for EliteXC. I see their next move as signing Tito Ortiz, and who really wants to see that?

3 points

Well, the overlooked and underappreciated Senators got 3 of 4 points in their first two games in Sweden. The first was a penalty filled affair, but the Sens PK looked very sharp and aggressive. 5-on-5 the Sens struggled with the outlet pass, but fortunately, they didn't play much 5-on-5. Gerber was shaky.  Actually, I felt the Gerber was bad. He allowed goals on weak shots from bad angles at key points in the game.  A great way to deflate the team. But the Sens lost in overtime and at least got a point.

Game two featured a very sharp Alex Auld. He's a lot bigger than Gerber and fills the next. Auld was two seconds from a shutout and it was a powerplay goal at that.  The guy isn't awesome, but made the first shot stops that you expect. The defense was there to support him. I think the Sens will start him next game, or at least should. Heatley was impressive. He laid out to block a shot on the PK. The fact that he was even out on the PK was amazing. He actually hit a few guys too. But it was his all-world finishing ability that still amazes. If you saw him one-time a bouncing puck into the upper corner of the net, you might assume it was lucky. But he does it was a scary regularity.

The new look defense played very tough. I like the style of the team so far, even though the chemistry isn't quite there. Neil and Ruutu caused havoc, as expected. I am impressed with Winchester. I think he went undrafted and was a late-blooming college player that the Sens signed late last season. Well, the guy has turned out to be a stud along the boards. He almost always comes away with the puck or moves it effectively. I think he's a guy to watch.

New Uncle

Well, I'm quite proud to be a new uncle again.  I got word that everything went well and Baby Cole has arrived.  I'm glad everyone is healthy and happy; and that Kalani will have a sparring partner. 

 

On the sports front, the Senators open up their NHL season in Sweden against the Penguins. It's a nice homecoming for Alfredsson. The Sens had a pre-season game against his old Elite League team the Frolunda Indians.  Quite the home crowd.  So, I have two regular season games to watch this weekend and I'm pretty stoked. On the MMA front, Kimbo and Carano are fighting tomorrow, they are aways an interesting side-show. Tickets for the UFC fight in November has proved nearly impossible to get, so we are shooting for the December event. Wanderlei is fighting in that one, so I'm happy if we see it live; and it's a great excuse to go see Cole!

Darth Gerber

Well, I missed yet another pre-season game. I quickly figured-out that the one game I saw televised was a fluke. But there are 82 relatively meaningless games ahead, so missing a few pre-meaningless games don't bother me.  I do scan the write-ups, to see how guys are playing. I guess plugger/checker/fighter Chris Neil scored two powerplay goals last night; and also fought Aaron Asham. That's a pretty good night. Jesse Winchester got a lucky goal, but so far has not played himself off the top line with Spezza and Heatley. Winchester has been good along the boards and responsible defensively. Basically he can get the puck to Spezza and play defense for him. Marty Gerber debuted his new mask. It's sort of an inside joke. He thought he was going to be traded last year, so he never got his mask painted and was sporting an all black mask. Teammates eventually called him Darth Gerber. He ran with it and had this year's mask is painted with a Vader theme.  It's a pretty subtle design, but very fitting.

Pre-season

I usually don't get too excited about the pre-season. But, I usually don't get any game televised coverage either; for some reason the Sens/Rangers game was on MSG last Saturday. It was great! It's nice to see the prospect players play some-what regular shifts. And since the Sens have a new coach, that throws in another angle of interest. Alfredsson was a scratch for the game, but it was rumored that Jesse Winchester was getting a shot at playing with Heatley and Spezza. Well, he did and he looked good. Not great, but not out of place either. A few of the Sens new defensemen got burned and Schubert continued to be a literal "hit or miss" defenseman. Schubert will crush people with checks or gets caught flatfooted.

My boy Fisher scored a goal and he was paired with fellow wrecking balls Neil and newcomer Jarkko Ruutu. These guys looked like the best line on the team. Granted, it's not hard to have chemistry when the gameplan is to hit everyone and battle for the puck.

The game itself was penalty filled, as the refs looked to be re-enforcing the tight interpretation of obstruction calls. That was a bit of a downer, since most teams haven't focused on special teams play at this point in the pre-season.

Brian Elliott looked good in his 20 minutes of work. It was only one period, but even the Rangers telecaster were commenting on his ability to control/hold the puck. He was a Hoover vaccuum with rebounds. I think he deserves to start next game. We'll see what the coaches think.

Bottom line, I'm pretty excited about watching hockey again.

Training Camp

Training Camps are open in the NHL.  I've read that the Sens rookie prospects did well in a three team tournament over last weekend. Several players did well. So, most of those top guys will be invited to the main training camp. I kinda hoped/expected one guy to stand out above the rest. That would almost be better, but several of the forwards had good games. It is difficult to give several guys a shot, rather than testing one guy. I think there's room for one or two forwards to make the team and one defenseman. The defenseman is Brian Lee. He played well for a few games late last season and looked like he belonged. For him to not make the big club this year would be a disappointment.

 

The forwards are another story. There are several grinder-types, Winchester, Foligno, Bass; that got playing time last season and did well. But the Sens need a point producer for the top lines. There are a couple skilled Russians with an outside shot at it. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be great to discover a skill player that blossoms this year. I think that Winchester will get a chance at playing on one of the top lines. I hope he clicks.

