Trading Day

I was watching for NHL trade news all day. Basically to see if the Senators had moved Heatley. Nothing. The artificial deadline was today, and he gets his $4-million bonus tomorrow. But I can't see how they could have Dany in the dressing room all season after him asking out, or would he even report to training camp?

 

To make things more interesting, the Rangers moved Scott Gomez today. This is the same Rangers team I thought would look past Heatley's apparent character flaws. So, now that they cleared a bit of salary, is a Heatley trade in the works? Maybe. But I don't really care for any of the players on the Rangers except, Drury, Staal and Lundqvist. Their goalie isn't going anywhere. Drury is the anti-Heatley as far as character is concerned, but those 50-goals are a lot to make-up and Drury ain't that guy.

 

What would you do as GM? The bottom line is that your hands are tied. Do you take whatever you can get, just to move on, clear the locker room and be able to start fresh next season? Or do you stick to your guns and expect a fair return, waiting it out as long as necessary, despite the poisoned locker room and media circus that will ensue? Time to earn your keep Mr. Murray.

Reading

Nothing like relaxing with a good book... on the 405.

RIP Jacko

I was treated to no radio listening options but Michael Jackson on the drive home last night. Not that it was entirely a bad thing. As weird and troubled as the guy became, he will always be an otherworldly entertainer. Hearing all of his old songs reminded me of that. I'm not a big fan by any means, but I do know when a song wins me over (despite it not being metal). Jacko had plenty of those songs.

 

I prefer to not focus on the negative. Maybe it's because I don't follow the tabloids but I am able to appreciate what Michael Jackson brought to this world. Music, moonwalking, music videos, and definitely humor as provided below.

 

TheOnion In Focus: Neverland Ranch Investigators Discover Corpse Of Real Michael Jackson http://bit.ly/wN933

Draft

The Draft is today. I am only semi-interested as usual. Why? I'm as hardcore a hockey fan as they come, but the NFL doesn't draft kids out of high school and that's basically what the NHL does. There is so much growth and maturity that needs to take place for NHL draftees, that it really is a crapshoot to draft kids at this age. That being said the Red Wings are sure to grab some 7th rounder from Sweden/Finland that turns into a superstar.

 

I'm not sure if Murray is just playing games, but the word is that the Senators are not getting offers on Heatley. So much for a big draft day deal, but I'm still hopeful it's a smokescreen. A team like the Rangers would normally jump at the chance to snag a top flight sniper and look beyond any character issues, but apparently not in the salary cap era. You can be a lot of things in the NHL, just not soft and selfish. Case in point? Sean Avery. Teams have continually given him yet another chance. He's brash and mouthy. But at the end of the day, you can't deny that the guy plays hard. Of course his price tag is no where near Heatley's and this is a bad recession effecting everyone. I just can't help but think that a player who demands a trade due to selfish reasons comes with a BIG warning sign. I just hope that there's another side to this story and Heatley himself has yet spoken-up. But right now the court of public opinion has all but assassinated his character.

TUF Finale

Wow. I had heard plenty of reaction about the Ultimate Fighter Finale, but didn't actually watch it until last night. I gotta say that it was one of the better fight cards I've seen lately. I think I'm getting spoiled, since the last WEC card was extremely good as well. This puts quite a bit of pressure on UFC 100.

 

I have respected Clay Guida for his stamina and wrestling. You can't argue that he brings energy to the ring. But, I've always felt that he got the benefit of the doubt with inactivity on the ground and ultimately some lay & pray action. This fight showed me something else. That Guida is one tough dude. Sanchez had him bloodied and battered, with an arguable two-point first round. Guida kept coming. A great fight.

 

I had heard that there were three Fight of the Night awards. Shouldn't there be only one Fight of the Night? But it's great that 6 fighters got paid for putting on a show. Maybe this is a good idea after all. It will gives positive reinforcement for putting it all out there and that's what people want to see. The UFC has had a few too many duds on PPV. Nothing motivates better than money?

Father's Day

Well, it was another action packed weekend. Friday was Thai food at a new place in the LBC. It was pretty damn good and we're definitely going back; probably sooner than later. We were introduced to this place by our resident Thai expert and if she gives it a thumbs up you know it's authentico. Also, it was free, so that made it even better. Thanks Malinee!

