Let me say this up front:
I am a fan of Saku Koivu.
I have been a fan of his on ice exploits over the years
and a bigger fan of his off ice magic that has helped so many.
However, now might be the time.
In listening to Pierre McGuire with Melnick last week, I was struck by Pierre's comments about the machinations of a trade in the NHL.
To paraphrase:
It has to be an eye opener, something that will make the room feel a shock.
Safe to say you know where I'm going with this.
It's not just a lack of production (One five on five goal),
It's leadership, the future of this team's leadership.
Christopher Higgins & Mike Komisarek are the future in that area,
you can hear it from Higgins and it leaves one to wonder
what we'd be hearing if he didn't have Koivu standing in his way.
It's not about 3 losses in a row or 5 losses in 6 games or whatever the latest is.
It's about the future.
Maybe not today, maybe not next week but it is inevitable.
NEXT !
Guy Carbonneau !
Get off this Guy's back will ya.
Especially you people who picked this team to miss the playoffs.
Right now he's doing better than you did.
It's his ass on the line.
If you're wrong, you'll just predict again until you get it right.
If he's wrong, he'll get fired.
I don't think there's a coach in the NHL who's moves you would agree with 100% of the time,
up until this point, I think he's done pretty well with what he was given.
Which brings us to:
BOB GAINEY !!!
I wasn't impressed when he went out and spent his money on Brian Smolinski, Tom Kostopoulis and Patrice Brisebois.
If this team was going to play as I suspected..(and early on I must admit they've done better)
than they would be better served letting the kids get used to the NHL.
They underestimated Kyle Chipchura, sent Ryan O'Byrne & Maxim Lapierre to the minors,
and made a forward of a bad contract in Mathieu Dandenault.
AND as I said last summer, I would have traded Cristobal Huet.
Price and Halak.
Let the kids learn up here...All of them.
Another Kostitsyn anyone ?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Bonds Will Walk Again
He is baseball's all time leader in walks and while he may never play another game in the major leagues, Bonds will add at least one more to his total.
He'll get a pass on all charges levied by a grand jury this week.
Bonds was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction by federal prosecutors at a California District Court in San Francisco.
Each of the perjury charges carries a jail sentence of up to five years, while the obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
This all boils down to Barry's statement before the grand jury:"I have never knowingly taken steroids".
This won't be about proving he took them.
Most of us have no problem believing that to be a fact.
This won't be completely about how the samples of his positive test were collected.
That, like the O.J. case, won't be pretty.
This won't even be about whether he really DID know he was taking steroids.
It will be about proving his statement untrue.
PROVE that he didn't know.
How are they going to do that ?
When asked in court about the papers that clearly showed his positive test, Bonds responded by saying:"I've never seen that report before".
So, what has changed since Barry made that statement ?
Who is ready to testify to the contrary ?
His buddy and former personal trainer Greg Anderson was coincidentally released from prison the same day that the indictment came down.
He spent a year in prison rather than give Barry up.
The government seems to think they now have enough information or the right canary to make their case now.
We were told in the Michael Vick case that the feds would never go forward unless they had the goods.
That it's a rare time that when they do move in that they don't get a conviction.
This isn't the Los Angeles district attorney's office.
Johnny Cochrane has passed on.
I'm not a lawyer.
I don't even play one on TV.
But if I was, I think I might have an easier time defending him than prosecuting.
Regardless of my opinion of that jerk !
This blog was reprinted from my regular baseball column at mcn sports.
Have a look at the columns and the baseball shows taped this summer at:
http://www.mcnsports.com/
He'll get a pass on all charges levied by a grand jury this week.
Bonds was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction by federal prosecutors at a California District Court in San Francisco.
Each of the perjury charges carries a jail sentence of up to five years, while the obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
This all boils down to Barry's statement before the grand jury:"I have never knowingly taken steroids".
This won't be about proving he took them.
Most of us have no problem believing that to be a fact.
This won't be completely about how the samples of his positive test were collected.
That, like the O.J. case, won't be pretty.
This won't even be about whether he really DID know he was taking steroids.
It will be about proving his statement untrue.
PROVE that he didn't know.
How are they going to do that ?