 

The Sens have basically, two backup goalies. Well, Gerber is a second tier starter. He played very well for stretches last season. But the consistency just isn't there; and to be fair the team played horribly at times. I have to believe that his small size doesn't help. New to the team is Alex Auld, a journeyman.  At least he has a large frame. This is where Brian Elliott comes in. A bit of a draft gem, since they took a flier on him as the second to last draft pick in '03. He ended-up eventually taking Wisconsin to a NCAA championship. He's turning out to be a solid goaltender, played well in the AHL last year. I hope he impresses, but will probably only get a couple call-up during this season. Another year in the AHL would not be so bad. But should either goaltender falter, I say bring him up and see what he can do!

 

Transformers 2

While I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of Transformers the Movie, I did think it was fun with good visual effects. I do like Shia LeBeuf (sp?) and didn't mind Megan Fox. I've seen quite a bit about the vehicles that are supposed to be in the next movie: Corvette, Volt, split window Solstice coupe, etc.  But, this was the first time I saw this... Constructicons in the movie! Yeah, these guys were construction vehicles that formed the big Devastator bot, much like the Voltron & it's lions. It got me thinking that the Dinobots would be kewl to see, but maybe in the tired third installment.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/12/transformers-2-to-feature-devastator-1-decepticon-made-of-5/

UFC 91

Big news in the MMA World.  Randy Couture ended his retirement/contract issues with the UFC and re-signed a 3 fight deal. I think the writing was on the wall for him, since his lawsuit against Zuffa was not going well. Both sides now seem satisfied, and so am I, as Couture is fighting in November to defend his title against Brock Lesnar.  That's a pretty big fight and is expected to rake in a ton of money. My work buddy is currently trying to work an angle to get tickets.  That would be cool.

I'm a little disappointed, because it also means the Couture vs Fedor fight is a long way off.  Dana White has vowed to not do a cross-promotion with Affliction and Fedor is signed-on for at least two more fights.  White has failed to sign Fedor before, so the guy must be making serious demands. After destroying Tim Sylvia, his stock is sky-high again.  I honestly don't think the Couture fight will ever happen.

It is also unfair for Check Congo. He was supposed to get the next shot at Lesnar.  Now, he won't fight Lesar or get a title shot anytime soon. Couture/Lesnar is title bout #1.  Nogueria vs Mir is the fight for the interim heavyweight title, #2.  The winner of each of those fights, will battle for the undisputed/unified heavyweight title, #3. That leaves Congo the odd man out until at least the middle of next year? To add insult to injury, Lesnar is getting a title shot after 2 UFC fights and a 1-1 professional record.  So, in theory Lesnar could be the UFC Heavyweight Title holder at 3-1 for his career. I will admit the guy is a unique, freak of nature with size, speed and athleticism.  But I don't like the unearned respect and status he's been given.

Buh-Bye Meszaros

I am pretty disappointed to see Meszaros get traded to Tampa Bay.  But good for him.  He wanted more money and got it. Tampa is quickly becoming the "Rangers of the Southeast" with their new ownership that is throwing money at any and all available talent this summer.  I'm glad that Murray ended the Meszaros drama sooner than later and got a solid, experienced (read: older) defenseman, prospect defenseman, and '09 first rounder in return.  Next year's draft is supposed to be deep and the Sens now have two first rounders.

Meszaros had an awesome rookie year, but has tailed-off the last two seasons.  Interesting, that Wade Redden also tailed off the last two years and he's gone to the Rangers. What happened two years ago?  The Sens dealt Chara, instead of Redden.  In hindsight, I think they chose wrong.

I am holding a cautious optomism about the Senators 'new look' defense. New to the team are Jason Smith, Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard & Ryan Shannon.  Back from last year, Volchenkov and Phillips are studs. Jason Smith is a former captian and veteran warrior. Kuba is a big, veteran D-man with a heavy point shot. (Picard and Shannon are probably prospects.) Add-in youngster Brian Lee and Christoph Schubert and that's the top 6.

I'm glad that the Senators are re-tooling with solid, character guys. But I do miss Joe Corvo.  The guy was a turnover machine at times, but was a dynamic skater coming out of the zone. His spot was supposed to be filled by Meszaros. Now, there isn't anyone to fill that role. I'm hopeful that Brian Lee will be that guy, but that's a lot to be putting on a first year player....

OGA

Had a great time last weekend! Both of the courses did not disappoint.  The speed of play was a bit lacking, especially at San Dimas, but the courses were not dog tracks. The driving range at San Dimas was interesting; basically a modified batting cage. We saw a person nail the metal posts and get a riccichet coming back at them.  But I liked the Mountain Meadows course, and it did have mountains or at least hills. The cart turned out to be the wise/lazy man's option. The course offered a great view and new perspective of the Pomona Swap Meet and the airport.  Johnny tore it up to take the overall championship.  I think everyone had a good time and the BBQ was fun. I am looking forward to the next event, though it may be early next year with little Cole Gianni Jr on the way in a month or so. 