 

Saturday was the usual massage appointment in Brea, so I got to take the kids on an 'adventure' walk. Basically any alley or unpaved areas become an adventure. Had some good mall sushi for lunch. We all took a long nap and it was so good that I travelled back in time and thought it was the morning, having no recollection of the trip to Brea. Very confusing. We did a Father's Day dinner on Saturday night, since Sunday was too busy. Famous Dave's BBQ. I had the baby back ribs & brisket combo. I love that place. Their hot BBQ sauce really makes the food. We walked around the harbour and it was a good time.

 

Sunday was hockey day. Alisia had a game in El Segundo at noon and Panorama City at 4:30. She won both games which was nice. And I got to hang out with the kids all day. We had packed PB&J sandwiches, so it was kinda like camping. In-between games we had time to grab a frozen yogurt. It was a lot of driving, but the kids don't mind it. Everyone was exhausted and they get to sleep-in. So, it will be a long day at work, struggling to stay awake.

More USB Drives

Rocky III Theme. I like the Apollo Creed one the best, but they all look like they're pinching a loaf.

 

 

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/18/rocky-iii-usb-drives-sadly-missing-burgess-meredith-version/

Promo Food of the Week: Wendy's Sweet & Spicy Asian Boneless Wings

Welcome to my latest recurring blog post idea. Promo Food of the Week. It's no secret that I love fast food and am a total sucker for any promotional food item. What is a "promo food"? Basically, it's a fast food chain's way of creating a new menu item, but it's usually just the ingredients from what they already have with a 'special' sauce, breading, condiment or bun to make it appear new and unique.
That brings us to today's Sweet & Spicy Asian Boneless Wings. Now the name alone draws you in. Asian Boneless Wings? I guess calling it sweet and spicy wasn't enough of a fastfood-ese giveaway. But, they tasted OK. Basically, a bunch of McNuggets drowned in sweet and sour sauce with a touch of red pepper.
What kills me is they were $3.99. I could have had 4 sets of the 5-piece nuggets instead and not been hungry now. Fancy sauce be damned. I'm all about volume. So, the promo food item is once again a tempting mistress that doesn't deliver for the price.

Cyborg vs. Hapless male reporter dude

Part of the pre-fight hype for the Carano vs Cyborg fight this Summer should include the video below. In case you didn't know; it's not wise to question a woman's ability to finish a submission, especially if a language barrier could cause you to inadvertently offend her.

 

http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=71291b0a-613f-4ed7-bad0-94750b82c90b

Endless Summer (of MMA)

Here's what I'm looking forward to this summer!

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-blockbusters061509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Bleh

Damn. I'm a bit of a wreck after this weekend. 200 mile drive straight to a 2-hour graduation ceremony, graduation party, eating a dozen music note shaped cookies, ballet recital, Tulare Golf Course, Selma Golf Course, Panorama City Women's Hockey, feeling sick/allergies and World's Strongest Man workout. But about that Cup Final Game.

 

I didn't get to watch the game. I was helping prepare for the graduation party, but did see the highlights of the Penguin's goals and the furious last 5 minutes. I'll just say good for the Penguins. I was standing by the fact that Detroit's depth players would be more than Pittsburgh's in a 7 game series. I'd still put big money on that. But, the Penguins 3rd and 4th line stepped up. Detroit held Pittsburgh's big line in check for all but 1 or 2 games. Crosby had little to no effect. I don't even want to replay the entire game right now. Whenever I have a good deal of emotional investment in a team and they lose; I tend to get depressed. It's embarrassing and sad, but it's the truth. Most of all I was hoping for some redemption for Osgood. But he couldn't bring the mail. With back-to-back Cup victories his ability couldn't be questioned. Now it's just a blown opportunity.

 

It's a tough time for me to be a hockey fan. I've nothing but the draft to look forward to and then a long summer. One of my favorite players is asking to be traded and making himself out to be quite the Prima Donna. What a douche. At least that adds an element of surprise at the Draft. Will Murray move up to a top 2 pick with a Heatley trade? Is a blockbuster trade to get Dion Phaneuf a possibility? Would the Kings be dumb enough to trade for Heatley? We'll see.

