The Miami Heat trashed the Indiana Pacers in Game 7. Nothing too surprising there. They ARE the defending champions, were definitely favored to win this series, and when Lebron and Co. get on a roll -- well -- let's just say they're still mighty impressive.
In the NHL, once again the Boston Bruins thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins -- in Pittsburgh. Yours truly thought the Penguins were the class of the NHL, but so far they've been outscored 9-1 on their home ice. The Bruins now lead 2-zip and the series heads to Beantown. And the goal differential isn't the least bit deceiving. Boston has thoroughly dominated Pittsburgh in both games -- start to finish. I knew the Bruins were pretty good, but dang, these guys look like they've turned into Supermen or something. Unless something changes radically, and soon, Sid the Kid Crosby and his high-flying Penguin teammates might well find themselves unceremoniously kicked to the curb. Did anybody see this coming?
Department of the Usual. They're still showing replays of a few Tiger Woods' shots in the Memorial tournament, which concluded Sunday. Eldrick finished 20 shots back of the eventual winner, Matt Kuchar. As Agent 86, one Maxwell Smart, used to say -- he only missed it by THAT much. Replays of a guy that was flopping around on the course like a fresh caught perch in the bottom of a boat? Please. It's been said that Tiger was using this tournament as a tune-up to the US Open which will start next week. If so, I humbly suggest he find a new wrench -- quick. Whoever's working on his stuff now looks to be more like a chop-shop than a reputable mechanic.
Speaking of Tigers, the Detroit baseball variety have been slumping of late. Some say their starting pitching rotation is the best in all of baseball, and their batting line-up is a regular murderer's row. Those folks are certainly entitled to their opinions. Personally, I think they're fortunate to be in the otherwise woeful American League Central Division, which they'll likely win again almost by default to qualify for the playoffs. One word. Overrated.
Apparently, owner Tom Gores and President/GM Joe Dumars still can't find anybody that's willing to coach the Detroit Pistons a couple months after they fired former head coach Lawrence Frank. You'd think millions of guaranteed bucks for a few years would attract a lot of job applicants. Maybe not. After all, seen the Pistons quality of play the last couple years? All those thousands of empty seats at the Palace? Um -- not so good. Sometimes there are things more important than money. Like self-respect, and other career opportunities that offer a much brighter future.
The Detroit Lions have wrapped up their OTAs (organized team activities) for now. Truth be told, it was a colossal waste of time anyway. No contact allowed. No pass rushing. Even wide receivers couldn't go up against cornerbacks on pass patterns. So what's the point of getting all these guys together? Watching film? Male bonding in the weight room? Choosing up gin rummy partners? Planning future dinner dates? Hell, half the guys at the OTAs won't be on the team when the final cut comes anyway. Sounds more like a social gathering to me.
On a personal note -- get well soon, J. It's just not the same around here without you giving me a hard time -- oops -- I mean hearing your tender words of wisdom. lol.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
NHL/NBA. Men vs crybabies
Somebody please explain the logic in the following: In the Western Conference Finals of the NHL, the Chicago Black Hawks and LA Kings played back-to-back games. Play a game, suffer the physical abuse that goes along with NHL playoff hockey, take a shower, go to a motel room somewhere and try to sleep through the aches and pains, and then get up, eat a decent meal, and go back to the rink to do it again. In the Eastern Finals of the NBA, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers both get 3 days off between games 6 and 7. Am I the only one that thinks this is bass-ackwards?
The basketball purists will tell you it's a contact sport. Indeed it is. So is touch football and water polo. But to compare the contact that happens in the NHL to that in the NBA is like comparing a tornado to a gentle breeze that makes wind chimes chime.
Yes, NHL players wear pads and helmets, and NBA players are running around in tank tops and shorts. I get that. More severe contact is expected of the guys that are flying around on skates than those that are loping up and down a basketball court in fancy tennis shoes. But there's a few things I don't get.
If an NHL player suffers a bad cut, he'll routinely be taken into the "dressing room", have it sewed up, and will be back on the ice in maybe 30 minutes. If an NBA player accidentally gets scratched by a fingernail anywhere on his face -- he'll routinely fall to the court writhing in pain like he just got tased. Amazingly enough, that NBA player is often back in action after a time-out like nothing ever happened. Turns out the scratch totally healed itself in just a couple minutes. No sign of it ever having been there in the first place. It's a miracle. Right.