When asked in court about the papers that clearly showed his positive test, Bonds responded by saying:"I've never seen that report before".
So, what has changed since Barry made that statement ?
Who is ready to testify to the contrary ?
His buddy and former personal trainer Greg Anderson was coincidentally released from prison the same day that the indictment came down.
He spent a year in prison rather than give Barry up.
The government seems to think they now have enough information or the right canary to make their case now.
We were told in the Michael Vick case that the feds would never go forward unless they had the goods.
That it's a rare time that when they do move in that they don't get a conviction.
This isn't the Los Angeles district attorney's office.
Johnny Cochrane has passed on.
I'm not a lawyer.
I don't even play one on TV.
But if I was, I think I might have an easier time defending him than prosecuting.
Regardless of my opinion of that jerk !
This blog was reprinted from my regular baseball column at mcn sports.
Have a look at the columns and the baseball shows taped this summer at:
http://www.mcnsports.com/
Monday, November 12, 2007
Naming These Things Is The Toughest Part
Look, this all about me.
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.
ENOUGH !!
How many games do the Oakland Raiders have to lose before they finally allow Jamarcus Russell to do what he should be doing.
Despite spending too much time on the field, the Oakland Defense has allowed an average of less than 20 points a game and lost all 5.
Giddy-UP !!!
GO HAWKS GO !!!
I believe.
There is a future after all.
That so many were confused with last year's amatuer draft.
Oh, there isn't a true number one.
The kid's too small.
Patrick Kane is going to be just fine and along with Jonathan Toews and the passing of Bill Wirtz, there is hope once again in Chicago.
ALS I'VE GOT TO SAY
Why are we shocked that the Als are not moving on because they twice couldn't gain a single bloody yard.
It happened in the first game of the season and the last game of the year.
It's a shame that so many will suffer at the hands of so few.
This one's on the G.M.
You can't blame people for not doing what they clearly can't do.
We already knew the O-Line was trouble.
Never blame players who play to their ability, blame the guy who put them in that position.
Jim Popp was not a great coach this season but he let down the coach with his previously stellar work as G.M.
OH THE HUMANITY
Defense apparently only wins championships, it just doesn't get respect.
Ryan Braun as rookie of the year over Troy Tulowitzki ?
It's not best rookie hitter of the year.
Braun may have been the worst fielding thirdbaseman in all of baseball last year.
Tulowitzki is as good a fielding shortstop as there is in the game already.
Why doesn't it all add up ?
HABS SO MUCH BETTER
Everyone is entitled to their mistakes.
I called for the Canadiens to miss the playoffs this season and I was wrong.
Here's why:
The Goaltending's better.
The defense is better.
Kovalev is better.
Komisarek is better.
The coach is better.
It's not like they'll win the Stanley Cup.
But they're better.
And how much better do they have to be ?
I think they CAN be 2 points better.
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.
ENOUGH !!
How many games do the Oakland Raiders have to lose before they finally allow Jamarcus Russell to do what he should be doing.
Despite spending too much time on the field, the Oakland Defense has allowed an average of less than 20 points a game and lost all 5.
Giddy-UP !!!
GO HAWKS GO !!!
I believe.
There is a future after all.
That so many were confused with last year's amatuer draft.
Oh, there isn't a true number one.
The kid's too small.
Patrick Kane is going to be just fine and along with Jonathan Toews and the passing of Bill Wirtz, there is hope once again in Chicago.
ALS I'VE GOT TO SAY
Why are we shocked that the Als are not moving on because they twice couldn't gain a single bloody yard.
It happened in the first game of the season and the last game of the year.
It's a shame that so many will suffer at the hands of so few.
This one's on the G.M.
You can't blame people for not doing what they clearly can't do.
We already knew the O-Line was trouble.
Never blame players who play to their ability, blame the guy who put them in that position.
Jim Popp was not a great coach this season but he let down the coach with his previously stellar work as G.M.
OH THE HUMANITY
Defense apparently only wins championships, it just doesn't get respect.
Ryan Braun as rookie of the year over Troy Tulowitzki ?
It's not best rookie hitter of the year.
Braun may have been the worst fielding thirdbaseman in all of baseball last year.
Tulowitzki is as good a fielding shortstop as there is in the game already.