Olympics

It happens every two years.  I end up watching the Olympics to all hours of the night. (Yes, I watch the winter Olympics too)  But, what can you say about the Michael Phelps drama. I thought it was awesome. Yeah, he absolutely dusted the competition in some of his events, but the 4x100 free relay and 100 fly finishes were amazing. I'm glad it's over, because I can get some sleep now.  I'm OK with watching some of the remaining events via DVR.  There have been a lot of comparisons of Phelps to Spitz and Carl Lewis; who's the greatest olympian, athlete, or whatever. But there's no deying that Spitz had a sick pornstar moustache.  Combine that with the red, white & blue speedo, some attitude and you have the ultimate Olympic pimp. Carl Lewis can't sing and reminds me of a Gary Coleman/Michael Jackson combination too much.  Phelps seems like an all around good guy, I hope he can translate that into some endorsements.  I don't mind him getting paid for swimming success.  Also, the story about him getting down 12,000 calories a day makes him a superhero in my mind.  Like an amphibious Kobayashi!

 

I have been watching volleyball, water polo, diving, some gymnastics, trampoline, and handball.  I can admire the strength of gymnastics and body control of diving and trampoline, but it kills me that these sports are judged events. I know that all sports are judged/officiated to some extent. But it can often be a tough pill to swallow. In my mind, judged sports are not true sports in a lot of respects. This reasoning happens to make bowling and billiards more of a sport than gymnastics, so it's not perfect.  Also, I consider basketball a judged sport more than officiated at times.  Anytime there are refs or judges there are bound to be problems.

 

Handball is awesome. I first saw this sport 4 or 5 olympics ago. It's a hybrid of water polo, basketball and volleyball.  The men's is especially cool, 'cause the guys go flying in the air from the shooting line. If you have never seen it, make it a point to check it out.

OGA '08

I'm pretty stoked about the upcoming OGA event. It's been a long time since the last 'official' event.  It will be a good excuse to see the family and have a good time. I haven't played either of the courses, and it's always nice to tryout a course for the first time.  The only downside is that we are going in completely blind; I didn't get any recommendations for these courses. So, if they are dog tracks, I'm responsible for not doing better homework.  The bottom line is that I was pretty much limited to what was available and that turned out to be... not much. Sunday mornings are busy. It's a good thing there are so many courses in the SoCal area. I was bound to find something with tee times in the morning. I'm hopeful we will get lucky with the shape of the course.  But either way, it should be a good time. Who knows?, a total dog track may make it that much more memorable.

My New Alarm Clock...

Here's the Wake 'n Bacon alarm clock that wakes you up with the smell of bacon. It was possibly inspired by an episode of The Office, where Michael sets his George Foreman grill to a timer with bacon in it. As a bacon fan myself, it is an interesting concept. But I guess I'm not THAT hardcore.

 

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/07/alarm-clock-wak.html

Vermette & Bowman

Well, I'm glad to announce that the Senators avoided a potentially nasty arbitration case with Vermette.  It was a 2-year deal paying out $2.5MM and $3.0MM. I think this is fair.  He might have been awarded a bit more, but in my mind it was not worth going through the hearing. There is also a mutual understanding that he is expected to produce more and will be given the opportunity to do so.  I think this is what the guy has been waiting for. It is put up or shut up time. He will still bring an NHL leading faceoff percentage, penalty killing and world class speed. Now he just has to score 35+ goals...

 

In others news, Scotty Bowan was hired as a hockey advisor to the Blackhawks next year.  As a Red Wing fan, I'm curious as to why he would leave Detroit.  I always considered him a secret weapon and assumed his scouting of teams and tremendous experience were invaluable to the Wings.  But, it seems that this move is a homecoming of sorts, as his son is the assistant GM of the 'Hawks. As a young, up-and-coming team, his experience may help speed their rise to prominence.

Randy Couture meets Ono Boys

So Kalani and I went to Barnes & Noble last night and got a photo-op with Randy Couture at his book signing. In the 10 seconds or so of standing there with him, he was a genuinely nice guy. I know it's in his best interest to put on a good face, but he gave everyone a smile and thanked them for coming. It also didn't hurt that he liked Kalani and gave him a high-five and fist bump. So the guy's OK in my book. I also noticed Kim Couture on a back patio, but she was unavailable for a photo-op.

The back story is that my fellow MMADudes.com friend Scott, went with me. He got us two Xtreme Couture t-shirts at the last minute and after work, with the hopes that Randy would sign them. It was clear from the signs that he wasn't going to sign other stuff. But, we took them in anyway. Well, Scott got a case of mudbutt from Jamba Juice on an empty stomach, or nerves from being within 50-feet of an MMA Legend. So, he bailed to the bathroom at the last second. I had Kalani, camera, book & stroller so only Alisia could have handled that while also pulling out a t-shirt and sharpie. Bottom line? No t-shirt autograph. Bummer. At least Scott saved the receipt, so I'm not out $40 for a t-shirt I'll never wear.

Below is a Qik video I shot with my phone.

Meeting The Natural

Going with Scott to Randy Couture's book signing at Barnes and Noble tonight. We tried to buy his t-shirt for him to autograph, but haven't found any yet. It's 11th hour. So, we will probably settle on a book and photo-op.  Well, I didn't really want to shell out $50 for a t-shirt anyway and there was no guarantee he would sign it.

