It's getting to be that time kids. This guys has had it up to here (hand reaches as high up as I can get it) with these assholes and their posturing. As most of you most likely know, talks were going nowhere and fast. The league brought in mediators to try and do something that could be considered a step in the right direction...worked just as well as it did last time. Talks broke down, no new meetings scheduled...blah blah blah. Then Commish had a lightbulb go off in his head and suggested that himself and the used tampon known as Donald Fehr sit out the next round of negotiations. I personally didn't know how that would turn out but the talks seemed to be going extremely well for the last couple days. I even caught myself being....hopeful. Bettman was confirmed to have said that he wanted a deal in place by tomorrow, coaches were contacting their players abroad and telling them to start making arrangements to make it back to the states. Everything seemed to be going right
Then the atomic bomb was dropped on the negotiations. Donald Fehr was insisting that he be allowed in to the bargaining today. Seriously, if People Magazine had a Douche Bag of the Year Award, this guy would win this year by a landslide. It took him half a day and he drove away all of the owners and tabled a deal that the owners deemed "unacceptable and no need to stick around tonight or Friday." I got it, you're there to get the players the best deal possible dude, but think about what you're doing. The owners hate this guy, the fans hate this guy, I bet by now the players and possibly his wife hate this guy. Fehr needs to understand one very important, very simple fact. He might be haggling with money that won't be there if and when the league finally starts back up again. I can't imagine that many of the sponsors want to stick around a league that is going to end up in a dick measuring contest every 7 or 8 years, not very good for business.
But the biggest thing that's gonna come back and give all these assholes a swift and stiff kick in the nuts is the fans. Yes, us, the fans. Let's start with me for example, I've been watching the Flyers now for almost 20 years. I have a sheet metal Flyers logo hanging up in my man cave, banners from the Bill Barber and Bobby Clarke nights given out a couple years ago, posters of Lavi and his angry pointer finger and of Groo just looking like a bad ass, a calendar from last season and tons of fan gear, including a customized pair of Nike shoes all orange and black with "Flyers" written on the tongue. Not to mention I played hockey for most of my adolescence, and loved every minute of it. And now I've come to terms with the fact that the sport I love has been hijacked with greedy egomaniacs who just see the game as $$$. The league arrogantly claims that the fans will return just like they did last time, don't count on it fellas. If you can drive a fan like myself away, it's certainly possible to drive other less hardcore fans away.
A buddy of mine is a huge Wild fan, whenever I see him in civilian clothes...he's always wearing that damn Wild sweater. I was talking to him the other day about how well the negotiations were going and his response echoed so many other fans who have simply given up and are sick of the bullshit, "Whatever, I've lost faith in these faggots to reach an agreement to save the year." Disregard the faggots part, not meant to be hurtful towards our gay readers. But anyways, he like so many of us, has just simply had enough. And I'm sure anyone in the Flyers universe has seen Eric before. Orange and Black Mohawk, Flyers tattoos on both sides of his head, and always wearing a Flyers jersey. I'm almost positive you've all seen him before. Anyway, I asked him for his take on what happened tonight and in one word I got "PATHETIC". When asked if he would watch again when it finally was back he replied "yea I'll watch but I'm considering cancelling my season tickets." That has to hit home not only to us but to the NHL and PA. If they can drive a fan like Eric to the point to where he doesn't want to pay to see them anymore, they have a serious problem.
I'm not saying that I'll never watch again, or that I'm not secretly hoping that the owners and players wake up tomorrow and think "shit, I just wanna get back to hockey...lets get something done." But I will certainly never be the fan that I once was, I used to scrape together any money I could get just to get some shitty seats up in the nose bleeds and pay 8 dollars a beer just so I could get the pleasure of seeing some of the best players in the world. Now I wouldn't pay a cent to them, I probably won't even pay for NHL Center Ice so I can watch them out here in Kansas. Feel free to share your feelings on the matter, I'm sure most of you are feeling the same way I am.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
So About that Season...
Yea ok so the title sucks...sue me.
Obviously I haven't been on in quite some time, work sucks up all my time. And Borderlands 2, Battlefield 3 and alcohol suck up the rest of my time. But I've been following this lockout with some attentiveness, naturally, and I need to vent 'cause this is getting ridiculous.
When the NHLPA brought in Donald Fehr last year I knew that it would eventually come to this, Fehr is the poster child for lockouts and arguing with owners on the players behalf. When they brought him in, I figured things would probably get a little nasty between the two. But seriously guys, knock the shit off...I'm sick and tired of hearing who's fault it is and all that garbage.
Seeing the shift of hate go from mostly on the owners to the NHLPA has been quite a spectacle. In the beginning, everyone was on board on the hate train for the owners. We all saw them as greedy fucks who wanted to bleed the players of every dime they possibly could, and would do anything to get it; including locking the players out and depriving us of the sport we all love. Which we all know is horse shit, the league grossed over $3 billion last season (which, I might add, is an all time record for the league). The owners have raked in a ton of money off of us over the last few years, yet they act like they are on welfare and need every penny just to stay afloat. Then there was that giant used tampon of a commissioner Bettman who basically said "fuck the fans, we can lock out the players all season if we want....they'll be back when the doors open again." When I heard that I wanted to find out where the prick lives and burn his house down with him inside. What a dick slap right to our faces, that's one of the most heartless and arrogant things I've ever heard. I know it's been established that it's not all Bettman's fault, but having 3 lockouts under your belt in 20 years....fuck face needs to go!
Now for the NHLPA.