Why doesn't it all add up ?
HABS SO MUCH BETTER
Everyone is entitled to their mistakes.
I called for the Canadiens to miss the playoffs this season and I was wrong.
Here's why:
The Goaltending's better.
The defense is better.
Kovalev is better.
Komisarek is better.
The coach is better.
It's not like they'll win the Stanley Cup.
But they're better.
And how much better do they have to be ?
I think they CAN be 2 points better.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Dynasties
I think it's kind of funny that folks have started comparing the 2007 champion Red Sox to the Boston group that won four years ago.
The fact of the matter is, this edition more resembles the 1975 Beantown version, even if those guys never won another pennant or even a single world series.
Unlike the 2004 team, this one is built for the future.
That they didn't win again gives you an idea of what can go wrong when all looks so rosy in the today.
The starting line up included 23 year old Fred Lynn and 22 year old Jim Rice.
They finished one-two in rookie of the year balloting and amazingly one and three in MVP voting that season.
Also in the starting line up:
23 year old outfielder Dwight Evans, 24 year old shortstop Rick Burleson and 25 year old DH Cecil Cooper.
23 year old Butch Hobson was waiting for a chance.
The only young pitcher of note, 25 year old Roger (Rogelio) Moret never came close to another 14-3 season.He went 6-9 the rest of his career.
The 2007 world series champions have a fine group 23 and under with pitching prospects to match.
Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both 23, so is game 4 winner Jon Lester.
Phenom Clay Buchholz is 22.Jonathon Papelbon and Daisuke Matzuzaka are only 26.
The ace of them all right now, Josh Beckett just 27.
With the money this team has and the way the game is played right now,it'll be hard to bet against these guys for some time to come.
As for the Yankees:
This is a very different situation that Joe Girardi walks into than the one that greeted Joe Torre.
The Yanks had been a wild card team the previous season under Buck Showalter.
The team's first playoff appearance in 14 years.
They hadn't won it all in 18 seasons.
Girardi inherits the job that now demands world series or bust.
The problem is that they will start his regime as a weak sister to the new dynasty.
Just another team in the battle for a playoff spot.
Fighting to retain free agents, saddled with aging veterans and inexperienced though promising young pitchers.
Girardi must also deal with Torre's shadow and the very real world series flags that fly in the soon to be distant past.
The fact of the matter is, this edition more resembles the 1975 Beantown version, even if those guys never won another pennant or even a single world series.
Unlike the 2004 team, this one is built for the future.
That they didn't win again gives you an idea of what can go wrong when all looks so rosy in the today.
The starting line up included 23 year old Fred Lynn and 22 year old Jim Rice.
They finished one-two in rookie of the year balloting and amazingly one and three in MVP voting that season.
Also in the starting line up:
23 year old outfielder Dwight Evans, 24 year old shortstop Rick Burleson and 25 year old DH Cecil Cooper.
23 year old Butch Hobson was waiting for a chance.
The only young pitcher of note, 25 year old Roger (Rogelio) Moret never came close to another 14-3 season.He went 6-9 the rest of his career.
The 2007 world series champions have a fine group 23 and under with pitching prospects to match.
Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both 23, so is game 4 winner Jon Lester.
Phenom Clay Buchholz is 22.Jonathon Papelbon and Daisuke Matzuzaka are only 26.
The ace of them all right now, Josh Beckett just 27.
With the money this team has and the way the game is played right now,it'll be hard to bet against these guys for some time to come.
As for the Yankees:
This is a very different situation that Joe Girardi walks into than the one that greeted Joe Torre.
The Yanks had been a wild card team the previous season under Buck Showalter.
The team's first playoff appearance in 14 years.
They hadn't won it all in 18 seasons.
Girardi inherits the job that now demands world series or bust.
The problem is that they will start his regime as a weak sister to the new dynasty.
Just another team in the battle for a playoff spot.
Fighting to retain free agents, saddled with aging veterans and inexperienced though promising young pitchers.
Girardi must also deal with Torre's shadow and the very real world series flags that fly in the soon to be distant past.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Denver Defense - Like A Rock
As we look ahead to the 2007 World Series there is one area that is difficult to compare.
On the surface, the Red Sox seem to have a rather decided edge in the starting pitching department.