Yeah, certain NHL players have been known to "flop" once in a while trying to draw a penalty. But as a whole, there are many more in the NBA that should be awarded Oscars or Emmys for some of the acting jobs they routinely try to get away with. It's shameful. What's worse is the referees, supposedly trained professionals themselves, often fall for it.
Yet no doubt, while the mighty NFL is still the gorilla in the room, the NBA is far more popular amongst fans than the NHL. I have a theory about that.
In the NBA, typically a basket is scored every minute or so. Fans don't have to wait long for SOMETHING to happen. Instant and constant gratification seem to be very popular amongst the masses these days in one form or another. Think about it. In a typical NBA game, between regular shots, 3-pointers, and free throws -- how many times did the basketball actually go through the net? 80? 100? Beats me.
But in the NHL, goals are relatively rare. Most games won't feature more than 5, from both teams combined. Those guys bust their butts and hammer each other all over the ice in the hope of getting a SINGLE goal.
In the NBA, when in doubt, a star player can lower his head and drive to the basket. Even if he doesn't make the shot, chances are good he'll find a way to "draw contact" and will wind up at the free throw line shooting "foul shots".
If a player charges the net in the NHL, chances are good he's going to draw a LOT of contact from the opponents. He'll probably wind up getting decked. No foul, and no free throws. Just a part of the game.
Though football is still my first love -- not counting a certain lady and my 4-legged kids of course -- I think I still prefer hockey over basketball.
But I'll probably check out the Miami/Indiana game 7, to see who gets to face San Antonio in the NBA Finals.
Hey, beats soccer.
The basketball purists will tell you it's a contact sport. Indeed it is. So is touch football and water polo. But to compare the contact that happens in the NHL to that in the NBA is like comparing a tornado to a gentle breeze that makes wind chimes chime.
Yes, NHL players wear pads and helmets, and NBA players are running around in tank tops and shorts. I get that. More severe contact is expected of the guys that are flying around on skates than those that are loping up and down a basketball court in fancy tennis shoes. But there's a few things I don't get.
If an NHL player suffers a bad cut, he'll routinely be taken into the "dressing room", have it sewed up, and will be back on the ice in maybe 30 minutes. If an NBA player accidentally gets scratched by a fingernail anywhere on his face -- he'll routinely fall to the court writhing in pain like he just got tased. Amazingly enough, that NBA player is often back in action after a time-out like nothing ever happened. Turns out the scratch totally healed itself in just a couple minutes. No sign of it ever having been there in the first place. It's a miracle. Right.
Yeah, certain NHL players have been known to "flop" once in a while trying to draw a penalty. But as a whole, there are many more in the NBA that should be awarded Oscars or Emmys for some of the acting jobs they routinely try to get away with. It's shameful. What's worse is the referees, supposedly trained professionals themselves, often fall for it.
Yet no doubt, while the mighty NFL is still the gorilla in the room, the NBA is far more popular amongst fans than the NHL. I have a theory about that.
In the NBA, typically a basket is scored every minute or so. Fans don't have to wait long for SOMETHING to happen. Instant and constant gratification seem to be very popular amongst the masses these days in one form or another. Think about it. In a typical NBA game, between regular shots, 3-pointers, and free throws -- how many times did the basketball actually go through the net? 80? 100? Beats me.
But in the NHL, goals are relatively rare. Most games won't feature more than 5, from both teams combined. Those guys bust their butts and hammer each other all over the ice in the hope of getting a SINGLE goal.
In the NBA, when in doubt, a star player can lower his head and drive to the basket. Even if he doesn't make the shot, chances are good he'll find a way to "draw contact" and will wind up at the free throw line shooting "foul shots".
If a player charges the net in the NHL, chances are good he's going to draw a LOT of contact from the opponents. He'll probably wind up getting decked. No foul, and no free throws. Just a part of the game.
Though football is still my first love -- not counting a certain lady and my 4-legged kids of course -- I think I still prefer hockey over basketball.
But I'll probably check out the Miami/Indiana game 7, to see who gets to face San Antonio in the NBA Finals.
Hey, beats soccer.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
The playoffs and a Pastor
Well OK. The Indiana Pacers thumped the Miami Heat in Game 6 to send the series back to South Beach for a deciding Game 7. A lot of people are happy about that. Certainly the Pacers themselves, because they've got a shot, though likely slim, of moving on to the NBA Finals where the San Antonio Spurs await the winner. The TV people like it because they get to hype a Game 7 and the ad rates just went up. Cha-ching. And had Miami won Game 6 to close out the series, obviously there would not have been a Game 7. Another contest means another sold-out arena at playoff ticket prices. Chalk up a few more million bucks for somebody somewhere.