I was in lock step behind them in the beginning, especially after the first offer that the owners threw towards the players. It was absolutely ridiculous and nobody in their right mind thought that the NHLPA would accept. But since then, all I've heard is both sides not moving a muscle and refusing to give an inch. More recently, the NHLPA has just straight up pointed the finger owners and said "they're mean, and we're not gonna play with them until they apologize." Look guys, I don't wanna hear that the owners aren't playing nice. And I certainly don't wanna hear players crying and bitching about what they're gonna do and how they're gonna provide for their families and all that shit. While some people will blindly support you just because you are heroes to the fans, let's be real here for a minute. The league minimum is $500 thousand, the national average income for a family of 4 as of last month....$50,054. Your MINIMUM salary that you could possibly be paid is literally 10x what the average American family of 4 is expected to bring in over the year. If you're so fiscally irresponsible that you don't have any money saved up from your six figure salary...I don't have much sympathy. I head to P.T. in the morning at 0530 and get home at 5 in the afternoon at the earliest, I make somewhere around $38 thousand a year. So you can take your bitching and moaning about how you won't be able to afford private school for your kids and that 3rd car and 2nd house and shove it right up your ass, cause this dude isn't impressed.
Now I'm just fed up with the whole thing. I just wanna see Groo undressing goalies left and right and Simmonds steamrolling people and taking pucks to the face like a fucking boss again. Split HRR 50/50 just like we know you'll eventually get to, and unlock the fucking doors so we can enjoy our favorite sport. Stop acting like a bunch of pussies, stop insulting our intelligence, and for the love of christ...stop having these 2 hour meetings and then just not talk for weeks. This is how children settle matters, do you think we could maybe act like adults? We'll see what happens, rumors are roaming about the NHLPA writing up a new proposal...I'm not getting my hopes up but at this point, I'll take any step in any direction
Obviously I haven't been on in quite some time, work sucks up all my time. And Borderlands 2, Battlefield 3 and alcohol suck up the rest of my time. But I've been following this lockout with some attentiveness, naturally, and I need to vent 'cause this is getting ridiculous.
When the NHLPA brought in Donald Fehr last year I knew that it would eventually come to this, Fehr is the poster child for lockouts and arguing with owners on the players behalf. When they brought him in, I figured things would probably get a little nasty between the two. But seriously guys, knock the shit off...I'm sick and tired of hearing who's fault it is and all that garbage.
Seeing the shift of hate go from mostly on the owners to the NHLPA has been quite a spectacle. In the beginning, everyone was on board on the hate train for the owners. We all saw them as greedy fucks who wanted to bleed the players of every dime they possibly could, and would do anything to get it; including locking the players out and depriving us of the sport we all love. Which we all know is horse shit, the league grossed over $3 billion last season (which, I might add, is an all time record for the league). The owners have raked in a ton of money off of us over the last few years, yet they act like they are on welfare and need every penny just to stay afloat. Then there was that giant used tampon of a commissioner Bettman who basically said "fuck the fans, we can lock out the players all season if we want....they'll be back when the doors open again." When I heard that I wanted to find out where the prick lives and burn his house down with him inside. What a dick slap right to our faces, that's one of the most heartless and arrogant things I've ever heard. I know it's been established that it's not all Bettman's fault, but having 3 lockouts under your belt in 20 years....fuck face needs to go!
Now for the NHLPA.
I was in lock step behind them in the beginning, especially after the first offer that the owners threw towards the players. It was absolutely ridiculous and nobody in their right mind thought that the NHLPA would accept. But since then, all I've heard is both sides not moving a muscle and refusing to give an inch. More recently, the NHLPA has just straight up pointed the finger owners and said "they're mean, and we're not gonna play with them until they apologize." Look guys, I don't wanna hear that the owners aren't playing nice. And I certainly don't wanna hear players crying and bitching about what they're gonna do and how they're gonna provide for their families and all that shit. While some people will blindly support you just because you are heroes to the fans, let's be real here for a minute. The league minimum is $500 thousand, the national average income for a family of 4 as of last month....$50,054. Your MINIMUM salary that you could possibly be paid is literally 10x what the average American family of 4 is expected to bring in over the year. If you're so fiscally irresponsible that you don't have any money saved up from your six figure salary...I don't have much sympathy. I head to P.T. in the morning at 0530 and get home at 5 in the afternoon at the earliest, I make somewhere around $38 thousand a year. So you can take your bitching and moaning about how you won't be able to afford private school for your kids and that 3rd car and 2nd house and shove it right up your ass, cause this dude isn't impressed.
Now I'm just fed up with the whole thing. I just wanna see Groo undressing goalies left and right and Simmonds steamrolling people and taking pucks to the face like a fucking boss again. Split HRR 50/50 just like we know you'll eventually get to, and unlock the fucking doors so we can enjoy our favorite sport. Stop acting like a bunch of pussies, stop insulting our intelligence, and for the love of christ...stop having these 2 hour meetings and then just not talk for weeks. This is how children settle matters, do you think we could maybe act like adults? We'll see what happens, rumors are roaming about the NHLPA writing up a new proposal...I'm not getting my hopes up but at this point, I'll take any step in any direction
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Knock Knocks
Let me first start out by saying.....what's up? I'm aware that it's been roughly a year since I wrote anything, going from civy to soldier sucks up a lot of time. Now I'm all settled in at my duty station I got a little more free time. Alright that's enough of that, let's get on with it....