The Rockies best (Jeff Francis) does not yet have the regular or post season pedigree of Sox opponent Josh Beckett.
Further down the line however, the match-ups seem even more in Boston's favor.
Don't let the numbers deceive you, there's a lot more than meets the eye.
First off, even though Coors Field now has the humidor,
Denver still has the light air.
Numbers can't be run up against each other in the usual way.
Defense is really difficult to quantify.
The Sabrematicians have tried but there doesn't seem to be a complete system that will tell you just how much guys with superior glovesmean to the fellows that make the pitches inning after inning.
It's amazing how Tom Glavine's E.R.A. went from 2.96 in his last season in Atlanta to 4.52 in his first with the Mets,than back to a respectable 3.60 when the Mets replaced the aging Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar and young Ty Wigginton in the infield.
Plus a porous outfield that just couldn't go get it.Bring on, Jose Reyes and David Wright in the infield and gold glove center fielder Mike Cameron and...Voila !!
The current edition of the Rockies have been built partly on a silent killer.
A team defense that rivals just about any in recent memory.
It's not just about not making errors or turning double plays.
It's about turning base hits into outs, and regular one out ground balls into inning ending, rally killing double plays.
The glue to all this has turned out to be rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Keep an eye on the guy.
You will be amazed.
Few noticed in the lowest television rated NLCS in history.
That's about to change.
Can the Rockies continue one of the most amazing runs in baseball history and beat the Red Sox ?
I'm not sure, but as Diamondback infielder Tony Clark said:"
Sooner or later you have to admit that a team is not hot...they're good".
On the surface, the Red Sox seem to have a rather decided edge in the starting pitching department.
The Rockies best (Jeff Francis) does not yet have the regular or post season pedigree of Sox opponent Josh Beckett.
Further down the line however, the match-ups seem even more in Boston's favor.
Don't let the numbers deceive you, there's a lot more than meets the eye.
First off, even though Coors Field now has the humidor,
Denver still has the light air.
Numbers can't be run up against each other in the usual way.
Defense is really difficult to quantify.
The Sabrematicians have tried but there doesn't seem to be a complete system that will tell you just how much guys with superior glovesmean to the fellows that make the pitches inning after inning.
It's amazing how Tom Glavine's E.R.A. went from 2.96 in his last season in Atlanta to 4.52 in his first with the Mets,than back to a respectable 3.60 when the Mets replaced the aging Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar and young Ty Wigginton in the infield.
Plus a porous outfield that just couldn't go get it.Bring on, Jose Reyes and David Wright in the infield and gold glove center fielder Mike Cameron and...Voila !!
The current edition of the Rockies have been built partly on a silent killer.
A team defense that rivals just about any in recent memory.
It's not just about not making errors or turning double plays.
It's about turning base hits into outs, and regular one out ground balls into inning ending, rally killing double plays.
The glue to all this has turned out to be rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Keep an eye on the guy.
You will be amazed.
Few noticed in the lowest television rated NLCS in history.
That's about to change.
Can the Rockies continue one of the most amazing runs in baseball history and beat the Red Sox ?
I'm not sure, but as Diamondback infielder Tony Clark said:"
Sooner or later you have to admit that a team is not hot...they're good".
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Football Losers, Baseball WInners, Hawks & Tiger
First let me point out that all we're all really looking for is consistency
It's not easy to pick 11 losers in the NFL and match that with another big 11 the following week.
You'd make a lot of money picking my losers.
I've been a better loser than any winner out there.
MONEY !!!
At least my Survivor picks have been perfect
and the Raiders are in first place !
Baseball playoffs, Remember this:
The Baseball playoffs are a crapshoot, starting with last year's champs.
Go Hawks Go.
Here are my props for the season with Shaun:
Sidney wins by more than 10 points over Jagr.
Hawks better and more exciting than the Habs.
Sergei Samsonov scores 20.
Both Shaun and Denis laughed at those last two.
Standing behind Tiger on the practise range was almost as good as getting Bobby Hull's autograph when I was 8 years old.
It's not easy to pick 11 losers in the NFL and match that with another big 11 the following week.
You'd make a lot of money picking my losers.
I've been a better loser than any winner out there.
MONEY !!!