The eastern variety of the NHL playoffs, featuring the Boston Bruins vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, showed some hockey in Game 1 that's very exciting. Somewhat surprisingly, the Bruins waltzed into Pittsburgh and defeated the Penguins 3-0. Pittsburgh's a high-octane team with a lot of very skilled players that can score goals in bunches. But man, how those guys got after each other. Up and down the ice they went, and every chance a player got to make a serious hit on an opponent -- he did so -- big time. Sure, these guys are in great shape, but if they keep up the same pace in subsequent games -- this could be a war of attrition. It's hard to believe that sort of action can continue without a few guys getting hurt. Somebody has to blink. Watching those two teams play makes what I remember of the Red Wings look like they were in slow-motion, and couldn't come close to matching the physical play all over the ice. How that series will play out is anybody's guess -- but wow -- it's going to be rock-em sock-em, really fast, and let it all hang loose.
On a personal note -- I'd like to say hello to a certain Pastor Crumm, who I've been told will be shown this article. With all due respect, through no fault of his own, I humbly suggest the good Reverend finds himself in a situation that is even more fast and furious than the hockey being played between the Bruins and Penguins. He could be body-checked and taken down at any minute. That's because he has a certain parishioner in his fold named Jan. One never knows how she might act. A little mistake here or there and -- POW-- Pastor Crumm might find himself flat on his back wondering what hit him. Like a hockey player, he would be wise to keep his head up when that girl is sitting in his congregation. Such are the perils of the cloth, I suppose. Tough job sometimes.
Seems to me they made a movie about Anne Sullivan, the mentor of Helen Keller. Tell ya what, Pastor. If you can do something with Jan, you will TRULY be the miracle worker.
Of course, all this is said in jest, but I'm putting my yorkies on high alert anyway. One never knows when some people might come-a-calling. Better to be on the safe side.
The eastern variety of the NHL playoffs, featuring the Boston Bruins vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, showed some hockey in Game 1 that's very exciting. Somewhat surprisingly, the Bruins waltzed into Pittsburgh and defeated the Penguins 3-0. Pittsburgh's a high-octane team with a lot of very skilled players that can score goals in bunches. But man, how those guys got after each other. Up and down the ice they went, and every chance a player got to make a serious hit on an opponent -- he did so -- big time. Sure, these guys are in great shape, but if they keep up the same pace in subsequent games -- this could be a war of attrition. It's hard to believe that sort of action can continue without a few guys getting hurt. Somebody has to blink. Watching those two teams play makes what I remember of the Red Wings look like they were in slow-motion, and couldn't come close to matching the physical play all over the ice. How that series will play out is anybody's guess -- but wow -- it's going to be rock-em sock-em, really fast, and let it all hang loose.
On a personal note -- I'd like to say hello to a certain Pastor Crumm, who I've been told will be shown this article. With all due respect, through no fault of his own, I humbly suggest the good Reverend finds himself in a situation that is even more fast and furious than the hockey being played between the Bruins and Penguins. He could be body-checked and taken down at any minute. That's because he has a certain parishioner in his fold named Jan. One never knows how she might act. A little mistake here or there and -- POW-- Pastor Crumm might find himself flat on his back wondering what hit him. Like a hockey player, he would be wise to keep his head up when that girl is sitting in his congregation. Such are the perils of the cloth, I suppose. Tough job sometimes.
Seems to me they made a movie about Anne Sullivan, the mentor of Helen Keller. Tell ya what, Pastor. If you can do something with Jan, you will TRULY be the miracle worker.
Of course, all this is said in jest, but I'm putting my yorkies on high alert anyway. One never knows when some people might come-a-calling. Better to be on the safe side.
Friday, May 31, 2013
A couple shout outs
One in a great while I step away from my usual sports nonsense to write something personal. First, here's to my dear friend and lifelong (well, not exactly, but it seems like eons) pal CC. The times we've had, the miles we've travelled, and the stuff we've seen and done along the way. It's been a helluva ride. Plus the occasional idea he's given your truly to run with and rant about in this forum. So basically, I can't be held totally at fault for the insanity you read here. Some of them were CC's idea. Blame HIM.