Was it just me or was that the weirdest series any of you have ever seen? Unless I'm mistaken I think there was 56 goals scored in that series. 56 goals in 6 games is absolutely ridiculous. I admit I was happy when it was us scoring 8 goals in games 2 and 3 but still....that many goals in a playoff game is just insane. Goaltending was terrible for both teams this whole series, especially the first 3 games. I know we won 8-4 and 8-5 but if Fleury is on his game for 2 and 3 we probably don't win. You can't let in 5 goals in a playoff game and expect to win very often. All this season Bryz has been a point of concern for me. He is a good goalie, don't get me wrong; and I was certainly was not one of the ones bashing him in the middle of the season because he was in a slump. But this guy needs to get his rebounds under control, big time. This is the big show, playoff hockey is won in the corners and by the gritty guys right in front of the net that are gonna pound away until it goes it. If he can just keep those shots in his glove or angle his pads so the rebound goes into the corners he will be able to steal some for us.
On to our rookies...
Coots totally made Malkin his bitch this series. When a 19 year old can make the league's top scoring forward in the regular series look like a non-issue that says something. He was passed up by a few teams cause he had mono, boy was that a mistake. This kid is gritty, smart, fast and can shoot the puck when he gets the chance. He's a perfect fit for this team and I personally love his attitude. Read has been a steady penalty killer and all around hard worker for us. He's faster than a gazelle on coke and he's got a good head on his shoulders, another good pick up by Homer. Schenn is probably my favorite rookie. He yapps at the opponent constantly, he digs in the corners, he can hit like a freight train and he works his ass off every shift. Not to mention he was the highest ranked Canadian Jr. last year before he was drafted. I love this kid, he's got talent and he's got the attitude that has been become associated with Flyer hockey.
How about the performance from our top line? Groo sets records for points in a series and in a single playoff game. Jags and Hartnell have also been dominant pretty much all season, when they were all healthy anyway. But Groo man...holy shit is this guy scary good or what? He's got amazing hockey sense, great vision, soft hands, a wicked shot (when he doesn't pass) and the best attitude you could have for a leader. He brings energy and confidence to the team. Idk about any of you but when I see him on the ice I almost expect him to make an amazing play, that's just in his character.
Finally, to the flightless birds. This team showed it's true colors this series. Malkin, Neal, Cindy, Asham and Adams all showed that they are fine with playing filthy. There are even penguin fans that are disgraced to be associated with their own team, who woulda thought right? I definitely saw a switch of attitudes towards both teams. Before this series everyone was gargling the penguins nuts but after that disgraceful showing in game 3 everyone was calling them cheap, dirty, crybabies that whine and bitch like pregnant women. Never would I think I would see Milbury and Roenick publicly bash the whole organization but they did. They have a lot of soul searching to do in the offseason, which starts today : ) cya next year homos.
All in all I think that was an insane series. As long as our D and Bryz can keep it together, we have a legit chance at beating whatever teams are left after the first round. We have the talent and the heart to hoist up Lord Stanley in June, just have to keep our focus. Good hard fought series by both teams, best of luck to the pens players as they descend on the golf courses next week (snow storm heading into Shitsburgh today so no golf for a while). And for our boys, take a couple days to savor yet another victory in the Pennsylvania Civil War, but keep your focus and come out swinging against whoever we end up playing next series.
Good night and good hockey Flyers Phaithful
Was it just me or was that the weirdest series any of you have ever seen? Unless I'm mistaken I think there was 56 goals scored in that series. 56 goals in 6 games is absolutely ridiculous. I admit I was happy when it was us scoring 8 goals in games 2 and 3 but still....that many goals in a playoff game is just insane. Goaltending was terrible for both teams this whole series, especially the first 3 games. I know we won 8-4 and 8-5 but if Fleury is on his game for 2 and 3 we probably don't win. You can't let in 5 goals in a playoff game and expect to win very often. All this season Bryz has been a point of concern for me. He is a good goalie, don't get me wrong; and I was certainly was not one of the ones bashing him in the middle of the season because he was in a slump. But this guy needs to get his rebounds under control, big time. This is the big show, playoff hockey is won in the corners and by the gritty guys right in front of the net that are gonna pound away until it goes it. If he can just keep those shots in his glove or angle his pads so the rebound goes into the corners he will be able to steal some for us.
On to our rookies...
Coots totally made Malkin his bitch this series. When a 19 year old can make the league's top scoring forward in the regular series look like a non-issue that says something. He was passed up by a few teams cause he had mono, boy was that a mistake. This kid is gritty, smart, fast and can shoot the puck when he gets the chance. He's a perfect fit for this team and I personally love his attitude. Read has been a steady penalty killer and all around hard worker for us. He's faster than a gazelle on coke and he's got a good head on his shoulders, another good pick up by Homer. Schenn is probably my favorite rookie. He yapps at the opponent constantly, he digs in the corners, he can hit like a freight train and he works his ass off every shift. Not to mention he was the highest ranked Canadian Jr. last year before he was drafted. I love this kid, he's got talent and he's got the attitude that has been become associated with Flyer hockey.
How about the performance from our top line? Groo sets records for points in a series and in a single playoff game. Jags and Hartnell have also been dominant pretty much all season, when they were all healthy anyway. But Groo man...holy shit is this guy scary good or what? He's got amazing hockey sense, great vision, soft hands, a wicked shot (when he doesn't pass) and the best attitude you could have for a leader. He brings energy and confidence to the team. Idk about any of you but when I see him on the ice I almost expect him to make an amazing play, that's just in his character.
Finally, to the flightless birds. This team showed it's true colors this series. Malkin, Neal, Cindy, Asham and Adams all showed that they are fine with playing filthy. There are even penguin fans that are disgraced to be associated with their own team, who woulda thought right? I definitely saw a switch of attitudes towards both teams. Before this series everyone was gargling the penguins nuts but after that disgraceful showing in game 3 everyone was calling them cheap, dirty, crybabies that whine and bitch like pregnant women. Never would I think I would see Milbury and Roenick publicly bash the whole organization but they did. They have a lot of soul searching to do in the offseason, which starts today : ) cya next year homos.