 

Also, my boy Wanderlei lost a decision in his fight this weekend. I didn't see it. I hear there was a bit of controversy with people seeing it either way. Must have been a good fight. Must find it in the internet tonight

 

Played 37 holes this weekend. Couldn't get the ball off the tee to save my life. That made for a frustrating two days. Was putting good one day, but not the other. Iron play was actually good at times, but not very consistent. It was a blast to get out there, but a lowlight was throwing my 7-wood into a tree. I think I was starting to get sick from allergies and 30 holes of poor drives finally got me to a breaking point.

 

So I'm sitting at my desk just relaxing from an action packed weekend. Things didn't go my way, but I still wouldn't trade it for anything. I took my frustrations out on the weights this morning. For some reason it was a good idea to try the Farmers Walk. It's in the World's Strongest Man contest, where you walk with weights in both hands. This was after my normal workout. All I can say is that I'm in a post-workout haze and that suits me just fine.

Penguin

I guess I've got a thing for wacky USB drives.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/10/penguin-usb-drive-is-infinitely-cute-hilarious/

Game 7

Damn. I'm not happy about the Red Wings going to a game 7. The old cliche that anything can happen. But I'm pretty confident they can close the deal. It's interesting that home ice has meant so much in this series. So, it's up to Detroit to hold serve and raise the Cup.

 

Last night's game was pretty entertaining, yet frustrating. The Penguins were game, and played like their season was on the line. The Red Wings did their usual bend but not break defense. Osgood was stellar in the first period. Crosby and Malkin were held in check all game, but overall Pittsburgh won more puck battles and forced more turnovers, got more shots. Ultimately, it was a battle of the depth players and the Penguins won. I think the game winner is one Osgood would like to have back, as it hit him in the middle of the jersey and still somehow squeezed through him.

 

The final seconds were a madhouse. Defenseman Rob Scuderi made two highlight saves while squatting in the crease. I thought this one was destined for overtime, but it wasn't to be.

 

Nervously looking forward to Friday. I'm just hoping for a good game. Game 7's turn out to be blowouts more often than not. I'm pretty sure I've said that before in this blog. The Wings better be on the right side of the blowout.

Heater Wants Out.!?

Word on the street today is that Dany Heatley wants out of Ottawa. This sucks. There was much speculation about Spezza being traded before his no trade clause kicks-in, July 1. But this was out of the blue. I've read that he doesn't see eye to eye with coach Cory Clouston. After absorbing that conjecture, I don't doubt it. Clouston rewards the guys that skate hard and play with guts. Heatley does not use his size in that fashion, on a consistent basis.

Ultimately, I'm not so sure that any team can really accomodate him. He's making $7.5MM for the next 5 years. That's huge money in a recession and salary cap era. He wants to head to the Western Conference. The LA Kings were mentioned. It would be a big lift for the Kings to have a superstar in the building. I love Heatley and he's one of the best pure snipers in the game today. I would love to see him in play live in my backyard. But I don't think it's the best thing for the Kings right now.

I think the Kings need to follow Dustin Brown's example of playing hard. Heatley would be more of an expensive distraction. The best thing for all involved is Heater making good on his contract. Stick it out in Ottawa. Learn to play a physical brand of hockey at the possible expense of your annual goal total. It will make him and the Senators better.

That said, I would order a "Heatley" Kings jersey in a heartbeat.

WEC is the place to be

If you missed WEC 41, it's a shame. If you enjoy flashy knockouts, flying triangle chokes and 3 round wars, then this was for you. If you did miss it, don't worry, as Versus will probably have the replay on 3x's a week this summer.

 

The headline match was Faber vs Brown for the title. It was a little disappointing, because Faber broke his right hand early in the fight. But I'll give him props for fighting it out and using everything else he had. Obviously, his elbows weren't broken, as he quickly changed his gameplan to dirty boxing. It was a gutty performance, but slowed the pace in what should have been a war.

Momentum Shmomentum

Who's old and tired now? Who's young and inexperienced? Sports media is much like politics, flip-flopping on a daily basis depending on who they think is leading the polls.

