I landed in Vancouver during the opening ceremonies of football jersey the Winter Olympics. At the baggage carousel, passengers clustered around a TV to watch K. D. Lang sing “Hallelujah.” You had to wonder, looking at shots of the hockey god Bobby Orr, in a white zoot suit, whether he found this whole exercise in Canadian self-assertion, modest as it might have been by Beijing standards, more painful than any of his ninety-seven knee operations.
It was a dispiriting day, for the hosts. The horrific death of a Georgian luger, on a dangerously fast course on which the Canadians had limited everyone else’s practice, to give themselves an advantage come Gamestime, had, fairly or not, exposed the seamy side of their medal-accumulation ambitions, which they’d been uncommonly open about. The Canadians want so badly for these Olympics to go soccer uniforms off clean, and for their own athletes to clean up, that the show may have been fated to start off with an awful mess. Gottesstrafe, as the Germans say—God’s punishment. Tragedy aside, the torch-lighting snafu and the lousy weather—rain, fog, and unseasonable warmth, which have already postponed Saturday’s showcase event, the men’s downhill ski race, and Sunday’s women’s combined—are examples of the kind of bad luck that befalls overanxious wedding-planners.
As I write (on a BlackBerry…) I am standing at the bottom of the mogul skiing course, up at Cypress Mountain, awaiting the women’s preliminary runs, hoping the fog doesn’t descend from the peaks above to scuttle the race. Rain is falling, and so is night. The mountains are brown, except where the snow has been trucked and flown in. The atmosphere is distinctly unwinterlike, and not very Olympic, perhaps because for the first time in my life I’m not watching the games on TV and so there is none of soccer jerseys the usual theme music to put me in the mood. I suspect, though, that NBC will be framing these early difficulties as a kind of comeuppance. This will drive the Canadians crazy.
2010年7月25日星期日
2010年5月15日星期六
Karma KO's Red Sox
As I’ve stated many times over the hundreds of NFL jerseys cyber-columns I’ve written on all things baseball, I’m not a Red Sox fan. Never was, never will be. So I’ll apologize in advance to my good friends Geoff Macht, Dr. John Rubinow, Glenn Torrence and Russ Whinnem, as well as the countless hundreds of thousands of other members of the Red Sox Nation.
From the Blue Jays perspective, you got what was coming to you.
You see, the fortunes of this team, in my mind, changed less than two weeks ago.
In the midst of a three-game sweep at the hands of the woeful Blue Jays – the last thing that the team ever did to make their former general manager smile – Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon drilled Adam Lind – who had hit three home runs earlier in the game – on the right elbow with a first-pitch fastball with two out in the top of the ninth. The plunking effectively ended the Blue Jays’ left fielder/DH’s dream season in which he set career-highs in every important offensive category.
Papelbon’s laser-guided heater also led to Roy Halladay’s measured response one night later when he showed that the Jays would no longer tolerate having their hitters used for target practice by drilling David Ortiz with a first-pitch fastball in an eventual 12-0 beatdown by the visitors. The Blue Jays had already been in a scrap with the Yankees a couple of weeks prior over similar indiscretions, and they certainly weren’t going to allow the other bully in the A.L. East to get off without some payback.
What transpired on that Tuesday night at Fenway led to a change in karma for the 2009 Red Sox. I don’t ever mind if Papelbon wants to drill any number of Yankees’ hitters during any of their 18 made-for-TV meetings that MLB deems so vital that the unfair, unbalanced schedule has to continue.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of Red Sox Nation towards Papelbon after their daily hangover lifts. Before Sunday, he hadn’t allowed an earned run during his 17-game, 26-inning post-season career. He was the most automatic playoff closer not named Mariano Rivera. But in the span of eight hitters and 32 pitches on a crisp New England Sunday afternoon, Papelbon allowed two inherited runners to score in the eighth and then three of his own to plate in the ninth. Game, set and match, with the Angels moving on to New York and a date with the Yankees, while the Red Sox and their fans sit in stunned disbelief.
And while Papelbon will shoulder most of the blame, as he should for bringing on the bad karma in the first place, any number of Boston hitters should be taking a long, hard look at themselves in the broken clubhouse mirror.
Let’s see, where do I start? I guess a glance at yesterday’s lineup is as good a place to start as any. Dustin Pedroia, the reigning A.L. MVP, hit .167 in the series. Victor Martinez, brought over from the Indians at the trade deadline, hit .182. Clean-up hitter Kevin Youkilis hit just .083. Good Canadian boy Jason Bay, the team leader with 36 home runs and 119 RBI in the regular season, hit just .125. And finally Big Papi Ortiz’s forgettable season, which began by hitting just one home run in his first 36 games and was later derailed mid-season with word that he failed a drug test in 2003, closed with just a solitary single in 12 at-bats against the Angels.
As a team, the vaunted Red Sox offence, ranked fourth in the A.L. during the regular season, had more strikeouts (16) than hits (15) during the sweep. They were beaten by a better team, plain and simple.
In the end, the Red Sox only played three more games than the Blue Jays, all losses and they ended their season on equal footing with the Jays: on a three-game losing streak.
You can blog all you want to vent your frustration, but when all is said and done, Sweet Caroline this and Dropkick Murphy that. I’m sure Adam Lind’s elbow feels a little better this morning.
And how’d the Patriots do this week, by the way?
Those teams have as intense a rivalry as you’ll see in any sport. And when you face each other as many times as these teams do – under the bright spotlights of the game of the week – there are going to be heated moments, like Pedro Martinez spiking Don Zimmer to the turf or Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez going toe-to-toe. But what happened between Papelbon and Lind that night was unwarranted, unneeded and inappropriate. It also led to the Red Sox quick exit from the 2009 post-season, ruining the plans at MLB head office for yet another Yankees/Red Sox ALCS showdown.