All in all I think that was an insane series. As long as our D and Bryz can keep it together, we have a legit chance at beating whatever teams are left after the first round. We have the talent and the heart to hoist up Lord Stanley in June, just have to keep our focus. Good hard fought series by both teams, best of luck to the pens players as they descend on the golf courses next week (snow storm heading into Shitsburgh today so no golf for a while). And for our boys, take a couple days to savor yet another victory in the Pennsylvania Civil War, but keep your focus and come out swinging against whoever we end up playing next series.
Good night and good hockey Flyers Phaithful
Thursday, April 21, 2011
2-1-1
Sorry for the long lull in between posts people, been busy and honestly forgot about this for a few weeks. And in a completely unrelated subject, if you guys haven't seen Insidious you should get on that. Creepy as all balls, but I digress.
2-1-1 is our record so far in the playoffs. The last 1 referring of course to that sorry excuse for officiating we had to endure last night so the refs won that one. Everyone in Flyers Country knows that we aren't exactly the refs or the league's favorite team. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, and I'm always looking for another excuse as to why the team loses, and there usually is one. Bad goaltending, a non-existent powerplay, stupid blunders, or just pure unadulterated lazyassness. None of which I saw last night, with the obvious exception of the powerplay but it was a shutout so what do you expect? The team played pretty decent hockey in the first 40, and just flat out phenomenal in the last 15/10 minutes. You could make an argument that Miller stole the game for them, and you'd be partially right. But the refs last night were the real reason we lost last night. I have 3 examples, but I'm sure there was a bunch more. These 3 are the ones that stood out the most though. Number 1:
2-1-1 is our record so far in the playoffs. The last 1 referring of course to that sorry excuse for officiating we had to endure last night so the refs won that one. Everyone in Flyers Country knows that we aren't exactly the refs or the league's favorite team. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, and I'm always looking for another excuse as to why the team loses, and there usually is one. Bad goaltending, a non-existent powerplay, stupid blunders, or just pure unadulterated lazyassness. None of which I saw last night, with the obvious exception of the powerplay but it was a shutout so what do you expect? The team played pretty decent hockey in the first 40, and just flat out phenomenal in the last 15/10 minutes. You could make an argument that Miller stole the game for them, and you'd be partially right. But the refs last night were the real reason we lost last night. I have 3 examples, but I'm sure there was a bunch more. These 3 are the ones that stood out the most though. Number 1:
Admittedly I didn't see this one right away, I saw it on the replay. But it is so damn obvious, blatant and dangerous that it is beyond me why the league isn't handing out supplemental discipline to Kaleta. Now this might not have been the refs fault per say, there's only 4 of them and they have to keep their eye on everything. But if I were in the NHL front office and saw this, Kaleta would be getting a 1 game suspension; a fine at the very least, this shows a clear intent to injure Zherdev.
Number 2 is Carcillo getting a roughing call after being punched in the face by Miller and then choke slammed by one of the Sabers defensemen. Can't find a video for this one but if you watched the game you know exactly what I'm talking about. Carcillo didn't even retaliate, which is so not in his character. I mean yea, he did get up and try to go after Miller but he never actually made any contact. That one was WAY beyond my understanding. I've never liked Carcillo at all, but dude played one hell of a game last night and definitely didn't deserve that penalty. It was the crest on the front and the name on the back of his sweater that got him that trip to the box.
And number 3...the biggest bullshit call of the game, and you probably know what I'm talking about...Richie getting 5 minutes for defending himself. Here's the vid:
Now, just to set the record straight...What he did WAS a penalty. He threw up his elbow and that's a big no no. But listen to that video again, JJ, Coatsey and Bill are all completely amazed that Richie was banished to the box for 5 minutes. Anyone that's listen to these guys over the years knows that, while they are our color commentators and analysts; they are really fair about blaming the Flyers if they do something wrong. In fact, hardly ever do you hear them just flat out disagree with the refs. They usually try to be impartial, no matter how much they have to strain rationality. So for them to just flat out say it's ridiculous...that's saying something.
Game 5 is tomorrow night in Philly and you can bet your orange and black asses that the Fly boys will be out for nothing less than Patrick Kaleta's head with a side helping of Ryan Miller's balls. I had tremendous respect for Miller after the Olympics last year...yea that's all gone. He's managed to make me go from liking him to hating his guys in just 4 short games...bravo sir. And Kaleta has moved into 1st place on my most hated players list. He was floating around number 5/6 or so but this series has propelled him straight past Cooke, Avery, Gillies and their ilk. And here's an interesting quote from Lindy Ruff, or as I affectionately call him "Hush puppy" about us whining about last night's game:
"I just feel they're doing a lot of whining. They're really doing a lot of whining. I didn't hear any whining when they had 10 powerplays in Philly and I didn't hear any whining when the powerplays in the first game were lopsided. But all of a sudden there's all this whining about we're getting away with murder. That's a bunch of crap. That's for the media, that's for the officials to read. Here, let's get the next call. That's a bunch of crap. Let's just play.
We're just playing. There hasn't been one word about the officiating out of us. But if they want to cry about the officiating and whine about different calls, go ahead. Go ahead."
So there's some brain food for you guys to digest...and just to lighten the mood:
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
You're Killin' Me Smalls
No seriously, that was going through my head during the first period last night. And by "Smalls" I mean, of course...Bob. Dude looked less like a goalie and more like Swiss cheese out there last night. I was hoping, and expecting a little more out of our commie kid after he put on that great performance against Dallas on Saturday. But that didn't happen.