And here's to new acquaintances Jack and Laura. Jack's a rider too, and Laura sort of is. But yours truly thinks it would be a great improvement in her riding career if she'd quit falling off the motorcycle -- especially as a passenger. A tip to Laura -- before you're allowed to upgrade to the actual riding seat, where you have to use both hands and both feet, and eyes and ears, and brains, and you know -- a lot of stuff -- it's a real good idea to outgrow that falling off for no reason bit. Trust me. Besides, the other riders have enough going on out on the road to be concerned with. We don't need to be dodging your butt as it's rolling down the highway. For God's sake -- get a grip, girl.
Yet there's another shout-out that is even more relevant. Mine. You see, as I write this, I do so under great duress. Usually I'm on my own, but this time I have the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Or at least a ferocious critic sitting next to me waiting to pounce any second. Scary stuff. So the shout-out is indeed mine --- as in HELP. You think it's easy churning out this tripe 5-6 times a week? Try doing it with a 125 pound piranha sitting next to you.
But things could be worse. I haven't yet got to the stage where I've fallen and can't get up. That's Laura's thing, as I mentioned earlier.
At any rate, CC, though now a Floridian, but a Brooklyn native and life-long Jets fan, reminded me it was Joe Namath's 70th birthday. Wow, how the time flies. It seems like just a few years ago that Joe Willie guaranteed a Super Bowl victory over the mighty (and heavily favored) Baltimore Colts -- and delivered. And we old-timers can remember when Joe Namath actually not only wore panty hose in a game played in frigid weather to keep his legs warm, but went on to advertise it. Back in those days -- when men were men and all that crap -- it took a lot of guts to do such a thing. Namath grew a Fu Manchu moustache, invested in a bachelors club, and once said he'd rather go to Viet Nam than get married. Such behavior raised a lot of eyebrows, certainly wasn't the norm in the NFL, and Joe caught some serious heat for being so brash back then.
But you know what? He always found a way to back it up. The career numbers for Namath aren't really impressive. He actually lost more games than he won, compiling a 68-71-4 record, and was exactly .500 as a starter, going 64-64-4. He threw far more interceptions (220) than he did touchdowns (173).
Nevertheless, few would doubt Joe Namath certainly left his mark on the NFL. To this day, he's ranked amongst the top 100 players to ever play the game. If nothing else, Joe Willie was a difference maker. Happy 70th to him, wherever he is.
Thanks for the idea, CC.
Personally, the sword of Damocles has so far mercifully spared me, so perhaps I'll live to write more boring nonsense.
But somehow, for no logical reason whatsoever, I'm getting some very strong inner-type vibes that somewhere out there, Laura just fell down again. Not sure why that is. Just a hunch. Good luck, Jack.
And here's to new acquaintances Jack and Laura. Jack's a rider too, and Laura sort of is. But yours truly thinks it would be a great improvement in her riding career if she'd quit falling off the motorcycle -- especially as a passenger. A tip to Laura -- before you're allowed to upgrade to the actual riding seat, where you have to use both hands and both feet, and eyes and ears, and brains, and you know -- a lot of stuff -- it's a real good idea to outgrow that falling off for no reason bit. Trust me. Besides, the other riders have enough going on out on the road to be concerned with. We don't need to be dodging your butt as it's rolling down the highway. For God's sake -- get a grip, girl.
Yet there's another shout-out that is even more relevant. Mine. You see, as I write this, I do so under great duress. Usually I'm on my own, but this time I have the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Or at least a ferocious critic sitting next to me waiting to pounce any second. Scary stuff. So the shout-out is indeed mine --- as in HELP. You think it's easy churning out this tripe 5-6 times a week? Try doing it with a 125 pound piranha sitting next to you.
But things could be worse. I haven't yet got to the stage where I've fallen and can't get up. That's Laura's thing, as I mentioned earlier.
At any rate, CC, though now a Floridian, but a Brooklyn native and life-long Jets fan, reminded me it was Joe Namath's 70th birthday. Wow, how the time flies. It seems like just a few years ago that Joe Willie guaranteed a Super Bowl victory over the mighty (and heavily favored) Baltimore Colts -- and delivered. And we old-timers can remember when Joe Namath actually not only wore panty hose in a game played in frigid weather to keep his legs warm, but went on to advertise it. Back in those days -- when men were men and all that crap -- it took a lot of guts to do such a thing. Namath grew a Fu Manchu moustache, invested in a bachelors club, and once said he'd rather go to Viet Nam than get married. Such behavior raised a lot of eyebrows, certainly wasn't the norm in the NFL, and Joe caught some serious heat for being so brash back then.