RFA: Antoine Vermette

Well, it's 24 hours and counting for Vermette. 'Twan is going to an arbitration hearing if the team doesn't sign him. I will admit that the guy is a classic underachiever, but he's worth a 2-3 year extension.  Is having inconsistent, superstar skill a blessing or a curse? Because it wouldn't be a surprise if the guy blossomed next season, and was playing with another team.  Even if he peaks out at 22 goals, 65 points, that's not a bad deal.  But players have egos, and those can get crushed at a nasty arbitration hearing; where the point is to show the weaknesses and flaws in a player. Sign the guy already.

 

 

12 pounds of satay?

MLE (Major League Eating) debuted in Singapore last weekend and Kobayashi got a bit of revenge.  He beat Joey Chestnut in a chicken satay eating contest. He put down roughly 12 pounds in 12 minutes, with Chestnut trailing at 9 pounds. A side note was that Kobayashi's hair was blue this time around.

Quiet Times

Well, there hasn't been too much NHL news of late.  Apparently the Canucks are interested in Vermette.  I am conflicted.  The guy has all the talent in the world, a good attitude, but marginal finishing ability. Trading him for a solid, young, big, offensive defenseman might not be a bad deal.  But that's exactly when the guy breaks out. There's also no Tiger right now, so the golf world is quiet. I still hit golf channel but the 'regular' sports sources don't care about golf if Tiger ain't playing or Daly ain't drinking. There have been some good MMA fights lately.  Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva showed why they are the considered the best fighters in the world by destroying their opponents. I also caught some of the recent Dream 5 tournament. It was great. The fighting style is more technical. Either kickboxing or submission based dudes squaring off, very few ground-and-pound wrestler types. Also, the fighter walk-ins are quite a production and Bas Rutten is the John Madden of MMA announcers. To make things further quiet, Alisia took the kids to see her family.  So, I saw The Dark Knight. Aptly titled.  It's a dark movie, but exactly what I expected and fully enjoyed. By far one of the best interpretations and adaptions of Batman and comic books in general to the big screen. That's all the misc ramblings I have for now.

Jaws 2008

Long before a Tiger roamed the links there was a different predator that ruled, The Shark. Norman currently leads the British Open.  Even if it is only the 36-hole lead, what a great story. I like that Norman is relevant again, even if for only a day; but I hope it's for a weekend. The guy has built an empire from his golf earnings, and it's something that Tiger could aspire to. But Tiger already has a mountain of cash without significantly investing any of his endorsement earning or prize winnings. As much as I like Tiger's heroics, it's Norman's collapses that are legendary and make him more human and sympathetic. C'mon Sharky!

Murray the next Kings Coach

Terry Murray was announced as the head coach of the LA Kings today. He's probably best known for taking the Flyers to the Cup Final during the Eric Lindros/Legion of Doom era. He's been around and can handle the young Kings team. I wanted Nolan, but he was more of a wildcard. The interesting thing is that Terry Murray is the brother of Bryan Murray, GM of the Senators. So, I will be monitoring this family quite a bit next year.

3-way

I've heard about a possible trade involving the Sens, Kings, Blackhawks and goalies. Sens would get Khabibulin and Seabrook.  Kings get Gerber and Meszaros.  Chicago gets Kopitar. It doesn't make sense to me on several fronts. The Kings need goaltending, but not at the expense of Kopitar, at least not for Gerber. Sens would probably not give up Meszaros to get Khabi. I don't feel that Khabi is a good replacement for Gerber, more expensive and more mileage. The trade just doesn't add-up.

 

Note to Kings: Ted Nolan is available.

The Isles fired Ted Nolan with a year remaining on his contract. This is surprising since he was responsible for getting a pretty weak roster to over-achieve and make the playoffs. It's also not surprising, since Ted Nolan is a strong hockey personality and speaks his mind, which basically got him a bad rep and out of the NHL for the last 8 years. But the Islanders management is more than a bit wacky, so I can't blame Nolan if there were personality differences. I really like him as a coach. I think it could be a good hire for the Kings.

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure how Nolan will do with such a young club. He is known for over-playing the veteran performers, if necessary.  But there aren't any on this team.  Armstrong, Handzus, & Gauthier? The best players are under 30, on the Kings.  Still, I think it's worth a shot. If it fails miserably, at least the Kings would have a shot at John Tavares (the Next, Next Gretzky) in the draft, for finishing last.

Mr. Smith goes to Ottawa

The Senators signed defenseman Jason Smith to a 2-year deal. I think it's a good deal. His $2.6-million/year salary won't break the bank. And he's a solid defenseman with tons of character. A shot blocker. Pretty much your defensive defenseman. He was captain in Philly last year and a big part of Edmonton's Cup run. He can take Luke Richardson's spot as veteran and mentor of the young half of the defense corps. A player that will take charge of the dressing room. Ottawa needs a guy that will call players out, if necessary. I think that trait is worth most of his salary.

Dasvidanya Emery

Ray signed with Russian Continental League team Atlant Mytishchi, for a reported $2-million dollar (or 756 trillion rubles, JK).  I wish him luck.  Apparently not too many teams were interested in his services or willing to take a chance on his limited upside and vast downside. I wonder if they will send to Siberia if he acts up for the Russian League?

Overtime Thriller!