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way, Bob had a shit game. No two ways about it, when you have a .667 save percentage...you had a shitty night. The first goal was just awful, as was the third. The second one was kind of his fault but O'd should have picked up Knuble in his office so he's not totally at fault on that one, but he should still track the puck better than that. In essence, this was the kids first taste of playoff hockey, and he certainly was disappointing. I've seen some people yapping that he can't handle the pressure, we need to start Boosh, we need to recall Leighton and all that garbage. While I tend to agree that Boosh is a more qualified candidate for the starting playoff job, at least for the start of the playoffs, calling up Leighton is one step away from retarded. He would get snatched off the waiver wire in a heartbeat. And these are the same people that were screaming for his head last season in the finals, now all of a sudden, Bob has one bad game and they wanna go right back to our tandem from last year. He had a bad game people, pop a pill and relax. He's a 22 year old kid in his rookie season in the hardest hockey league on the planet, give him a break. But enough about Bob...can we talk about what a boss Groo and Noodle were?
Groo was an animal last night, that hit he put on Semin in the third....jumpin' jesus that was awesome. He had a goal, an assist, was a +2 and drew 2 penalties. This kid IS Flyers hockey, 'nuff said. He's got skill, grit, attitude, will drop the gloves when he needs to and is just a blast to watch. I said last year that he reminded me of watching Foppa back in the day, and apparently Gagne agrees with me. When you're getting compared to a great like Foppa, you're doin alright for yourself. Noodle was awesome too, he played a huge part in the first goal, assisted on the second with a sweet pass to Groo and assumed the Crosby position to score his goal...and by Crosby position, I mean he was on his knees. I didn't really notice him in Dallas, but then again, I was in a bar in D.C. surrounded by March Madness and I was stuck in the middle watching the game on 1 tv with no sound so I really have no idea how well he did. But judging by this game, being benched for 6 games really sent him a message. This is the guy that muscled Bill Guerin out of his roster spot during training camp, and about time he came back around.
The all around effort from last night's game was nothing short of brilliant. They were cycling, winning battles, awesome puck movement...basically they did everything right. They just had some crap goaltending, that's what lost us the game. But hey, we're Philly, we wouldn't be complete without having some kind of goalie issue right? But seriously, to all those people out there who were bitching and moaning...what game were you assholes watching? That was possibly their best game of the season, when you come back against Washington after they have a 3-0 lead and somehow force a shootout...that's pretty damn impressive. Sure, I would have liked the win but it wouldn't have mattered. Once we got into overtime, we were going to be 1 point up on Washington win or lose. Don't forget that we have 2 games in hand on them and we're still in the lead. If you guys can't be proud of the way your team played last night, then you know absolutely nothing about hockey and aren't worthy of being Flyers fans. The game isn't just about winning, it's how you play the game. They beat Edmonton with half assed, totally shitty play...but they still won. Didn't seem to matter to the coach or the players though, they all said they played like shit and didn't deserve to win. Yesterday was the opposite, they played with real heart but they got a bit of bad luck and ended up losing. The effort is what's important, especially at this time of year. Would have liked to see a win yesterday, but in the words of Mike Richards: "Shit Happens".
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way, Bob had a shit game. No two ways about it, when you have a .667 save percentage...you had a shitty night. The first goal was just awful, as was the third. The second one was kind of his fault but O'd should have picked up Knuble in his office so he's not totally at fault on that one, but he should still track the puck better than that. In essence, this was the kids first taste of playoff hockey, and he certainly was disappointing. I've seen some people yapping that he can't handle the pressure, we need to start Boosh, we need to recall Leighton and all that garbage. While I tend to agree that Boosh is a more qualified candidate for the starting playoff job, at least for the start of the playoffs, calling up Leighton is one step away from retarded. He would get snatched off the waiver wire in a heartbeat. And these are the same people that were screaming for his head last season in the finals, now all of a sudden, Bob has one bad game and they wanna go right back to our tandem from last year. He had a bad game people, pop a pill and relax. He's a 22 year old kid in his rookie season in the hardest hockey league on the planet, give him a break. But enough about Bob...can we talk about what a boss Groo and Noodle were?
Groo was an animal last night, that hit he put on Semin in the third....jumpin' jesus that was awesome. He had a goal, an assist, was a +2 and drew 2 penalties. This kid IS Flyers hockey, 'nuff said. He's got skill, grit, attitude, will drop the gloves when he needs to and is just a blast to watch. I said last year that he reminded me of watching Foppa back in the day, and apparently Gagne agrees with me. When you're getting compared to a great like Foppa, you're doin alright for yourself. Noodle was awesome too, he played a huge part in the first goal, assisted on the second with a sweet pass to Groo and assumed the Crosby position to score his goal...and by Crosby position, I mean he was on his knees. I didn't really notice him in Dallas, but then again, I was in a bar in D.C. surrounded by March Madness and I was stuck in the middle watching the game on 1 tv with no sound so I really have no idea how well he did. But judging by this game, being benched for 6 games really sent him a message. This is the guy that muscled Bill Guerin out of his roster spot during training camp, and about time he came back around.
The all around effort from last night's game was nothing short of brilliant. They were cycling, winning battles, awesome puck movement...basically they did everything right. They just had some crap goaltending, that's what lost us the game. But hey, we're Philly, we wouldn't be complete without having some kind of goalie issue right? But seriously, to all those people out there who were bitching and moaning...what game were you assholes watching? That was possibly their best game of the season, when you come back against Washington after they have a 3-0 lead and somehow force a shootout...that's pretty damn impressive. Sure, I would have liked the win but it wouldn't have mattered. Once we got into overtime, we were going to be 1 point up on Washington win or lose. Don't forget that we have 2 games in hand on them and we're still in the lead. If you guys can't be proud of the way your team played last night, then you know absolutely nothing about hockey and aren't worthy of being Flyers fans. The game isn't just about winning, it's how you play the game. They beat Edmonton with half assed, totally shitty play...but they still won. Didn't seem to matter to the coach or the players though, they all said they played like shit and didn't deserve to win. Yesterday was the opposite, they played with real heart but they got a bit of bad luck and ended up losing. The effort is what's important, especially at this time of year. Would have liked to see a win yesterday, but in the words of Mike Richards: "Shit Happens".