At least my Survivor picks have been perfect
and the Raiders are in first place !
Baseball playoffs, Remember this:
The Baseball playoffs are a crapshoot, starting with last year's champs.
The Cards mostly mediocre pitching staff got hot and ran the table.
The vaunted starting pitching of all those Braves teams managed only one world series championship.
The Oakland A's 'Bash Brothers" won one series.
The arrogant Mets were lucky in their only title.
Last season the Yankee hitters were being hailed as the new 'Murderers Row'.
They scored 8 runs to win game one of the division series but the Tigers held them to just six combined in the next three games
and swept them the rest of the way.
The Yankees won 97 games, The Tigers 95.
Twelve teams won more games than St Louis.
Of course the Cards had the most wins in baseball the season before, and where did that get them ?
Since the 2000 season there have been eleven teams win at least 100 games.
That includes the insane total of 116 run up by the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
Those eleven teams have run up ZERO world series titles.
Go Hawks Go.
Here are my props for the season with Shaun:
Sidney wins by more than 10 points over Jagr.
Hawks better and more exciting than the Habs.
Sergei Samsonov scores 20.
Both Shaun and Denis laughed at those last two.
Standing behind Tiger on the practise range was almost as good as getting Bobby Hull's autograph when I was 8 years old.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Sundays Just Got Better
I'm not sure when it happened.
Perhaps it started the day that Joe Namath made good on his promise.
It was the first football game I really remember seeing.
Okay, so I was cheering for the favoured Colts, it was still amazing.
Maybe It was when I sat wide eyed watching hi-lites of Bears running back and kick returner Gale Sayers, still the most exciting football player I have ever seen.
Maybe when I fell in love with the Raiders.
They won so often under John Madden but couldn't win the big one, year after year.
Why do you think Madden has the best winning percentage of all time but only one Super Bowl Championship ?
Perhaps it was the day the Raiders finally won, Happy Birthday to me, January 9th 1977. Oakland Raiders 32 Minnesota Vikings 14.
It could have been the day I stopped watching that Oilers-Bills game and went downstairs to watch my brother work on his car, surely this one was over.
When I returned Houston's lead was cut in half.
Who the heck is Frank Reich and how did he erase a 32 point deficit ?
I grew up a hockey nut.
At seven years old I could tell you every player and his number in the NHL.
Okay so there were only six teams but still, I was seven !
Baseball then crept into my world and even to this day, even with the Expos gone, I still love watching, get a chill watching a youngster pitch a no hitter.
Still play along with the catcher and watch closely how the pitcher and he set up hitters.
But my love for the NFL and the anticipation of the season, opening day and each subsequent Sunday has become king.
I can hang on until my Raiders get better.
I could even watch Washington vs Cleveland, if there were out of town scores
I AM READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL !
Perhaps it started the day that Joe Namath made good on his promise.
It was the first football game I really remember seeing.
Okay, so I was cheering for the favoured Colts, it was still amazing.
Maybe It was when I sat wide eyed watching hi-lites of Bears running back and kick returner Gale Sayers, still the most exciting football player I have ever seen.
Maybe when I fell in love with the Raiders.
They won so often under John Madden but couldn't win the big one, year after year.
Why do you think Madden has the best winning percentage of all time but only one Super Bowl Championship ?
Perhaps it was the day the Raiders finally won, Happy Birthday to me, January 9th 1977. Oakland Raiders 32 Minnesota Vikings 14.
It could have been the day I stopped watching that Oilers-Bills game and went downstairs to watch my brother work on his car, surely this one was over.
When I returned Houston's lead was cut in half.
Who the heck is Frank Reich and how did he erase a 32 point deficit ?
I grew up a hockey nut.
At seven years old I could tell you every player and his number in the NHL.
Okay so there were only six teams but still, I was seven !
Baseball then crept into my world and even to this day, even with the Expos gone, I still love watching, get a chill watching a youngster pitch a no hitter.
Still play along with the catcher and watch closely how the pitcher and he set up hitters.
But my love for the NFL and the anticipation of the season, opening day and each subsequent Sunday has become king.
I can hang on until my Raiders get better.
I could even watch Washington vs Cleveland, if there were out of town scores
I AM READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL !
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