It was a close one. Joey Chestnut jumped out to an early lead, but was caught and passed by Kobayashi. With a minute left Kobi still had a 1.5-2 dog lead. Chestnut made an awesome effort to catch-up. Well, they called it a tie after 10 minutes of battle. Apparently, there is a 5 hotdog sudden death contest to decide the winner. My hero has fallen. Kobayashi loses to Chestnut. It was a tough way to start the 4th.

NATHAN's in HD

So I've read that ESPN is covering the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in HD this year. Yes! That will mean Kobayashi in HD. I'm pulling for him to regain the title this year. Contest is 12PM EST. So set the TIVO if you are sleeping in past 9AM PST.

Hot Wings

Well, you just won the Stanley Cup. What do you do for an encore? Get one of the best wingers you played against in the Finals to play on your team. Word has it that Marian Hossa has signed with the Red Wings. It might just be an early rumor, but this is a pretty sweet signing for Detroit. It's only a one-year rental deal, but much wiser than the trade deadline deal the Penguins pulled. The Wings are not losing anything other than cap space and have a full year to get Hossa up to speed with the team. Hossa might just fit with the Wings style, and is a proven finisher. Damn. Best team in the NHL just got better.

 

Also, the Wings signed another piece of the Penguins yesterday in Ty Conklin. The Wings have a thing for goalies that are re-proving/reinventing themselves. Conky almost supplanted Fleury for the Penguins starter role, when Fleury's game went south at mid-season last year. He saved them from a mid-season collapse as the wheels were coming off for the team. I don't think there's a better backup free agent goalie, and the Wings got him for $750K.

 

Some nice moves by Detroit so far.  But that's the luxury of having most of your team already intact and just adding chrome detailing to the engine.

 

 

"Free" Agency Madness Begins

Free Agency opened up today and teams were dealing and signing. I was hoping to hear that the Senators had landed Brian Campbell to replace Wade Redden, but it was not to be.  The Blackhawks threw $56-million at him for 8 years.  I wouldn't have wanted the Sens to give him that, so I'll let that one slide.

The Hawks threw big dollars at Huet, too. He's going to get $5.6/year, for 4-years. Too bad. I was just starting to like him as a starter for Washington. There was quite a bit of goalie movement in day #1.  Huet's signing lead to the Capitals going after Theodore; $4.5/year for 2-years. A bit of a gamble in my mind. Kolzig bolted to Tampa Bay. Cujo signed with the Leafs (sort of a pre-retirement homecoming). Lalime went to the Sabres. Finally, the Senators signed Alex Auld.

 

I'm not crazy about the Auld signing. There's not much else out there, so I can't name a better option. At least he is cheap at 1-million. I am ultimately hoping that Brian Elliott shows he can play in the NHL. With Auld they don't have to rush Elliott, but I would really love to see him force a buyout of Auld next year and complete with Gerber for the starting role.

 

So far, no one has signed Wade Redden or taken a flyer on Emery.

Lubo Shipped to Oilers

Lubomir Visnovsky and his long term contract are heading out of LA.  I'm a bit surprised by this. I believe that he signed that $28MM, 5-year deal last summer.  Three years ago he was the teams leading scorer.  So, after one bad season, they shipped him out of town?  It makes the GM look bad at fist glance.  The other thing that bothers me is they got marginal return.  Jarret Stoll is coming off a disappointing season himself, and Matt Greene has limited offense potential for a defenseman.  They didn't immediately replace Lubo, that's for sure.  I have a feeling there's more to this story than meets the eye. He must have wanted to be traded. Maybe the Kings are confident in their defensemen of the future: Jack Johnson or Thomas Hickey or Drew Doughtry coming in to fill the void. But of these guys, only Johnson is NHL ready.  Outside possibility for Doughtry.

 

I like the move since it brings in two tough players for one expensive skill guy.  And the Kings need a young physical shutdown defenseman. As a salary cap move, it could be a shrewd if Lubo continues a steady statistical decline.  But Lubo will not be easy to replace.  And this could look like a typical Kings disaster move, if he regains his form with the Oilers and Stoll doesn't find his mojo. 

FINALLY!

Well, it has absolutely nothing to do with hockey, but I'm stoked about the news.  Diablo III is coming.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/diablo3/news.html?sid=6193137

I can't begin to explain the amount of hours spent on this RPG. To me, it's the original and best. Others have come along with better graphics, story, and definitely more intricate. But it's the simpicity of Diablo that is it's draw. Hacking though legions of monsters, for hours on end and trying to find one-in-a-million super rare item drops. It sounds like no release date in the near future.  But I've all but abandoned the PC for gaming.  Something to look forward to. It's like Christmas.  The waiting is most of the fun...

Big Mac

Well, sad news in that the Senators have sent my favorite pugilist, Brian McGratton, to Phoenix for a late round 2009 draft pick.  He will be missed, but his playing time was down to an all time low last season.  He should get ice time with Gretzky's desert dogs. McGratton is a big dude with solid fighting skills; knows his role and does it well.  I think he has above average skating ability for an enforcer, but Ottawa just didn't use him anymore.  I wish him luck.

Mud Monster

Well, the pictures from the Mud Run finally came out.  There were TONS of photos to comb through, but I found one of myself and my team.  The team one has a huge watermark going through it, so it will have to be purchased.  I'll post it when it gets cleaned-up or purchased.  But here is me drinking mud in the final mud pit.  I am considering doing the next Mud Run, which is in October.  Will keep you posted.