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Bleacher Report!
Anybody who is an avid fan of pretty much any sport or team, not just hockey or the Flyers, has probably read Bleacher Report at least once. Now I'm just a Flyers guy, I don't read any other sections of it, but from what I see on the Flyers site....jumpin' Jesus is it sad. I just read a piece about trades that will affect the Flyers, and after all the build up, it finally pushed me to vent my frustrations about that site on here.
First of all, there was this..."While we greatly appreciate your interest in being a contributor to our website, after careful consideration, we must deny your request to be a part of our team." That's an actual quote from an e-mail they sent me a few months ago, basically telling me that I wasn't good enough for their AMAZING website. It's a non-paid position dude, it's not like I was asking for a job. What exactly disqualifies me good sir? Is it that I've been an avid fan since...birth? Perhaps I'm too knowledgeable. Perhaps it's the Grizzly Adams playoff beard I have in my default picture over there. Or maybe it's just because I could debate all their writers at once and prove them all wrong. Look, I know I'm not the best writer around; never once have I said that cause it would be wrong. I just do this for fun and to entertain both myself and the few people that actually read this. But to say I'm not good enough to write for a website that constantly publishes completely fabricated nonsense, that's just bullshit.
Second of all, everybody...and I do mean everybody...knows that Bleacher Report sucks. Our dear friends over at Broad Street Hockey did a little piece on them last week and about how they're the source of some of the most ridiculous trade rumors. I can't tell you how many times I've seen, "Are the Flyers Interested In Acquiring Thomas Vokoun?" on there. While there is a tiny bit of truth in the fact that Florida does shop Vokoun around, especially this year with his contract being up at the end of the season, one only has to not have been born yesterday to realize that Vokoun is basically out of the question. He's a good goalie, everyone knows that. He's a good goalie with a massive contract, at $5.7 million a year, he makes almost $1.5 million more than his closest competitor...David Booth. The Flyers have less than $2 million in cap space. So we'd have to move over $3.5 million in salary just to accommodate him. Homer has made some stupid moves before, but to blow up your team for an aging, ridiculously expensive goalie that probably won't be around next year, yea I don't think so.
And then there was what I read today. 2 things really got on my nerves...
1. Mike Richards is an overrated player, and is not a star in this league and 2. Versteeg wasn't worth the draft picks and is a -13 for the Flyers in 7 games.
There's several things wrong with that...the first one being, Richards is probably one of the most UNDERRATED players in the league. Being good for around 30 goals a season and having 335 points in 433 career games and having a +40 rating in his career is pretty damn impressive. The guy has it all, soft hands, rough fists, grit, class, leadership, not to mention he leads all active players in shorties since the lockout, and just radiates pure testosterone...for example:
I would love for that writer to go strolling up to Richie and tell him he's overrated after seeing that. Yes, he's not on the level of cindy, Ovy, Stamkos, the Sedin twins or Rick Nash. He's not just a pure goal scorer, he's a leader that is happier setting up his teammates for goals than shooting constantly. He works every shift and is all around a guy that everybody would want on their team.
Now for the Versteeg comment, it took me all of 15 seconds to disprove this guy. Versteeg indeed has played 7 games, and has posted a +2 in the Orange & Black, not a -13. He was totally worth the draft picks also, he's a gritty scorer with a completely non-consequential Stanley Cup ring who is a stud in the playoffs and the big games. I would take a guy like that over 2 unproven draft picks in a weak draft class any day of the week. Oh, he also said Hartnell is better than him....statistically yes, he's technically correct. But at least Steeger can stay on his feet. That's just my opinion that Steeger is better, but still...that guy is a fucking moron.
In conclusion, Bleacher Report isn't good enough to lick my dogs crap off my boot heel. Constantly wild trade rumors and just wrong statistics have made it my least favorite website, and it will remain as such probably for eternity. Here's to you Bleacher Report, from everybody here in Flyers Country...
First of all, there was this..."While we greatly appreciate your interest in being a contributor to our website, after careful consideration, we must deny your request to be a part of our team." That's an actual quote from an e-mail they sent me a few months ago, basically telling me that I wasn't good enough for their AMAZING website. It's a non-paid position dude, it's not like I was asking for a job. What exactly disqualifies me good sir? Is it that I've been an avid fan since...birth? Perhaps I'm too knowledgeable. Perhaps it's the Grizzly Adams playoff beard I have in my default picture over there. Or maybe it's just because I could debate all their writers at once and prove them all wrong. Look, I know I'm not the best writer around; never once have I said that cause it would be wrong. I just do this for fun and to entertain both myself and the few people that actually read this. But to say I'm not good enough to write for a website that constantly publishes completely fabricated nonsense, that's just bullshit.
Second of all, everybody...and I do mean everybody...knows that Bleacher Report sucks. Our dear friends over at Broad Street Hockey did a little piece on them last week and about how they're the source of some of the most ridiculous trade rumors. I can't tell you how many times I've seen, "Are the Flyers Interested In Acquiring Thomas Vokoun?" on there. While there is a tiny bit of truth in the fact that Florida does shop Vokoun around, especially this year with his contract being up at the end of the season, one only has to not have been born yesterday to realize that Vokoun is basically out of the question. He's a good goalie, everyone knows that. He's a good goalie with a massive contract, at $5.7 million a year, he makes almost $1.5 million more than his closest competitor...David Booth. The Flyers have less than $2 million in cap space. So we'd have to move over $3.5 million in salary just to accommodate him. Homer has made some stupid moves before, but to blow up your team for an aging, ridiculously expensive goalie that probably won't be around next year, yea I don't think so.