From the Blue Jays perspective, you got what was coming to you.
You see, the fortunes of this team, in my mind, changed less than two weeks ago.
In the midst of a three-game sweep at the hands of the woeful Blue Jays – the last thing that the team ever did to make their former general manager smile – Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon drilled Adam Lind – who had hit three home runs earlier in the game – on the right elbow with a first-pitch fastball with two out in the top of the ninth. The plunking effectively ended the Blue Jays’ left fielder/DH’s dream season in which he set career-highs in every important offensive category.
Papelbon’s laser-guided heater also led to Roy Halladay’s measured response one night later when he showed that the Jays would no longer tolerate having their hitters used for target practice by drilling David Ortiz with a first-pitch fastball in an eventual 12-0 beatdown by the visitors. The Blue Jays had already been in a scrap with the Yankees a couple of weeks prior over similar indiscretions, and they certainly weren’t going to allow the other bully in the A.L. East to get off without some payback.
What transpired on that Tuesday night at Fenway led to a change in karma for the 2009 Red Sox. I don’t ever mind if Papelbon wants to drill any number of Yankees’ hitters during any of their 18 made-for-TV meetings that MLB deems so vital that the unfair, unbalanced schedule has to continue.
It will be interesting to see the reaction of Red Sox Nation towards Papelbon after their daily hangover lifts. Before Sunday, he hadn’t allowed an earned run during his 17-game, 26-inning post-season career. He was the most automatic playoff closer not named Mariano Rivera. But in the span of eight hitters and 32 pitches on a crisp New England Sunday afternoon, Papelbon allowed two inherited runners to score in the eighth and then three of his own to plate in the ninth. Game, set and match, with the Angels moving on to New York and a date with the Yankees, while the Red Sox and their fans sit in stunned disbelief.
And while Papelbon will shoulder most of the blame, as he should for bringing on the bad karma in the first place, any number of Boston hitters should be taking a long, hard look at themselves in the broken clubhouse mirror.
Let’s see, where do I start? I guess a glance at yesterday’s lineup is as good a place to start as any. Dustin Pedroia, the reigning A.L. MVP, hit .167 in the series. Victor Martinez, brought over from the Indians at the trade deadline, hit .182. Clean-up hitter Kevin Youkilis hit just .083. Good Canadian boy Jason Bay, the team leader with 36 home runs and 119 RBI in the regular season, hit just .125. And finally Big Papi Ortiz’s forgettable season, which began by hitting just one home run in his first 36 games and was later derailed mid-season with word that he failed a drug test in 2003, closed with just a solitary single in 12 at-bats against the Angels.
As a team, the vaunted Red Sox offence, ranked fourth in the A.L. during the regular season, had more strikeouts (16) than hits (15) during the sweep. They were beaten by a better team, plain and simple.
In the end, the Red Sox only played three more games than the Blue Jays, all losses and they ended their season on equal footing with the Jays: on a three-game losing streak.
You can blog all you want to vent your frustration, but when all is said and done, Sweet Caroline this and Dropkick Murphy that. I’m sure Adam Lind’s elbow feels a little better this morning.
And how’d the Patriots do this week, by the way?
Those teams have as intense a rivalry as you’ll see in any sport. And when you face each other as many times as these teams do – under the bright spotlights of the game of the week – there are going to be heated moments, like Pedro Martinez spiking Don Zimmer to the turf or Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez going toe-to-toe. But what happened between Papelbon and Lind that night was unwarranted, unneeded and inappropriate. It also led to the Red Sox quick exit from the 2009 post-season, ruining the plans at MLB head office for yet another Yankees/Red Sox ALCS showdown.
2010年5月14日星期五
Hope springs eternal
Then the rains came for NBA jerseys most of the next 24 hours, proving that sometimes a good plan is rewarded with a good result.
Upstairs, 32-year-old general manager Alex Anthopoulos is in his first year as head groundskeeper of this Toronto baseball club. He has hired a passel of new scouts, is putting his organization back on the ground in Latin America, and has sat in alongside manager Cito Gaston on every entry and exit interview this spring as Blue Jays players have arrived, and in some cases been assigned elsewhere.
In his own way, Anthopoulos is getting back to the grass roots of Blue Jays baseball. Drafting smarter, going back to the Epy Guerrero days, when the pipeline from San Pedro de Macoris was rich.
Whether it is he or his ball club however, the overall impression is going to take more than one night of rain to green up.
But the first impression has begun for both of them. And we all know, you only get one chance at those.
DUNEDIN Fla. — On a blustery Thursday at Dunedin Stadium, with the Blue Jays away in Port Charlotte and the clouds gathering over the Tampa-St. Pete area, a grounds crew guy walked from the width and breadth of ball field with a pail of grass seed and fertilizer. Lovingly spreading the food by hand, he filled in every perceptible bare patch, inspecting the turf with the diligence only a true gardener knows.
But you have to define the term "surprise" as it applies to the Blue Jays this season. For instance, they would surprise some folks if they don’t finish dead last in the American League East.
Others might define "surprise" as a team that didn’t fold under the constant reminder that, with Roy Halladay now a distant memory, they don’t have an arm that is money every fifth day.
"Look," begins reliever Scott Downs. "Roy’s been with the Blue Jays a long time. Look at his career. Look at his work ethic. Look at the way he handles a young staff, and he takes the ball every five days. He’s the best pitcher that I’ve ever had the privilege to play with. This is a new chapter for him, and it’s a new chapter for us."
It’s a new chapter that the guys in the clubhouse would be getting over just fine — if us darned sports writers didn’t keeping reminding them.