But you know what? He always found a way to back it up. The career numbers for Namath aren't really impressive. He actually lost more games than he won, compiling a 68-71-4 record, and was exactly .500 as a starter, going 64-64-4. He threw far more interceptions (220) than he did touchdowns (173).
Nevertheless, few would doubt Joe Namath certainly left his mark on the NFL. To this day, he's ranked amongst the top 100 players to ever play the game. If nothing else, Joe Willie was a difference maker. Happy 70th to him, wherever he is.
Thanks for the idea, CC.
Personally, the sword of Damocles has so far mercifully spared me, so perhaps I'll live to write more boring nonsense.
But somehow, for no logical reason whatsoever, I'm getting some very strong inner-type vibes that somewhere out there, Laura just fell down again. Not sure why that is. Just a hunch. Good luck, Jack.
It's a bird. It's a plane. It's...
Holy cow, Superman himself has decided to grace us with his presence again. Or -- as some golf fans have no doubt noted -- Eldrick Woods has opted to once again come out of seclusion to play another tournament.
You see, Tiger gets to pick and choose which tournaments he'll play. He's not like the other pros that are out there entertaining the fans every week, and BTW, trying to make enough bucks to support their families. No, Tiger's way past that now. Despite his gross marital infidelity, which was widely reported a while back, and also despite his on-going penchant to curse and otherwise act like a spoiled brat on a golf course when things don't go his way -- while all around him are behaving like the gentlemen golfers have historically been -- Eldrick has no worries. He's still got enough money flowing in from endorsements to buy your entire neighborhood and turn it into a giant practice putting green whenever he feels like it, and an army of groupies that the Beatles and the Stones combined would have been envious of back in the day. Personally, I think of those that worship Tiger as somewhat akin to the "dead-heads" that followed the late Jerry Garcia's band around. If that's what yanks their crank, then by all means go for it -- but I didn't understand the fascination with the Grateful Dead then, and I surely don't understand it now with Tiger. Then again, I guess every cult following has their own reasons.
At any rate, Tiger is now playing the Memorial (Jack Nicklaus' tourney in Ohio). This is one of his favorite stops because he's had so much success there in the past. You won't see Eldrick participating in other "non-major" tournaments where the course doesn't suit his game. Quite the contrary. If a particular golf course has given him fits in the past, don't look for Woods to show up at that tournament anymore. Various reasons will come from various "spokespeople" on his behalf, but in the end, Tiger's not going to tee it up unless he thinks he has decent chance of winning. Further, while the other guys are out there travelling to and from, and playing vastly different course set-ups on the PGA tour leading up to it, Tiger has the luxury of routinely take a couple weeks off before a "major" to hone his game to that particular course. Guys like Jack and Arnie used to play them all. Tiger gets to pick and choose with a couple weeks of practice under his belt. Is it any wonder he seems to play well at the majors?
Somehow, over the course of time, any event Woods is entered in ceases to be a PGA tournament, and turns into the Tiger show. How else to explain what we see on TV?
Watching the highlights on ESPN, yours truly saw it happen yet again. See Tiger hit a 5 wood 260 yards into a green. Impressive. See Tiger hit a wild shot over another green into the rough somewhere. Any duffer can do that. See Tiger roll in a 10 foot putt. Hey, this is a PGA tournament. These guys are all good or they wouldn't be there. Ten foot putts are getting holed every couple minutes. This is a big deal because it's Tiger? See Tiger chump a chip shot on the fringe of a green. I can do that. So can you. This is a highlight?
And, of course, there's always the mandatory Tiger TV interview after his round has been completed, with the cameras, microphones, and awe-struck reporters asking him questions like Eldrick is the second-coming of Nostradamus, or maybe Charles Barkley.
See Tiger 6 shots behind and tied for 27th place after only one round of play.
A question.....
Instead of force feeding the public TV highlights and lowlights of some dude that played decidedly mediocre -- how come we don't get to see the really good shots and performances of those that were so much better than him on this particular occasion? Obviously, there was a slew of them, but they get ignored to once again bring us the Tiger show.
Some other guy on the course can make an 80 foot putt at the same time Eldrick decides to eat a banana -- and guess which one the TV cameras will zoom in on?
Nothing against the dude. He's a great golfer at times.
But c'mon. Enough is enough with the hype.