Drafty in here...

Well, there was some Draft Day excitement as far as trades. The Coyotes get Olli Jokinen for Ballard and Boynton.  I think Gretzky is giving up too much for Jokinen.  Cammalleri goes to the Flames, he could be dangerous with Jarome.  Will be something to look for next year. Tanguay goes to Montreal.  Montreal also landed Mats Sundin if he will waive his no-trade clause.  Chris Mason is in St. Louis next year.  Manny isnt getting any younger and I can see Mason splitting time with him. R.J. Umberger in Columbus. I see Hitchcock finding an effective role for this guy and success with the Jackets.

 

Ottawa traded up a few spots to get Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson in the first round. Projected to be an offensive defenseman to run the powerplay, but doesn't have an NHL body yet.  I'm not a huge fan of trading up, but it at least shows some confidence and conviction in your scouting, which is good; or at least gives a good impression that you know what you are doing.  We won't know for 2-3 years.

 

Ottawa also, re-signed UFA Chris Kelly, 4-years $8.5MM.  Kelly has superior hockey smarts, is great on the PK, solid work ethic but maybe lacks upper end finishing skill. So, $2-million/year is a lot for a role player, but the guy could only get better. He has worked hard just to make the NHL, that work ethic is what separates him from most players.  I'm glad to see him on the roster.  PK and checking line was horrible when late last season when he was out with an injury.

 

Kings got Drew Doughty with the second overall pick.  This draft featured a lot of high-end defensemen and Drew is supposed to be one of them.  I hope he turns out.  The Kings really need young defensive help.

 

Wings got a goalie, Thomas McCollum with the 30th pick.  I guess Jimmy Howard is NHL ready and should split time with Ozzie next year.  McCollum replenishes the farm team with a goalie.  BTW.  Keep note of Jesper Samuelsson.  Who's that? Detroit's 7th round pick. Even though he's the 211th pick, the Wings always have some late round guys that turn out to be diamonds.  You heard it here first.

Adios Razor

In the most un-surprising story of the day, Ray Emery and Dan Cloutier were waived from their respective teams.  Both moves were expected, at least by most people.  Cloutier is following Marc Crawford out the door of LA.  And I have to think it was partially the coaches downfall.  He clearly brought in Cloutier as his 'boy'.   And Cloutier never seemed to get over his knee injury of 2 years ago.

 

Emery is a cautionary tale.  He first caught a break, when the Dominator got injured and Ray Ray carried the load and showed solid skills.  The Sens acquired Gerber that summer, and Emery was probably put off by that.  In season #2 he proceeded to get attention to himself: by getting more tattoos, eating a cockroach to win a bet, and paint Mike Tyson on his mask.  I thought it was amusing and a clever distraction.  But it was really a warning sign.  Gerber faltered, and Razor lead the team to the Cup Finals. Doesn't get much better than that. Season #3 included wrist surgery over the summer and some late rehab.  Gerber took back his starting job.  Emery couldn't regain his form.  So, the fact that he mostly pouted, was late for practice, dogged it at practice, and road raged on old guys, instead of working hard did not impress the rest of the locker room or management.

 

I am not blaming Emery for the Senators implosion last year, but it didn't help things. I wish Emery luck.  Maybe he will wind up in LA for the time being.  They could use a Hollywood styled goalie, until one of their prospects matures; and he would come pretty cheap after the Senators buyout his contract.  Besides, the Kings haven't been much to watch the last few years and I would go to watch him fight. 

Draft '08

Well, the NHL draft is coming up this weekend.  Scouts are calling it one of the deepest drafts in recent history, especially defensemen.  Which is good news for the Kings, since they stockpiled something like 8 picks in the first 3 rounds and hold the #2 pick overall.  And the Kings desperately need young defensemen.  The bad news is that one or more teams always come out as huge losers.  They will look back and see how some poor 18 year old kid didn't pan out, that was chosen really high.  While another team got a Hall of Famer at #12.  I just hope the losing team isn't the Kings.

 

Unlike basketball, it is the exception to the rule for Entry Draft players to step into the lineup the next season.  I equate it to the NFL trying to run their draft based on 18 year old high school kids.  There's a ton of physical development that needs to go on before you take on men.  Could NFL franchises be successful picking kids that early, probably not.  Same for the NHL.  This is why I'm not too interested.  It's just too much of a crap shoot and you won't see if these guys turn out to be pros for several years.  Besides, the Red Wings will get some Swedish wonder kid in the 6th round that everyone else passed on.  They do it all the time.

Bum Knee

Well, it appears that Tiger is out for the season with impending knee surgery.  Apparently he was playing with a partial ACL tear and stress fractures in his tibia.  AM Sports Radio guys were wondering if he jeopardized his future, for the sake of winning this Major.  A good question.  But, a better one is what damage the PGA Tour will take without Tiger for the rest of the year.  I am a casual golf fan at best, but I do watch parts of the tournaments on weekends.  Do I watch it solely for Tiger?  Not really.  But do I have less incentive to watch if he isn't playing?  You bet.  Good luck with the ratings.