"Yeah, he was here," Hill offers, all but rolling his eyes. "Everyone admired his work ethic — now he’s gone. Turn the page. We have a job to do."
"Alex is sitting everybody down (in meetings), and everybody knows their role," said second baseman Aaron Hill, who has been around some. "He’s taken the approach that, we’re not rebuilding, but we’re going in a different direction. He’s building the farm system up, and some of the arms we have in camp here, honest to God, they’re going to surprise some people."
Is Halladay’s name spoken in the clubhouse?
"No," Hill laughs. "He’s going to be talked about (in the media), but for us, it’s like, ‘Uncle.’ Drop it. He’s gone."
OK. If we’re focusing on the positives — and isn’t that what spring training is all about? — the turnover up top at least gives Blue Jays fans reason to hope.
The J.P. Ricciardi era has ended, and that alone gives Blue Jays fans reason to hang around and watch what happens this season. No matter where the Jays finish in 2010, at least this is the start of something new, and not merely a futile continuation of old and futile.
For me, it starts with Vernon Wells. After three sub-par seasons — and now charged with being a leader for this young group — if Wells can’t get back to putting up big numbers this season, then he likely never will again.
You get the impression he knows that.
"Being in the middle of this lineup, I think this team will go as I go," Wells said. "It’s fun to put that pressure on yourself — that’s what this game is all about."
For Wells this season, it will be about leading 24-7. It’s something he embraces — at least, for now.
"Being such a young team, a young organization, it’s how you play the game. How you carry yourself," he said. "You’re going to struggle, it’s how you deal with those struggles. Just staying on guys to play the game right. I tell them all the time, ‘You’re blessed to wear this uniform each and every day. Take pride in it.’"
It’s a place to make a start. A fresh start.
"Alex is sitting everybody down (in meetings), and everybody knows their role," said second baseman Aaron Hill, who has been around some. "He’s taken the approach that, we’re not rebuilding, but we’re going in a different direction. He’s building the farm system up, and some of the arms we have in camp here, honest to God, they’re going to surprise some people."
Upstairs, 32-year-old general manager Alex Anthopoulos is in his first year as head groundskeeper of this Toronto baseball club. He has hired a passel of new scouts, is putting his organization back on the ground in Latin America, and has sat in alongside manager Cito Gaston on every entry and exit interview this spring as Blue Jays players have arrived, and in some cases been assigned elsewhere.
In his own way, Anthopoulos is getting back to the grass roots of Blue Jays baseball. Drafting smarter, going back to the Epy Guerrero days, when the pipeline from San Pedro de Macoris was rich.
Whether it is he or his ball club however, the overall impression is going to take more than one night of rain to green up.
But the first impression has begun for both of them. And we all know, you only get one chance at those.
DUNEDIN Fla. — On a blustery Thursday at Dunedin Stadium, with the Blue Jays away in Port Charlotte and the clouds gathering over the Tampa-St. Pete area, a grounds crew guy walked from the width and breadth of ball field with a pail of grass seed and fertilizer. Lovingly spreading the food by hand, he filled in every perceptible bare patch, inspecting the turf with the diligence only a true gardener knows.
But you have to define the term "surprise" as it applies to the Blue Jays this season. For instance, they would surprise some folks if they don’t finish dead last in the American League East.
Others might define "surprise" as a team that didn’t fold under the constant reminder that, with Roy Halladay now a distant memory, they don’t have an arm that is money every fifth day.
"Look," begins reliever Scott Downs. "Roy’s been with the Blue Jays a long time. Look at his career. Look at his work ethic. Look at the way he handles a young staff, and he takes the ball every five days. He’s the best pitcher that I’ve ever had the privilege to play with. This is a new chapter for him, and it’s a new chapter for us."
It’s a new chapter that the guys in the clubhouse would be getting over just fine — if us darned sports writers didn’t keeping reminding them.
"Yeah, he was here," Hill offers, all but rolling his eyes. "Everyone admired his work ethic — now he’s gone. Turn the page. We have a job to do."
"Alex is sitting everybody down (in meetings), and everybody knows their role," said second baseman Aaron Hill, who has been around some. "He’s taken the approach that, we’re not rebuilding, but we’re going in a different direction. He’s building the farm system up, and some of the arms we have in camp here, honest to God, they’re going to surprise some people."
Is Halladay’s name spoken in the clubhouse?
"No," Hill laughs. "He’s going to be talked about (in the media), but for us, it’s like, ‘Uncle.’ Drop it. He’s gone."
OK. If we’re focusing on the positives — and isn’t that what spring training is all about? — the turnover up top at least gives Blue Jays fans reason to hope.
The J.P. Ricciardi era has ended, and that alone gives Blue Jays fans reason to hang around and watch what happens this season. No matter where the Jays finish in 2010, at least this is the start of something new, and not merely a futile continuation of old and futile.
For me, it starts with Vernon Wells. After three sub-par seasons — and now charged with being a leader for this young group — if Wells can’t get back to putting up big numbers this season, then he likely never will again.
You get the impression he knows that.
"Being in the middle of this lineup, I think this team will go as I go," Wells said. "It’s fun to put that pressure on yourself — that’s what this game is all about."
For Wells this season, it will be about leading 24-7. It’s something he embraces — at least, for now.
"Being such a young team, a young organization, it’s how you play the game. How you carry yourself," he said. "You’re going to struggle, it’s how you deal with those struggles. Just staying on guys to play the game right. I tell them all the time, ‘You’re blessed to wear this uniform each and every day. Take pride in it.’"
It’s a place to make a start. A fresh start.
"Alex is sitting everybody down (in meetings), and everybody knows their role," said second baseman Aaron Hill, who has been around some. "He’s taken the approach that, we’re not rebuilding, but we’re going in a different direction. He’s building the farm system up, and some of the arms we have in camp here, honest to God, they’re going to surprise some people."