There's a reason they call it the "leaderboard". How about showing the guys that are on it?
You see, Tiger gets to pick and choose which tournaments he'll play. He's not like the other pros that are out there entertaining the fans every week, and BTW, trying to make enough bucks to support their families. No, Tiger's way past that now. Despite his gross marital infidelity, which was widely reported a while back, and also despite his on-going penchant to curse and otherwise act like a spoiled brat on a golf course when things don't go his way -- while all around him are behaving like the gentlemen golfers have historically been -- Eldrick has no worries. He's still got enough money flowing in from endorsements to buy your entire neighborhood and turn it into a giant practice putting green whenever he feels like it, and an army of groupies that the Beatles and the Stones combined would have been envious of back in the day. Personally, I think of those that worship Tiger as somewhat akin to the "dead-heads" that followed the late Jerry Garcia's band around. If that's what yanks their crank, then by all means go for it -- but I didn't understand the fascination with the Grateful Dead then, and I surely don't understand it now with Tiger. Then again, I guess every cult following has their own reasons.
At any rate, Tiger is now playing the Memorial (Jack Nicklaus' tourney in Ohio). This is one of his favorite stops because he's had so much success there in the past. You won't see Eldrick participating in other "non-major" tournaments where the course doesn't suit his game. Quite the contrary. If a particular golf course has given him fits in the past, don't look for Woods to show up at that tournament anymore. Various reasons will come from various "spokespeople" on his behalf, but in the end, Tiger's not going to tee it up unless he thinks he has decent chance of winning. Further, while the other guys are out there travelling to and from, and playing vastly different course set-ups on the PGA tour leading up to it, Tiger has the luxury of routinely take a couple weeks off before a "major" to hone his game to that particular course. Guys like Jack and Arnie used to play them all. Tiger gets to pick and choose with a couple weeks of practice under his belt. Is it any wonder he seems to play well at the majors?
Somehow, over the course of time, any event Woods is entered in ceases to be a PGA tournament, and turns into the Tiger show. How else to explain what we see on TV?
Watching the highlights on ESPN, yours truly saw it happen yet again. See Tiger hit a 5 wood 260 yards into a green. Impressive. See Tiger hit a wild shot over another green into the rough somewhere. Any duffer can do that. See Tiger roll in a 10 foot putt. Hey, this is a PGA tournament. These guys are all good or they wouldn't be there. Ten foot putts are getting holed every couple minutes. This is a big deal because it's Tiger? See Tiger chump a chip shot on the fringe of a green. I can do that. So can you. This is a highlight?
And, of course, there's always the mandatory Tiger TV interview after his round has been completed, with the cameras, microphones, and awe-struck reporters asking him questions like Eldrick is the second-coming of Nostradamus, or maybe Charles Barkley.
See Tiger 6 shots behind and tied for 27th place after only one round of play.
A question.....
Instead of force feeding the public TV highlights and lowlights of some dude that played decidedly mediocre -- how come we don't get to see the really good shots and performances of those that were so much better than him on this particular occasion? Obviously, there was a slew of them, but they get ignored to once again bring us the Tiger show.
Some other guy on the course can make an 80 foot putt at the same time Eldrick decides to eat a banana -- and guess which one the TV cameras will zoom in on?
Nothing against the dude. He's a great golfer at times.
But c'mon. Enough is enough with the hype.
There's a reason they call it the "leaderboard". How about showing the guys that are on it?
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Emotions on the Red Wings
It's too bad the Red Wings were eliminated, but you know what I feel more than anything else?
Relief.
At least it's over.
Don't get me wrong -- I was somewhat disappointed to see them lose -- though Chicago's a lot cooler town than Detroit and, in my opinion, the Black Hawks' jerseys are the best in all of sports -- for whatever that counts.
Thing is, the hype was getting to be too much. Over and over Red Wings' fans were told....
1) The LA Kings barely snuck into the playoffs last year too, but won the Stanley Cup. Anything can happen when a team gets on a roll.
2) Down 3 games to 2, the Red Wings came back to beat the favored Anaheim Ducks, the 7th and deciding game being played in Disneyland land.
3) As the Wings stretched their series lead to 3-1 over Chicago, the cliches came out. Jimmy Howard, their goaltender was "standing on his head". Personally, I've never seen a goaltender do that before, but it would be interesting. "Unsung heroes" were making their presence known. I know they skate really well -- but they sing too? Or maybe we're supposed to break out in a song about them. I dunno.