Mud Run

Well, hockey season is officially over.  My boycott of this blog is over, but now there's nothing to talk about.  So what would I do to have something to blog about???? 

 

OK.  So I've learned about this "Mud Run" that takes place at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base.  Apparently, it's a 10K run, but with obstacles such as: tires, river crossings, 460' hill, climbing walls, tunnel crawls & mud pits.  The highlight is the finishing mud pit, where contestants crawl in the mud under ropes for 30-feet.

 

Here's the link.

http://www.camppendletonraces.com/mud_extra.html

 

Course Map

http://www.camppendletonraces.com/mudmap.htm

 

So, I've known all year that this guy, Chad, from work was planning on doing this thing.  It has been sold out since the start of the year.  I guess it's pretty popular.  So, eight days before the competition, he tells me that he has an open spot on his 5-man team.  Damn, that would be cool to do; too bad I'm not in shape for something like that.  Then I had images of Makoto Nagano telling me, "It's a hardkore Ninja Warrior course, I would do it."  So, I alluded to being up for it and needed to consult the wife.  I'd officially confirm or bail on Monday.

 

Hmmm.  I've been "working-out" for about 8 months straight now.  But that consists of 10-15 minutes of cardio and mostly just lifting weights and eating a lot.  And my supposed cardio involves reading magazines while pretending to ride a stationary bike.  I've put on a solid 4 pounds of muscle and 8 pounds of fat.  My training was mostly tailored for competitive eating and least for distance training.  I was probably in much better shape when surfing 3-4 days a week; 15 pounds lighter if nothing else.  The last time I weighed this much, it put a lot of strain on my knees.  So, was running a 10K a very good idea?  I use the term "run" pretty liberally.  Could I finish jogging a 10K?  I needed a reality check.

 

So, Alisia was relatively supportive.  I expected an initial reaction of something like, "Are you crazy, fatass?"  But, she was concerned that I would obviously push myself too hard and finish the race, whether I was in shape to do it or not.  Yeah, that's about my assessment of the situation.  I can count on Alisia to be honest and accurate for the most part, but usually over-react at first.  She let me down by not over-reacting.  I was concerned about letting Chad's team, the Mud Monsters, down since you have to finish the race as a 5-man group.  So, obviously the slow guy determines your overall time.  I just made it clear with him that they had better not expect to be competitive, but it sounded like a casual competition.  I was 50% committed in my mind.

 

Then I took a closer look at that course map.  The obstacles by themselves looked pretty fun.  Who doesn't like being sprayed with a fire hose?  Or crawling in the mud?  Or crossing rivers?  But then there's the whole running part.  And the biggest obstacle was the 460' hill climb.  What am I saying, 460' is a small mountain.  50' is a hill.  Oh, there is a 50' hill, but its slippery and a guy at the top has a fire hose to push you back down.  This might just kill me....

 

So I did a few 'practice' jogs to check exactly how bad my fitness level was.  I jogged to Jamba Juice and that was pretty rough.  Then I played golf for 9-holes the next day.  I was talking-up the race to my golf buddies, so I pretty much had to do the race or face much shame.  I told Chad I was officially "in" the next day.  I tried running hills to prepare.  Hills are tough.  Which is obvious, but running downhill is not easy either; not so obvious. There's some technique involved to relax and get very close to out of control. 

 

Anyway I was pretty nervous.  We started pretty slow, because there was a mass of humanity in front of us.  Things got a little more spaced out in the monster hill climb.  The river crossing was probably my favorite part; kind of a half swim/wading action.  The final mud pit was a blast; drank a little brown water.  But it turns out that I didn't hold the group back (entirely) and we finished in the top half of the Mens Team group.  Pretty cool.  The bruised heel I got from the race, not so cool.  But I actually feel pretty good otherwise.  I am considering doing it again....

Coaches

Well, it looks like Hartsburg is the guy for Ottawa.  After rumors of De Boer getting the head coaching job, it was announced today that Hartsburg got a 3-year deal.  I am not sure if he was in Anaheim when Murray was there, but it wouldn't surprise me.  I am undecided about Hartsburg.  He reminds me of the Ducks.  The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, not the Anaheim Ducks.  Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne days.  Very entertaining, but not very successful.  I am hoping for the best, but am disappointed that Tortorella didn't get the job.  I don't even think he was interviewed.  To me, De Boer was a safer bet.  No one knows him, and he had nothing to lose.

 

Now it's time to focus on the draft, dumping Emery, and re-signing RFAs/UFAs. 

Finally!

YES.  The Winged Wheel finally polishes off the pesky Penguins.  I am happy for the team, but especially for Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Babcock and Osgood.  Zetterberg gets recognized with the Conn Smythe.  He can play in any situation the game throws at him and excel.  The guy always backchecks and has solid PK skills, while also being a short-handed scoring threat.  Datsyuk pretty much shed his "I disappear in the playoffs label" last year, but was a physical beast in the Final.  Wow.  I never thought I would see the day that Datsyuk is crushing people into the boards.  A new found respect for the slick Russian dangler.  Babcock is the Zen mastermind keeping these guys together as a team.  That has been the most impressive aspect of the Wings, steady and dominating team play.  Babcock is the guy making it happen, with his steady demeanor.  Congrats for keeping superstar egos in check and making it look easy.  He got the Ducks to the Final and lost, but took advantage of this opportunity.  Then there's Osgood.