2010年5月11日星期二
y. Jim Rome called Ruutu "an embarrassment to humanity." Of couse there were some witty takes on the biting incident. The best e-mail to the post-game
This is not a fun week for those of 2010 World Cup Jerseys you headed back to the office environment after the holidays. You are once again stuck in your cubicle or workstation, surfing blogs and websites during work hours in an attempt to entertain yourselves while your bosses aren't looking.
And the last thing I want to do is bore you with a “What's wrong with the Ottawa Senators” column to kick off the new year. You hardworking folks deserve to be entertained while killing time at your office. And you certainly don't need to hear a lazy reporter complain about the NHL team he covers.
And since I haven't written a blog in a couple of weeks, I figured I would
The lighting at Rexall Place goes out thanks to a power outage before the start of the Sens-Oilers game, causing a 30-minute delay. When leaving the ice after the delay, Craig Hartsburg says to me, "I say we should play. Who knows? Maybe we're better in the dark." That was a great one-liner from the coach of a struggling team. I decided to relay the info along to our broadcast truck and they wanted me to go live to pass on the funny story to the viewers at home. The only problem: Arena blackouts and dark-skinned reporters aren't a good mix in the world of television. It's essentially the same logic that applies to albino weather reporters in a snowstorm. It just doesn't work. Luckily, they brought a mini-floodlight to the zamboni area and I was able to go on the air live. Otherwise, viewers at home would have been subjected to a floating pair of eyes and teeth trying to tell them about Craig Hartsburg in the dark.
try to entertain you with five funny stories I encountered while covering the Senators in the month of December. (Trust me -- this is a lot less painful than me recapping the Sens’ struggles from the past month. And I was always taught that if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all.)
Dec 3rd - Bayside Tigers Reunion In Ottawa
In the second period of a home game against Atlanta, Chris Kelly and Jesse Winchester get tangled up with Jim Slater and some of his Thrashers teammates. Moments later, a fight breaks out and inadvertently, the participants become involved in the greatest Saved By The Bell moment in NHL history: Jesse and Slater in a fight, while Kelly is standing there watching it all unfold. (Note to Bryan Murray: Please call up Zack Smith in the near future so I can take this joke one step further the next time the Sens and Thrashers meet.)
Dec 30th - Lights Out Performance
Midway through the third period of that same Sens game at Edmonton, Oilers defenceman Sheldon Souray takes a minor penalty for hooking. The scoreboard at Rexall Place in Edmonton flashes a picture of Souray with a note saying "Congratulations to Sheldon Souray on his 900th penalty minute." Thirty seconds later, the Sens score the winning goal with Souray in the box. My question is: Why does the hockey community celebrate things like players taking penalties, as if it's a positive thing? You would never see an NFL stadium announce, "Congratulations Larry Allen on your 100th career false start." If anything, that scoreboard at Rexall Place should have said, "Way to go Sheldon for putting your team at a disadvantage 450 different times in your career."
Dec. 27th - Just Plane Brutal
I know everyone has their own horror stories from traveling over the Christmas holidays, but Garry Galley and I had quite an adventure getting to Vancouver. Here's the Reader's Digest version of what happened to us: A direct flight from Ottawa turned into a 13-hour ordeal with a surprise fuel stopover in Winnipeg. They ran out of food on the plane, so all I ate for 13 hours was five pieces of steamed asparagus and a bag of nuts -- which is a totally acceptable meal for a squirrel or a chipmunk, but it kind of blows when you've wasted your first-class upgrade certificate on it.
Garry and I pulled into our hotel in Vancouver at 4:30 a.m. local time. Sadly, we had more jump in our broadcast than the Sens had on the ice, as Vancouver easily beat Ottawa 3-0 that night. And to top it off, it was my 32nd birthday and my favorite team -- the Dallas Cowboys -- got smoked by the Philadelphia Eagles in a crucial game that afternoon. The only way I could have had a worse birthday is if Willy Wonka declared bankruptcy and the cast of 30 Rock went on strike.
Dec 29th - How The Mighty Have Fallen
Leaving the UBC ice facility after an Ottawa practice, a security guard mistakes me for a Sens player. I know the Sens have struggled to start this season and are probably a longshot to make the playoffs. But to have a complete stranger think that I actually play for the team might be the best illustration of how far the Senators have fallen in the past 18 months. If that's not a wake-up call for the Sens, I don't know what is.
And the last thing I want to do is bore you with a “What's wrong with the Ottawa Senators” column to kick off the new year. You hardworking folks deserve to be entertained while killing time at your office. And you certainly don't need to hear a lazy reporter complain about the NHL team he covers.
And since I haven't written a blog in a couple of weeks, I figured I would
The lighting at Rexall Place goes out thanks to a power outage before the start of the Sens-Oilers game, causing a 30-minute delay. When leaving the ice after the delay, Craig Hartsburg says to me, "I say we should play. Who knows? Maybe we're better in the dark." That was a great one-liner from the coach of a struggling team. I decided to relay the info along to our broadcast truck and they wanted me to go live to pass on the funny story to the viewers at home. The only problem: Arena blackouts and dark-skinned reporters aren't a good mix in the world of television. It's essentially the same logic that applies to albino weather reporters in a snowstorm. It just doesn't work. Luckily, they brought a mini-floodlight to the zamboni area and I was able to go on the air live. Otherwise, viewers at home would have been subjected to a floating pair of eyes and teeth trying to tell them about Craig Hartsburg in the dark.
try to entertain you with five funny stories I encountered while covering the Senators in the month of December. (Trust me -- this is a lot less painful than me recapping the Sens’ struggles from the past month. And I was always taught that if you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all.)