4) The Red Wings weren't supposed to get this far anyway. They're playing on house money.
5) As the Black Hawks slowly climbed back into the series, from down 3-1, to 3-2, to 3-3, the tension mounted. Could the Wings pull off yet another improbable game 7 victory on the road against a supposed superior team?
As it turned out -- nah. The best team won. And in a way I'm glad. Why?
Because the talking heads and scribes had the Red Wing faithful so worked up into a lather, like this was the Super Bowl or the 7th game of the World Series. And it was only the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup tournament.
Had they moved on into the semis against LA, the winged-wheel fans would have got wound up even tighter yet by the media.
Hey, it's important in it's own way, but playoff hockey isn't exactly nuclear war, or worse, divorce court. Is it asking too much to at least wait until one's team is in the Finals before driving people to power-drink, pop pills, and stand outside on ledges of tall buildings contemplating their mortality if things don't work out?
So yeah, I'm kind of glad it's over. Because even had the Red Wings defeated the Black Hawks -- it was only the half-way point to Lord Stanley's Cup.
Sure, the players would be OK, but I'm not at all sure the Motown fans could stand another couple of series' with even MORE media induced pressure. Everybody has their breaking point, and Detroit's in bad enough shape as it is.
The last thing Motown needs is a few thousand hockey-crazed lunatics running amok to make matters worse.
After all, they've already got that problem. In fact, they've had it for a long time.
Something about the fans of a team that wears Honolulu blue and silver.
One's enough.
And let's get real. The Red Wings were a mediocre team going into the playoffs, compiled a mediocre 7-7 record while there, and are still a mediocre team after it's all over.
Ain't nothing to get worked up about....
Relief.
At least it's over.
Don't get me wrong -- I was somewhat disappointed to see them lose -- though Chicago's a lot cooler town than Detroit and, in my opinion, the Black Hawks' jerseys are the best in all of sports -- for whatever that counts.
Thing is, the hype was getting to be too much. Over and over Red Wings' fans were told....
1) The LA Kings barely snuck into the playoffs last year too, but won the Stanley Cup. Anything can happen when a team gets on a roll.
2) Down 3 games to 2, the Red Wings came back to beat the favored Anaheim Ducks, the 7th and deciding game being played in Disneyland land.
3) As the Wings stretched their series lead to 3-1 over Chicago, the cliches came out. Jimmy Howard, their goaltender was "standing on his head". Personally, I've never seen a goaltender do that before, but it would be interesting. "Unsung heroes" were making their presence known. I know they skate really well -- but they sing too? Or maybe we're supposed to break out in a song about them. I dunno.
4) The Red Wings weren't supposed to get this far anyway. They're playing on house money.
5) As the Black Hawks slowly climbed back into the series, from down 3-1, to 3-2, to 3-3, the tension mounted. Could the Wings pull off yet another improbable game 7 victory on the road against a supposed superior team?
As it turned out -- nah. The best team won. And in a way I'm glad. Why?
Because the talking heads and scribes had the Red Wing faithful so worked up into a lather, like this was the Super Bowl or the 7th game of the World Series. And it was only the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup tournament.
Had they moved on into the semis against LA, the winged-wheel fans would have got wound up even tighter yet by the media.
Hey, it's important in it's own way, but playoff hockey isn't exactly nuclear war, or worse, divorce court. Is it asking too much to at least wait until one's team is in the Finals before driving people to power-drink, pop pills, and stand outside on ledges of tall buildings contemplating their mortality if things don't work out?
So yeah, I'm kind of glad it's over. Because even had the Red Wings defeated the Black Hawks -- it was only the half-way point to Lord Stanley's Cup.
Sure, the players would be OK, but I'm not at all sure the Motown fans could stand another couple of series' with even MORE media induced pressure. Everybody has their breaking point, and Detroit's in bad enough shape as it is.
The last thing Motown needs is a few thousand hockey-crazed lunatics running amok to make matters worse.
After all, they've already got that problem. In fact, they've had it for a long time.
Something about the fans of a team that wears Honolulu blue and silver.
One's enough.
And let's get real. The Red Wings were a mediocre team going into the playoffs, compiled a mediocre 7-7 record while there, and are still a mediocre team after it's all over.
Ain't nothing to get worked up about....