 

It was veteran saavy and depth that had the Red Wings almost certainly winning the Cup after a 2-0 lead. Well, once the series was tied 2-2, it was a young Penguins team that had beat the old and tired Red Wings. Not surprising, after a 5-0 beatdown and 3-2 series lead, Detroit had won based on veteran guile once again.

 

Can't we just say that it has been a solid series. Both teams are pretty darn good, and that the results can vary based on a bounce, post or powerplay? Momentum swings happen from shift to shift, much less game to game. I don't think it's fair to generalize the teams the way the media does.

 

That said, I was not impressed with Pittsburgh last game. Not because of the 5-0 whitewashing, sometimes that just happens. It's that they lost their composure and decided to go for cheap shots. I appreciate that they handed the game to the Red Wings, with their parade to the penalty box, but it was pretty low brow. I think it speaks for the coaching and overall discipline of the team.

 

 

Sea Dog

I am a sucker for pretty much any fast food promotional menu items. This week I give you the Wienerschnitzel Sea Dog. It's a fillet 'o fish with the attitude of a hot dog. But all the diahrrea of both combined. Find one and eat it if you dare!

Limos

I like the crazy posts on Jalopnik, but usually keep them to myself. This one is pretty universal in appeal. And also happens to be awesome. http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/jalopnik/full/~3/I-KfKKx7UAk/gallery

Best of 3

Well, last night was all Penguins. I predicted that Malkin & Crosby would get loose for 1 or 2 games and last night was that game. Red Wings were not firing on all cylinders. I though that Datsyuk was going to play and was a gametime decision, but did not dress. First period was a 1-1 draw, with the Penguins scoring first as they always do. Detroit got the lead 2-1 and also had consecutive powerplays, looking to push the lead. Staal scores shorthanded. From there it was all Pittsburgh. Two quick scores later, and the Wings are down 4-2 and couldn't get it any closer. Helm played a hell of a game. Too bad no one else could match his intensity.

I still like the Red Wings in a 3 game series. But the momentum is all Pittsburgh. I'm pretty confident in the Red Wings at home. Hopefully Datsyuk will be back, as having one of the top scorers in the league back in the lineup doesn't hurt. Good on the Pens for clawing back into the series.

Lakers ran away with it. Just make sure you win the next one boys.

Media Predictions

I've seen and heard quite a few stories about the surging Penguins and Magic these days. I'm just glad that the games are finally happening today. I don't know all that much about the NBA, but I am pretty sure that the news reporters didn't actually watch game 3 of the NHL Cup Final. If you went purely by the boxscore, it would appear that Pittsburgh's power play won them the game. It did. But the Red Wings had a pretty good game and Osgood had stoppable shots on those powerplay goals. Maybe its a good thing that Osgood is not taking any heat for that loss. Or the media is not willing to backpedal after all but giving him the Conn Smyth trophy after games 1 & 2. Either way, I'm glad that the games are taking place tonight and the real drama will happen on the ice, not in the press.

MMA & Kung Fu

I've been pretty occupied with hockey, well it is the playoffs after all. But several things to mention on the MMA front. Faber vs. Brown II is this Sunday on WEC 41. So watch it or at least set the TIVO. I'm a pretty big Faber fan, but Brown is the real deal. I'm just hoping for a solid fight. Faber has gotten away with some less than textbook moves due to his extreme conditioning and superior athleticism. But Brown has dynamite in his hands and Faber needs to show a little more respect and discipline. We'll see.  Several other interesting fighters on the card: Jose Aldo, Cub Swanson, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Jens Pulver and Manny Gamburyan. Haven't seen Swanson in a while. Cerrone always puts on a show. Pulver and Gamburyan are both former UFC guys and highlight reel knockouts waiting to happen.

 

There's also a Strikeforce fight on Showtime: Lawler vs. Shields. I don't get Showtme. I'd love to see this fight, but not so much that I go out of my way to find someone wth Showtime and invite myself over. Also on this fight card: Arlovski/Rogers, Nick Diaz/Scott Smith. Diaz/Smith sounds interesting, but I predict a Diaz submission. Hope that Smith knocks him out though...

 

I also just learned of the passing of David Carradine. I guess he was shooting a movie in Thailand and his death is currently ruled as an apparent suicide. That hurts. I remember Kung Fu from when I was pretty young and watching it on our huge cabinet-style TV. In a strange way, the passive and introspective Caine character had a big impact on me. A big reason that I like the Kill Bill movies is David Carradine. RIP.