Dec 3rd - Bayside Tigers Reunion In Ottawa
In the second period of a home game against Atlanta, Chris Kelly and Jesse Winchester get tangled up with Jim Slater and some of his Thrashers teammates. Moments later, a fight breaks out and inadvertently, the participants become involved in the greatest Saved By The Bell moment in NHL history: Jesse and Slater in a fight, while Kelly is standing there watching it all unfold. (Note to Bryan Murray: Please call up Zack Smith in the near future so I can take this joke one step further the next time the Sens and Thrashers meet.)
Dec 30th - Lights Out Performance
Midway through the third period of that same Sens game at Edmonton, Oilers defenceman Sheldon Souray takes a minor penalty for hooking. The scoreboard at Rexall Place in Edmonton flashes a picture of Souray with a note saying "Congratulations to Sheldon Souray on his 900th penalty minute." Thirty seconds later, the Sens score the winning goal with Souray in the box. My question is: Why does the hockey community celebrate things like players taking penalties, as if it's a positive thing? You would never see an NFL stadium announce, "Congratulations Larry Allen on your 100th career false start." If anything, that scoreboard at Rexall Place should have said, "Way to go Sheldon for putting your team at a disadvantage 450 different times in your career."
Dec. 27th - Just Plane Brutal
I know everyone has their own horror stories from traveling over the Christmas holidays, but Garry Galley and I had quite an adventure getting to Vancouver. Here's the Reader's Digest version of what happened to us: A direct flight from Ottawa turned into a 13-hour ordeal with a surprise fuel stopover in Winnipeg. They ran out of food on the plane, so all I ate for 13 hours was five pieces of steamed asparagus and a bag of nuts -- which is a totally acceptable meal for a squirrel or a chipmunk, but it kind of blows when you've wasted your first-class upgrade certificate on it.
Garry and I pulled into our hotel in Vancouver at 4:30 a.m. local time. Sadly, we had more jump in our broadcast than the Sens had on the ice, as Vancouver easily beat Ottawa 3-0 that night. And to top it off, it was my 32nd birthday and my favorite team -- the Dallas Cowboys -- got smoked by the Philadelphia Eagles in a crucial game that afternoon. The only way I could have had a worse birthday is if Willy Wonka declared bankruptcy and the cast of 30 Rock went on strike.
Dec 29th - How The Mighty Have Fallen
Leaving the UBC ice facility after an Ottawa practice, a security guard mistakes me for a Sens player. I know the Sens have struggled to start this season and are probably a longshot to make the playoffs. But to have a complete stranger think that I actually play for the team might be the best illustration of how far the Senators have fallen in the past 18 months. If that's not a wake-up call for the Sens, I don't know what is.
2010年5月10日星期一
Conclusion
With the Ottawa Senators now out of the picture, I have enjoyed a full week off work. Over the past seven days, I've had a chance to spend time with my family, do household chores and work as an assistant in my NHL jerseys daughter's kindergarten class.
As fulfilling as the family life is, I must admit that I'm feeling a little left out of the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is a definitely a hockey void in my heart right now and I'm desperately trying to fill it. I've taken to growing a playoff beard, because there is no chance that I'll be on TV anytime soon.
But having a playoff beard without having a team to cheer for seems a little bit silly. It's time for me to pick a team to root for over the next six weeks. As appealing as the San Jose Sharks are, I'm not sure the people of Ottawa would ever forgive me if I started cheering for Dany Heatley.
So with that in mind, I'm going to do something a lot more sensible: I'm going to cheer for the Montreal Canadiens. Good people of Ottawa, before you start trashing my house, please read my 10 reasons why I'd like to see the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final.
1. It's been a while
Since the NHL switched to its current playoff format in 1994, only four teams from the East have not advanced to the Conference Final: Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins and...you guessed it, Montreal.
This is the longest drought the Habs have ever experienced in their illustrious history. These aren't your father's Montreal Canadiens - the juggernaut that rolled to the Stanley Cup Final on an annual basis, making their fans more annoying than Gilbert Gottfried.
These Habs have an underdog quality to them, making them a lot more acceptable to the average Canadian hockey fan.
2. Bob Gainey The former Canadiens GM, who stepped aside midway through the season, is one of the classiest men the game has ever known. Gainey has suffered through unimaginable personal tragedy; losing his wife to cancer and his daughter to a sailing accident. While he is no longer part of the day-to-day operations of the club, their advancement is vindication for some of the moves he made over the past 12 months: signing Mike Cammalleri, hiring Jacques Martin to bring in more structure and not bending to pressure to trade Jaroslav Halak back in December.
Somewhere, I hope Gainey is watching his Habs with a measure of satisfaction.
3. It's in my blood
Okay, time for a little full disclosure here: When I was growing up, I was a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan. And while I put down my Habs pom-poms when I entered this profession 10 years ago, there will probably always be a part of me that wants to see them do well. I guess it's hard to kill that inner Mats Naslund after all.
4. Original six We have the potential for an Original Six match-up in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in more than 30 years. What's even more amazing is that we have the chance for four Original Six teams to advance to the Conference Final - something we've never had since the NHL expanded in 1967. A Montreal-Boston and Detroit-Chicago match-up would be amazing, because there is nothing better for the NHL than having its most storied franchises healthy and successful (And as much as it pains me to say it, from this perspective, it would be great to see the Leafs back in the post-season as well).
5. All-Canadian match-up
Canucks fans are probably upset with my last point, thinking that I want Chicago to advance to the Conference Final. But in reality, I think an all-Canadian match-up in the Cup Final would be great. The last time we saw an all-Canadian match-up in the Final was all the way back in 1989 when Calgary beat Montreal in six games.