 

Could there be a bigger story than Ozzie?  I most remember him for crying about being the playoff scapegoat while trying to supplant Vernon in his early days.  He seemed a little weak in-between the ears and was prone to the occasional bad goal, that usually killed the Wings.  But after stints with the Blues and Isles, he's back.  What a transformation.  He's a different guy.  His play seems a lot more technical now.  But an equally big change in his mental fortitude.  The guy seems calm and confident and unflappable.  Did this come out of no where?  Not exactly.  The guy had crazy solid numbers this season.  He patiently backed-up for Hasek, knowing he would get a fair share of starts since Hasek is fragile.  Or maybe he knew Hasek would eventually get injured.  So, stepping in during the Playoffs didn't phase him either.

 

Speaking of Hasek.  Does he get his name on the Cup?  The telecaster said something about playing in the Cup Final Series or at least 40 regular season games; otherwise the team has to petition.  I didn't think Dominator played 40 games.  But after check this morning, it appears he did.  Barely.

 

This topic was brought up because of Chelios.  He missed the Final Series with a leg injury.  I hope that's true, otherwise Cheli needs to retire.  He looked slow against Dallas.  I thought he was scratched from game 6 of that series and that the coaches made up the injury excuse out of veteran courtesy.  But later the leg injury was disclosed.  So, it makes sense that his mobility was hampered.  Otherwise, the modern day Gordie Howe plays on at 47 next year???

 

I have to give the Pens some credit for extending the series, in what seemed like a lop-sided affair.  I saw this series as a team with talented players, versus a talented team.  Individual players can steal you a few games, but a strong team wins in a 7 game series.  But, I have to admit that I underestimated Fleury.  The guy got outshot every game and stole a couple.  This from a guy that almost lost his job to Conky during the regular season.  I thought that maybe he was ruined and the Pens had rushed his development.  Turns out that he was playing injured?  Anyway, his play became stellar at the end of the season and he carried that into the playoffs.  Crosby won Game 3.  The guy's an amazing set-up man, competes harder than the role players, but asking him to single-handedly beat the Red Wings is a bit ridiculous.  And maybe that's the problem with Malkin too.  He can score, but when Sykora and Hossa become invisible, there's not a lot a playmaking center can do.

Mullet/Torts

Well, the rumors of Barry Melrose coaching the Lightning next year took one more step in the reality direction with the firing of John Tortorella.  Personally, I see Torts as the coach you don't want your team playing against.  He has a big mouth, speaks his mind a little too often, and can take verbal cheap shots in the Press when necessary.  Kind of like Roenick, if he were a coach.  But the guy runs a tight ship and doesn't hesitate to bench or criticize his star players, if necessary.  I admire that about him.  He's very no-nonsense and preaches an aggressive playing style.

 

This is the kind of guy the Sens need.  I heard rumors about Torts coming to Ottawa a few months back, but didn't put much stock in it.  Now that he's officially let go, it is more of a reality than ever.  The Sens need a taskmaster.  I see a parallel with the Red Wings and Bowman leaving the bench, to be replaced by nice guy Dave Lewis with the Senators giving the coaching clipboard to John Paddock.  Paddock was the player's coach behind Bryan Murray.  These type of guys have great familiarity with the players, but teams slowly lose their edge under the regime of a player's coach.  At least it seems that way to me.  Also, both of these teams had a season long goaltending drama, which usually destroys a team.

 

But on the Melrose angle of things.  I see him as mostly getting out of Gretzky's way and allowing 99 to do his magic.  The guy is pretty far removed from hockey.  I am not sure how much coaching skill he actually had/has.  If watching a lot of games and commenting on them makes you head coaching material, sign me up.  Plus, who will replace him as a self-deprecating but insightful analyst?  But if he rocks the mullet behind the bench again, its all good in my book. 

 

 

Amazing

Well, it's been a long time since the last posting.  But I've decided to continue on with the blog.  Last night's game #5 was awesome.  3OT thriller.  I thought the Wings came out pretty flat and looked nervous. It is interesting that Babcock said the same thing during an on-ice, in-game interview.  I was concerned about the 2 goal deficit, but figured there was a lot of game left and the Wings simply weren't playing their game.  An amazing comeback by the Wings to steal away the momentum and the lead; and even more interesting tie by the Pens with 35 seconds to go.  I thought the Wings were dominant in the first OT.  Then looked a little spent in the second OT.  But overall, were taking the play to the Pens.  Hudler's high stick double minor had to be called.  But a great, exciting game.  I was a little depressed after the game, since the Cup would not be awarded after such a long battle.

 

Unfortunately for the Wings, the team which loses the marathon OT game, generally loses the next game as well.  I've seen this happen more often than not.  If this is the case, the Wings are in trouble.  Because you don't want to have the Cup riding on a game #7 against the Pens.  So, the next game is pretty big.  The Wings also have age against them.  Older legs on the Wings roster and they have less than 48 hours to mourn game #5, travel, and recover.  But, I am still pretty confident in the Wings.  They have shown incredible poise throughout the Final and I don't expect anything less for Game #6.  A definite challenge for Babcock and Co. But, it is finally becoming the series that all the hockey sportscasters wanted.  I'm enjoying every minute.