And then there was what I read today. 2 things really got on my nerves...
1. Mike Richards is an overrated player, and is not a star in this league and 2. Versteeg wasn't worth the draft picks and is a -13 for the Flyers in 7 games.
There's several things wrong with that...the first one being, Richards is probably one of the most UNDERRATED players in the league. Being good for around 30 goals a season and having 335 points in 433 career games and having a +40 rating in his career is pretty damn impressive. The guy has it all, soft hands, rough fists, grit, class, leadership, not to mention he leads all active players in shorties since the lockout, and just radiates pure testosterone...for example:
I would love for that writer to go strolling up to Richie and tell him he's overrated after seeing that. Yes, he's not on the level of cindy, Ovy, Stamkos, the Sedin twins or Rick Nash. He's not just a pure goal scorer, he's a leader that is happier setting up his teammates for goals than shooting constantly. He works every shift and is all around a guy that everybody would want on their team.
Now for the Versteeg comment, it took me all of 15 seconds to disprove this guy. Versteeg indeed has played 7 games, and has posted a +2 in the Orange & Black, not a -13. He was totally worth the draft picks also, he's a gritty scorer with a completely non-consequential Stanley Cup ring who is a stud in the playoffs and the big games. I would take a guy like that over 2 unproven draft picks in a weak draft class any day of the week. Oh, he also said Hartnell is better than him....statistically yes, he's technically correct. But at least Steeger can stay on his feet. That's just my opinion that Steeger is better, but still...that guy is a fucking moron.
In conclusion, Bleacher Report isn't good enough to lick my dogs crap off my boot heel. Constantly wild trade rumors and just wrong statistics have made it my least favorite website, and it will remain as such probably for eternity. Here's to you Bleacher Report, from everybody here in Flyers Country...
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Homer's Been A Busy Bee
The title is pretty self-explanatory, the last week or so has seen a trade, putting people on waivers, claiming people off waivers and some shitty play (see last night's game). I only got to see bits and pieces of first and second period and none of the third so I can't really say anything about it. I did see Zherdev being a boss though, that was nice.
Anyways, back to Homer. The Versteeg trade with the Leafs was a pretty damn good one the way I see it. He is a proven stud when he needs to be, he wreaked havoc on us last year during the finals and has a reputation of not letting pressure get to him in the big games. He also comes semi-cheap, at just a tad over $3 million per season, he is probably worth anywhere from 3.5-4 million so we got top notch talent at a bargain price. Now just to be clear, I'm not saying that he's gonna be this huge stud, I'm not saying that he's the piece that was missing and he's gonna deliver Lord Stanley to us. He's a gritty bulldog that works his ass off in the corners and has a pretty nice wrist shot. He's a great compliment to Richie's play making ability and has the attitude that both the Flyers staff and fans want and enjoy. And what did we have to give up for this guy? A first and third round draft pick, which is a kin to robbing the Leafs blind.
I understand why they did it, they know they suck....they know that unless they can get some studs via draft, they will always suck. They're not making the playoffs this year so they give up one of their top scorers in exchange for a few future hopeful studs. Looking at it that way, it sounds pretty reasonable...but there's a catch. They gave up a proven goal scorer and a pretty cheery personality in the locker room for some unknowns. Next year's draft class isn't a particularly impressive one, there's no future Ovechkins or Stamkos's or anything like that the pick they got in the first round is most likely going to be in the last five of the round. So I'd have to say when you look at it that way, we really got a deal and they kind of got screwed. Now their first round pick might end up being the next Gretzky, in which case I will have to shove my foot down my throat, but it's not likely.
Then there was the whole Zherdev being put on waivers thingy, honestly I knew it was coming, but I thought it would have been a trade. I never expected him to be waived. Anybody who's read anything I've written before knows that I always defended Zherdev, shortcomings and all, I've even said they needed to trade him so the poor guy could get some playing time somewhere. I thought maybe Lavy just hated Russians or something but it turns out that what really sunk him was his attitude. In my playing days I ran across a few guys like him, they think their shit doesn't stink and that they're the best thing to ever step on the ice. Yea, they're good and they can deliver when they want to, but you hate being around them cause they're so damn cocky, they never pass and they feel like they don't need to try that hard cause they're so good. Remembering how much I disliked those guys, it wasn't that hard to see why he was scratched so often. So he bitched to his agent, who bitched to Homer, who bitched to other GM's to take him, they bitched back at him because he was a selfish bitch, and he bitched that no other teams wanted him...yea, there was a lot of bitching going on during this. Let's not even discuss the fans bitching, I can't handle it. So after the bitching, they decided to just put him on waivers and see if he would get claimed...he didn't. And to a guy with an ego the size of a blue whale's erect penis, that's like getting told that santa isn't real again. He had a few talks with Lavs and Homer, productive talks I hear, and they explained why they did what they did and what he needed to do to get out of the dog house. I know, he's only been back one game, but the way he played last night...it definitely looks like he got the message. Dude was everywhere, even in the defensive zone...and no, you read that right, DEFENSIVE ZONE. Only time will tell but he definitely made a case for him to play at least the next game, hopefully we're gonna get to see the highlight reel Z from now on.