And if the Canadiens were to beat the Canucks in the Final this year, we would have the potential for something very rare: A post-series riot in both cities.
6. Coaching staff
Time for full disclosure, Part 2.
In another life, I used to work in the PR department of the Ottawa Senators, when Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn were behind the bench. While Jacques was a taskmaster - I never got the NHL stats to him on time every morning - he has always treated me very well.
And Perry is one of the nicest men you will ever meet in hockey. After watching them fall short so many times against the Maple Leafs and getting the tag of unable to win in the post-season, it would be rewarding to see these two advance all the way to the Cup Final.
7. Hal Gill
At the start of the season, I had a debate with an unnamed media colleague over the merits of Hal Gill. After watching Gill play for the Penguins last season, I was certain that Gill was a good addition to the Habs roster.
My friend, however, sternly disagreed and we had a running back-and-forth over Gill's abilities over the course of the season. I must admit that I feel some vindication seeing Gill play the role of shot-blocking, shutdown defenseman in these playoffs. I've always thought Gill got a bad rap in Toronto and he's been trying to shake that label ever since.
8. The Ole chant
I've never liked the "Ole, Ole, Ole" chant at the Bell Centre from the Montreal faithful. But if the Habs play into June, at least they will cross over with the FIFA World Cup and their ridiculous soccer chant won't look so out of place.
9. One for the little guys
Last summer, the Habs took a lot of heat for acquiring a series of tiny forwards like Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta.
They were given nicknames like "The Smurfs" by cynical members of the media. But as much as I bought into that hype, it was somewhat hypocritical of me. I'm only 5-foot-9, so who am I to be criticizing short people? If these small Habs can advance, it will be a great day for those of us who have size 8.5 feet.
10. More work for Louis Jean
If the Habs advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, I'm thinking I can watch the majority of the final two rounds from the comfort of my living room, while Montreal reporter Louis Jean is forced to run around and cover the Habs
I am going to forgo giving a detailed step by step guide, a how to set up feed reading (something writing in a digital space allows as I can simply direct you to see the references for these resources at the end of this article), in favor of closing with a more important general claim: RSS alters the transmission (reading and writing) of digital knowledge, and thus is critically important to any classroom instruction which requires digital composition, but especially projects which involve blogging. Thus, while I would ultimately argue that a successful digital writing classroom would actively employ RSS technology, requiring students to employ feed readers, teaching students to read and write in a way informed by this technology, at minimal instructors and students should be aware of how this technology frames the context of writing in the age of the digital.
Ian Mendes
As fulfilling as the family life is, I must admit that I'm feeling a little left out of the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is a definitely a hockey void in my heart right now and I'm desperately trying to fill it. I've taken to growing a playoff beard, because there is no chance that I'll be on TV anytime soon.
But having a playoff beard without having a team to cheer for seems a little bit silly. It's time for me to pick a team to root for over the next six weeks. As appealing as the San Jose Sharks are, I'm not sure the people of Ottawa would ever forgive me if I started cheering for Dany Heatley.
So with that in mind, I'm going to do something a lot more sensible: I'm going to cheer for the Montreal Canadiens. Good people of Ottawa, before you start trashing my house, please read my 10 reasons why I'd like to see the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final.
1. It's been a while
Since the NHL switched to its current playoff format in 1994, only four teams from the East have not advanced to the Conference Final: Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins and...you guessed it, Montreal.
This is the longest drought the Habs have ever experienced in their illustrious history. These aren't your father's Montreal Canadiens - the juggernaut that rolled to the Stanley Cup Final on an annual basis, making their fans more annoying than Gilbert Gottfried.
These Habs have an underdog quality to them, making them a lot more acceptable to the average Canadian hockey fan.
2. Bob Gainey The former Canadiens GM, who stepped aside midway through the season, is one of the classiest men the game has ever known. Gainey has suffered through unimaginable personal tragedy; losing his wife to cancer and his daughter to a sailing accident. While he is no longer part of the day-to-day operations of the club, their advancement is vindication for some of the moves he made over the past 12 months: signing Mike Cammalleri, hiring Jacques Martin to bring in more structure and not bending to pressure to trade Jaroslav Halak back in December.
Somewhere, I hope Gainey is watching his Habs with a measure of satisfaction.
3. It's in my blood
Okay, time for a little full disclosure here: When I was growing up, I was a die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan. And while I put down my Habs pom-poms when I entered this profession 10 years ago, there will probably always be a part of me that wants to see them do well. I guess it's hard to kill that inner Mats Naslund after all.
4. Original six We have the potential for an Original Six match-up in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in more than 30 years. What's even more amazing is that we have the chance for four Original Six teams to advance to the Conference Final - something we've never had since the NHL expanded in 1967. A Montreal-Boston and Detroit-Chicago match-up would be amazing, because there is nothing better for the NHL than having its most storied franchises healthy and successful (And as much as it pains me to say it, from this perspective, it would be great to see the Leafs back in the post-season as well).
5. All-Canadian match-up
Canucks fans are probably upset with my last point, thinking that I want Chicago to advance to the Conference Final. But in reality, I think an all-Canadian match-up in the Cup Final would be great. The last time we saw an all-Canadian match-up in the Final was all the way back in 1989 when Calgary beat Montreal in six games.
And if the Canadiens were to beat the Canucks in the Final this year, we would have the potential for something very rare: A post-series riot in both cities.
6. Coaching staff
Time for full disclosure, Part 2.
In another life, I used to work in the PR department of the Ottawa Senators, when Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn were behind the bench. While Jacques was a taskmaster - I never got the NHL stats to him on time every morning - he has always treated me very well.