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Loose cannons
Idle thought: A lot of people have been ticked off at a lot of Presidents over the years but, down deep, they didn't or don't want anything bad to happen to them. Know why? Because they were smart enough to have a loose cannon along as a VP that would be even worse. President Joe Biden? President Dick Cheney? Back in the day -- President Dan Quayle? Scary stuff. Though he didn't make it to the Oval Office -- John McCain would have been the safest of them all. Would you really have wanted a potential President Sarah Palin having access to nuclear launch codes? Brrr.
But enough about politics and back to sports. Needless to say, they have their fair share of loose cannons as well.
Yours truly tuned into the NBA playoff game earlier tonight between Indiana and Miami "in progress". The first thing I saw? A technical foul called on a player for no apparent reason. After a short while, it appeared the players couldn't make sense of other calls, the coaches were equally exasperated, the fans certainly couldn't figure it out -- and even the announcers -- never at a loss for words -- were trying to gloss it over. But they didn't have a clue what was going on either. The game finally progressed to the point where one expected total pandemonium be break out at any second.
What the hell was going on?
But then I looked closer and, yep, there he was. I should have known. Joey Crawford was the lead referee of the game.
Strictly in my opinion, Joey Crawford is to the NBA what Jerry Springer is to talk shows. No matter how well intentioned the participants may start out, they'll find a way to turn their civility and/or professionalism into a free-for-all approaching total anarchy. Like Dracula fed on blood, these guys seem to feed on madness.
Jerry Springer I understand. A lot of people seem to derive some sort of satisfaction from seeing other people on TV that are even more screwed up than THEY are.
But I don't understand Joey Crawford. I dare say most would agree the best officials in any sports contest are the ones that go unnoticed, while the game proceeds smoothly along. They make their calls and sure -- players, coaches, and partisan fans will sometimes disagree -- but such is human nature when one is rooting for one side or the other. Yet I suspect most would begrudgingly admit the refs get it right 90+% of the time, even if they don't like it. And the game goes on.
Thing is with Crawford -- he's not content with merely reffing the show, he wants to BE the show.
And what I REALLY don't understand is why the NBA keeps trotting this guy out there to call big games. Crawford's been a ref since 1977. Somewhere during the course of all those years, you'd think the NBA would have figured out -- I mean, c'mon, they have people that review the performances of the refs, right? So what the hell is he still doing out there wreaking havoc?
Another idle thought: Huh. Maybe NBA commissioner David Stern and his cronies are big time Jerry Springer fans.
That would explain it.
But it doesn't make it right.
But enough about politics and back to sports. Needless to say, they have their fair share of loose cannons as well.
Yours truly tuned into the NBA playoff game earlier tonight between Indiana and Miami "in progress". The first thing I saw? A technical foul called on a player for no apparent reason. After a short while, it appeared the players couldn't make sense of other calls, the coaches were equally exasperated, the fans certainly couldn't figure it out -- and even the announcers -- never at a loss for words -- were trying to gloss it over. But they didn't have a clue what was going on either. The game finally progressed to the point where one expected total pandemonium be break out at any second.
What the hell was going on?
But then I looked closer and, yep, there he was. I should have known. Joey Crawford was the lead referee of the game.
Strictly in my opinion, Joey Crawford is to the NBA what Jerry Springer is to talk shows. No matter how well intentioned the participants may start out, they'll find a way to turn their civility and/or professionalism into a free-for-all approaching total anarchy. Like Dracula fed on blood, these guys seem to feed on madness.
Jerry Springer I understand. A lot of people seem to derive some sort of satisfaction from seeing other people on TV that are even more screwed up than THEY are.
But I don't understand Joey Crawford. I dare say most would agree the best officials in any sports contest are the ones that go unnoticed, while the game proceeds smoothly along. They make their calls and sure -- players, coaches, and partisan fans will sometimes disagree -- but such is human nature when one is rooting for one side or the other. Yet I suspect most would begrudgingly admit the refs get it right 90+% of the time, even if they don't like it. And the game goes on.
Thing is with Crawford -- he's not content with merely reffing the show, he wants to BE the show.
And what I REALLY don't understand is why the NBA keeps trotting this guy out there to call big games. Crawford's been a ref since 1977. Somewhere during the course of all those years, you'd think the NBA would have figured out -- I mean, c'mon, they have people that review the performances of the refs, right? So what the hell is he still doing out there wreaking havoc?
Another idle thought: Huh. Maybe NBA commissioner David Stern and his cronies are big time Jerry Springer fans.
That would explain it.
But it doesn't make it right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)