Finally, getting Boynton off of waivers. In my opinion, another solid move by Homes. He's going to be scratched unless there's an injury of course, but he's a hell of a lot better than Barts is. Barts only has about 65 NHL games to his name and owns a very depressing -16 +/- rating, and no points in his NHL career. Boynton on the other hand, has almost 600 NHL games on his record, a Stanley Cup ring, respectable +22 rating and 144 NHL points. He also has over 850 penalty minutes, so he'll be a great fit with our club. He's been around the league for a while so there's more of that oft-mentioned "veteran presence" in the locker room...oh yea I forgot, he's actually cheaper than Barts is. He makes 500k while Barts makes 600k, so we got a better player than we have now, for cheaper. I'm definitely not gonna miss Barts but Bob probably will...that's one less person for him to talk to in the locker room. Only got Z, who doesn't talk to anybody and Andrej the Giant left now. He better kick it in the ass with his English lessons.
All in all, I give Homer a solid A for the moves he's made in the last year. The Gagne trade hurt a bit, but it all turned out for the best. With the deadline tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if anything changes. Rumors are circulating about possibly getting Marty Reasoner but I have no idea where it came from so don't be surprised if the rumor is just that. The way the team is set up, I really think that he could either make a move or not make one and we'd be okay. A stud goalie would be nice but Bobs and Boosh are doing a fantastic job, so it's not really necessary.
Anyways, back to Homer. The Versteeg trade with the Leafs was a pretty damn good one the way I see it. He is a proven stud when he needs to be, he wreaked havoc on us last year during the finals and has a reputation of not letting pressure get to him in the big games. He also comes semi-cheap, at just a tad over $3 million per season, he is probably worth anywhere from 3.5-4 million so we got top notch talent at a bargain price. Now just to be clear, I'm not saying that he's gonna be this huge stud, I'm not saying that he's the piece that was missing and he's gonna deliver Lord Stanley to us. He's a gritty bulldog that works his ass off in the corners and has a pretty nice wrist shot. He's a great compliment to Richie's play making ability and has the attitude that both the Flyers staff and fans want and enjoy. And what did we have to give up for this guy? A first and third round draft pick, which is a kin to robbing the Leafs blind.
I understand why they did it, they know they suck....they know that unless they can get some studs via draft, they will always suck. They're not making the playoffs this year so they give up one of their top scorers in exchange for a few future hopeful studs. Looking at it that way, it sounds pretty reasonable...but there's a catch. They gave up a proven goal scorer and a pretty cheery personality in the locker room for some unknowns. Next year's draft class isn't a particularly impressive one, there's no future Ovechkins or Stamkos's or anything like that the pick they got in the first round is most likely going to be in the last five of the round. So I'd have to say when you look at it that way, we really got a deal and they kind of got screwed. Now their first round pick might end up being the next Gretzky, in which case I will have to shove my foot down my throat, but it's not likely.
Then there was the whole Zherdev being put on waivers thingy, honestly I knew it was coming, but I thought it would have been a trade. I never expected him to be waived. Anybody who's read anything I've written before knows that I always defended Zherdev, shortcomings and all, I've even said they needed to trade him so the poor guy could get some playing time somewhere. I thought maybe Lavy just hated Russians or something but it turns out that what really sunk him was his attitude. In my playing days I ran across a few guys like him, they think their shit doesn't stink and that they're the best thing to ever step on the ice. Yea, they're good and they can deliver when they want to, but you hate being around them cause they're so damn cocky, they never pass and they feel like they don't need to try that hard cause they're so good. Remembering how much I disliked those guys, it wasn't that hard to see why he was scratched so often. So he bitched to his agent, who bitched to Homer, who bitched to other GM's to take him, they bitched back at him because he was a selfish bitch, and he bitched that no other teams wanted him...yea, there was a lot of bitching going on during this. Let's not even discuss the fans bitching, I can't handle it. So after the bitching, they decided to just put him on waivers and see if he would get claimed...he didn't. And to a guy with an ego the size of a blue whale's erect penis, that's like getting told that santa isn't real again. He had a few talks with Lavs and Homer, productive talks I hear, and they explained why they did what they did and what he needed to do to get out of the dog house. I know, he's only been back one game, but the way he played last night...it definitely looks like he got the message. Dude was everywhere, even in the defensive zone...and no, you read that right, DEFENSIVE ZONE. Only time will tell but he definitely made a case for him to play at least the next game, hopefully we're gonna get to see the highlight reel Z from now on.
Finally, getting Boynton off of waivers. In my opinion, another solid move by Homes. He's going to be scratched unless there's an injury of course, but he's a hell of a lot better than Barts is. Barts only has about 65 NHL games to his name and owns a very depressing -16 +/- rating, and no points in his NHL career. Boynton on the other hand, has almost 600 NHL games on his record, a Stanley Cup ring, respectable +22 rating and 144 NHL points. He also has over 850 penalty minutes, so he'll be a great fit with our club. He's been around the league for a while so there's more of that oft-mentioned "veteran presence" in the locker room...oh yea I forgot, he's actually cheaper than Barts is. He makes 500k while Barts makes 600k, so we got a better player than we have now, for cheaper. I'm definitely not gonna miss Barts but Bob probably will...that's one less person for him to talk to in the locker room. Only got Z, who doesn't talk to anybody and Andrej the Giant left now. He better kick it in the ass with his English lessons.
All in all, I give Homer a solid A for the moves he's made in the last year. The Gagne trade hurt a bit, but it all turned out for the best. With the deadline tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if anything changes. Rumors are circulating about possibly getting Marty Reasoner but I have no idea where it came from so don't be surprised if the rumor is just that. The way the team is set up, I really think that he could either make a move or not make one and we'd be okay. A stud goalie would be nice but Bobs and Boosh are doing a fantastic job, so it's not really necessary.
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