And Perry is one of the nicest men you will ever meet in hockey. After watching them fall short so many times against the Maple Leafs and getting the tag of unable to win in the post-season, it would be rewarding to see these two advance all the way to the Cup Final.
7. Hal Gill
At the start of the season, I had a debate with an unnamed media colleague over the merits of Hal Gill. After watching Gill play for the Penguins last season, I was certain that Gill was a good addition to the Habs roster.
My friend, however, sternly disagreed and we had a running back-and-forth over Gill's abilities over the course of the season. I must admit that I feel some vindication seeing Gill play the role of shot-blocking, shutdown defenseman in these playoffs. I've always thought Gill got a bad rap in Toronto and he's been trying to shake that label ever since.
8. The Ole chant
I've never liked the "Ole, Ole, Ole" chant at the Bell Centre from the Montreal faithful. But if the Habs play into June, at least they will cross over with the FIFA World Cup and their ridiculous soccer chant won't look so out of place.
9. One for the little guys
Last summer, the Habs took a lot of heat for acquiring a series of tiny forwards like Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta.
They were given nicknames like "The Smurfs" by cynical members of the media. But as much as I bought into that hype, it was somewhat hypocritical of me. I'm only 5-foot-9, so who am I to be criticizing short people? If these small Habs can advance, it will be a great day for those of us who have size 8.5 feet.
10. More work for Louis Jean
If the Habs advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, I'm thinking I can watch the majority of the final two rounds from the comfort of my living room, while Montreal reporter Louis Jean is forced to run around and cover the Habs
I am going to forgo giving a detailed step by step guide, a how to set up feed reading (something writing in a digital space allows as I can simply direct you to see the references for these resources at the end of this article), in favor of closing with a more important general claim: RSS alters the transmission (reading and writing) of digital knowledge, and thus is critically important to any classroom instruction which requires digital composition, but especially projects which involve blogging. Thus, while I would ultimately argue that a successful digital writing classroom would actively employ RSS technology, requiring students to employ feed readers, teaching students to read and write in a way informed by this technology, at minimal instructors and students should be aware of how this technology frames the context of writing in the age of the digital.
Ian Mendes
2010年5月9日星期日
Senators' F Kovalev (knee) to miss playoffs
OTTAWA (AP) - The soccer jerseys Ottawa Senators will make their playoff run without veteran forward Alex Kovalev.
The 37-year-old Russian tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 4-3 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
"He has a completely torn ACL and a deep bone bruise which has caused him a fair amount of pain," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said Saturday. "He will have surgery probably in two weeks.
"Certainly this year is over. The normal rehab they tell me is 3 1/2 to four months minimum."
The 37-year-old has 18 goals and 31 assists in 77 games this season, and 990 points (412-578) in 1,228 career regular-season games. He has 98 points (44-54) in 116 playoff games.
The Senators will finish fifth in the NHL's Eastern Conference, and Murray said they will miss Kovalev's production in the postseason.
"Obviously in our top-six (forwards) all year," Murray said. "One of the guys we hoped and thought at playoff time would be a big factor for us.
"To lose him in the second-last game of the year, in a game that really didn't mean very much, is very disappointing for us as an organization and certainly for Alex."
Ottawa closes out its regular season Saturday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
The 37-year-old Russian tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 4-3 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
"He has a completely torn ACL and a deep bone bruise which has caused him a fair amount of pain," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said Saturday. "He will have surgery probably in two weeks.
"Certainly this year is over. The normal rehab they tell me is 3 1/2 to four months minimum."
The 37-year-old has 18 goals and 31 assists in 77 games this season, and 990 points (412-578) in 1,228 career regular-season games. He has 98 points (44-54) in 116 playoff games.
The Senators will finish fifth in the NHL's Eastern Conference, and Murray said they will miss Kovalev's production in the postseason.
"Obviously in our top-six (forwards) all year," Murray said. "One of the guys we hoped and thought at playoff time would be a big factor for us.
"To lose him in the second-last game of the year, in a game that really didn't mean very much, is very disappointing for us as an organization and certainly for Alex."
Ottawa closes out its regular season Saturday night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres.
2010年5月8日星期六
Boucher and Flyers knock out Devils in 1st round
Back in the 2000 Eastern Conference finals, Boucher and the Flyers let a 3-1 series lead slip away to the Devils, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Boucher finished with 27 saves this time in his second career NHL playoff shutout.
In his second stint with Philadelphia, Boucher has risen from third on the depth chart to top of the heap. The Flyers will have to wait to find out who they will play in the second round. The most likely opponent for the No. 7 seed is Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington, which leads 3-1 against Montreal.
Philadelphia did its damage despite a relatively low shot total on Martin Brodeur. Giroux, who also assisted on Briere's second of the series, scored his two goals in the second when the Flyers recorded only four shots. They were outshot 18-14 through 40 minutes, yet led 3-0.
The Devils face a disappointing end to a season that showed promise. New Jersey won the Atlantic Division title for the ninth time, reached 100 points for the 12th time in 15 seasons, and qualified for the playoffs for the 13th straight season.
But they are left with a third straight first-round ouster, despite earning the No. 2 seed in the East and finishing 15 points ahead of the Flyers. Philadelphia didn't gain its postseason spot until a shootout victory over the New York Rangers on the final day of the regular season.
The Devils were booed in the second and third periods and heard chants of "Let's Go Flyers" echo through their building.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Philadelphia Flyers were the last team into the Stanley Cup playoffs, but are the first to reach the second round.
Given a second chance to knock out the New Jersey Devils 10 years after squandering their first opportunity, Flyers goalie Brian Boucher was brilliant on Thursday night as Philadelphia won 3-0 in Game 5 to finish off the series Thursday night.