 

 

Nice Hat

This is a pretty cool blog story about what happens to the hats that are thrown to the ice during a hat trick. I've gotta say that my hat turnover is pretty slow and any hat that I throw to the ice should probably be burned versus given to the homeless, they've suffered enough. That said, I've only thrown one hat to the ice that I can remember. At NHL games I'm usually too far from the ice to get my hat out there. Even Nolan Ryan couldn't heave my hat out there from the nosebleed seats. Also, the protective netting along the ends of the rink is pretty much a hat blocking shield.

 

But the Fresno Falcons from back in the day is a different story. This was before the protective netting, and I just happened to be wearing a promotional hat I got a week before. I can't even remember who got the hat trick, but I launched my hat frisbeee style. It didn't make it over the plexi and hit some dude in the back of the head. Fortunately, he figured out what was going on and my hat made the connecting flight, so the trip to the ice was complete.

 

I rarely wear a hat to a game, but when I do, it happens to be a hat I can do without.  You never know...

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-mystery-What-happens-to-hats-thrown-for-?urn=nhl,167824

Live and Die by Ozzy

Well, the Pens won last night and got back in the series at 1-2. I'm a bit bummed, because it was still a good effort by Detroit. Actually, a much better offensive effort than the last two games and an impressive shutting-down of Crosby despite the line change advantage by the Penguins. The Red Wings out-shot PIttsburgh and outplayed them for the most part.

 

But hockey is a cruel and funny game. There were several blown calls. The Penguins played with 6 skaters for close to 30 seconds and the refs never saw it. It's one thing to have a bad line change and get charged with the too-many-men penalty. But this was crazy. The refs probably missed it because a brainfart of that caliber should never happen in the Cup Finals.

 

Osgood got beat by a couple shots that he should have had. They were powerplay goals, so technically he's given a pardon. But, I'm sure he would agree with me that they were stoppable shots. The guy came up big for winning the last two games, so I'll give him a bad game. Despite it, the Red Wings were right in that game. So, it really feels like a opportunity missed.

 

This is three games in-a-row that Detroit has limited and practically eliminated Crosby. If this trend continues, it looks real bad for Pittsburgh.

Lucky

I would hate to be the Penguins right now. They played some pretty good hockey over the weekend, only to find themselves down 0-2 in the Cup Finals. I have to admit that I was worried. Detroit only had two days of rest and 5 injured players. They were going to have to play back-to-back games. The Wings were without Datsyuk, Draper, & Kopetsky. At least Lidstrom and Eriksson were able to come back from injury to shore up the defense.

 

That they did. Crosby and Malkin had their chances, but they were extremely limited. Osgood was there to make the big stop on the few chances the dynamic duo did get. Malkin scored a powerplay goal, but that's it.

 

I can hear it already. The Wings got lucky. Crosby and Guerin rang several shots off the post. There was a non-call on Hossa which led to a goal. Zetterburg covered a puck in the crease, twice, without penalty. The Penguins were unlucky. Fleury got two bad bounces off the springy Joe Louis end-boards that led diredtly to Red Wing goals.

 

I agree. Totally. The same hockey karma nearly did in Detroit against the Ducks. They couldn't catch a break in that series and the officiating seemed to be against them. But they battled back and won in 7-games. But isn't that pretty much a part of sports? Shit happens. But you gotta move on. It's definitely gut-check time for Pittsburgh.

 

They say a series is not over until you lose on home ice. Well, now it's the Penguins turn to show what they've got and maybe they will get all the calls, breaks and bounces at home. The Red Wings are still going to be without Draper and Datsyuk, arguably their best scoring and checking forwards. If you look at it the other way, the Pens were able to limit Zetterburg, Holmstrom, and Franzen from doing too much damage. They outshot Detroit. This series is a lot closer than the two 3-1 scores would indicate.

 

But I have a feeling that the Pens are not up to this challenge. The Red Wings had more excuses going into the Cup Final. Yet it appeared to only deepen their resolve. Detroit got two big wins despite not playing their best or having their best players available. Time to see what Pittsburgh is really made of.