Claude Giroux scored twice in the second period after Danny Briere had given the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first. Boucher made the offense stand up as Philadelphia beat New Jersey for the ninth time in 11 meetings this season.
Philadelphia won the series opener in New Jersey before dropping Game 2 on the road. The Flyers took control on home ice when Daniel Carcillo scored the winning goal in overtime, and then put the Devils on the brink of elimination with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday.
The Devils haven't made it out of the first round since moving from the Meadowlands to the new Prudential Center in 2007. They are 3-7 in postseason home games following the team's relocation to Newark.
Boucher kept the Flyers in the game as he protected a 1-0 lead with a series of spectacular saves against the hard-charging Devils in the first period.
Ilya Kovalchuk, who confidently predicted a Devils victory, tested Boucher in the opening minute with a hard drive that bounced into the slot off the goalie's pad. Zach Parise whiffed as he attempted a shot off the rebound.
The goalie heard the first chants of "Boosh" from the partisan Flyers fans, who made the short trip up the New Jersey Turnpike, just after the 10-minute mark following a stop against Paul Martin. Late in the period, Boucher turned aside a dangerous one-timer by David Clarkson and then denied Parise on a partial short-handed breakaway.
While the Devils failed to capitalize on numerous power plays _ some they cut short by taking their own penalties _ Philadelphia made the most of theirs, going 2 for 6 with the advantage.
Giroux made it 2-0 with 8:12 in the second with a drive that bounced in and out of the net in a flash. The goal was confirmed by video replay. He added his second of the night and fourth of the series 1:59 later during a power play off a pass in front by Scott Hartnell.
New Jersey produced three goals during the two games at Philadelphia, all on the power play, but went 0 for 8 in Game 5. The Devils didn't record an even-strength goal in the final three contests.
On the opening shift, the Devils displayed the desperation goalie Brodeur said would be necessary to survive. It paid off immediately with a power play, but the advantage lasted only 46 seconds before it was wiped out by captain Jamie Langenbrunner's tripping penalty.
Giroux made a spinning pass from Brodeur's right in front to Briere, who was unchecked at the top of the crease and muscled a shot between the goalie's left pad and the NFL jerseys post at 3:16.
Boucher finished with 27 saves this time in his second career NHL playoff shutout.
In his second stint with Philadelphia, Boucher has risen from third on the depth chart to top of the heap. The Flyers will have to wait to find out who they will play in the second round. The most likely opponent for the No. 7 seed is Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington, which leads 3-1 against Montreal.
Philadelphia did its damage despite a relatively low shot total on Martin Brodeur. Giroux, who also assisted on Briere's second of the series, scored his two goals in the second when the Flyers recorded only four shots. They were outshot 18-14 through 40 minutes, yet led 3-0.
The Devils face a disappointing end to a season that showed promise. New Jersey won the Atlantic Division title for the ninth time, reached 100 points for the 12th time in 15 seasons, and qualified for the playoffs for the 13th straight season.
But they are left with a third straight first-round ouster, despite earning the No. 2 seed in the East and finishing 15 points ahead of the Flyers. Philadelphia didn't gain its postseason spot until a shootout victory over the New York Rangers on the final day of the regular season.
The Devils were booed in the second and third periods and heard chants of "Let's Go Flyers" echo through their building.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Philadelphia Flyers were the last team into the Stanley Cup playoffs, but are the first to reach the second round.
Given a second chance to knock out the New Jersey Devils 10 years after squandering their first opportunity, Flyers goalie Brian Boucher was brilliant on Thursday night as Philadelphia won 3-0 in Game 5 to finish off the series Thursday night.
Claude Giroux scored twice in the second period after Danny Briere had given the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first. Boucher made the offense stand up as Philadelphia beat New Jersey for the ninth time in 11 meetings this season.
Philadelphia won the series opener in New Jersey before dropping Game 2 on the road. The Flyers took control on home ice when Daniel Carcillo scored the winning goal in overtime, and then put the Devils on the brink of elimination with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday.
The Devils haven't made it out of the first round since moving from the Meadowlands to the new Prudential Center in 2007. They are 3-7 in postseason home games following the team's relocation to Newark.
Boucher kept the Flyers in the game as he protected a 1-0 lead with a series of spectacular saves against the hard-charging Devils in the first period.
Ilya Kovalchuk, who confidently predicted a Devils victory, tested Boucher in the opening minute with a hard drive that bounced into the slot off the goalie's pad. Zach Parise whiffed as he attempted a shot off the rebound.
The goalie heard the first chants of "Boosh" from the partisan Flyers fans, who made the short trip up the New Jersey Turnpike, just after the 10-minute mark following a stop against Paul Martin. Late in the period, Boucher turned aside a dangerous one-timer by David Clarkson and then denied Parise on a partial short-handed breakaway.
While the Devils failed to capitalize on numerous power plays _ some they cut short by taking their own penalties _ Philadelphia made the most of theirs, going 2 for 6 with the advantage.
Giroux made it 2-0 with 8:12 in the second with a drive that bounced in and out of the net in a flash. The goal was confirmed by video replay. He added his second of the night and fourth of the series 1:59 later during a power play off a pass in front by Scott Hartnell.
New Jersey produced three goals during the two games at Philadelphia, all on the power play, but went 0 for 8 in Game 5. The Devils didn't record an even-strength goal in the final three contests.
On the opening shift, the Devils displayed the desperation goalie Brodeur said would be necessary to survive. It paid off immediately with a power play, but the advantage lasted only 46 seconds before it was wiped out by captain Jamie Langenbrunner's tripping penalty.
Giroux made a spinning pass from Brodeur's right in front to Briere, who was unchecked at the top of the crease and muscled a shot between the goalie's left pad and the NFL jerseys post at 3:16.
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