tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68261093759240966212023-07-18T01:03:03.801-04:00PGH Sports TalkFor all the latest and greatest on the City of ChampionsKurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-49357592448238001612012-07-10T10:56:00.010-04:002012-07-10T11:06:47.539-04:00The Deals that Built the BucsFamed author C.S. Lewis once said, “With the possible exception of the equator, everything begins somewhere.” For Pirates fans, it’s very easy to identify where they Pirates two decades of failure began (Thanks, Sid Bream). But these are the new Pirates, a group of players to whom losing a game has seemed foreign for the past two months. But as Lewis stated, these Pirates had to begin somewhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPl6vCrdR7ddTwisJCfZSS3EY3eiOteI5Yij-rWMDyh8hW_hqLFJ6w6NAkaGjp66_Wv4UPYfEScsYxblyzRMyXK0qsRAZR9mmVc5JZ7CAjOCTCYvIVZQm8OD-m_9hbXjuuYo5BRtE7jw/s1600/jeff-karstens.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPl6vCrdR7ddTwisJCfZSS3EY3eiOteI5Yij-rWMDyh8hW_hqLFJ6w6NAkaGjp66_Wv4UPYfEScsYxblyzRMyXK0qsRAZR9mmVc5JZ7CAjOCTCYvIVZQm8OD-m_9hbXjuuYo5BRtE7jw/s320/jeff-karstens.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763555505769346002" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 26, 2008<br /><br />Pirates send Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady to the Yankees for Jose Tabata, Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />This was perhaps the best trade of the Huntington era in terms of total value. Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady never truly caught on in New York. Nady played admirably for the remainder of the 2008 season, while Marte starred in the 2009 playoffs, but never much beyond that.<br /><br />The Pirates ended up having all four of their minor leaguers in the deal spend time with the club. Ohlendorf has moved on, and McCutchen is in AAA this year after spending most of last year in the Pirates bullpen. Tabata has had decent success as the Pirates leadoff hitter, but is struggling to regain his form.<br /><br />The biggest catch of that group was perhaps the one least likely, Jeff Karstens. He has been one of pitching coach Ray Searage’s biggest successes. While not having an overpowering fastball (90-92 mph), he exhibits tremendous control over his breaking pitches. If the Pirates are going to make a run in the playoffs, you can bet that Karstens will play a key role.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGXKGAj5mRuyJ8Do4gVKX59PTednJGzdFg-TBso13AzkJZUn_0mVzyEPNjM4cXTS7SMR3WVJoKsBCuG50gT0zeIZEgKnqE7U2neTCH2iLovV-x8ICM26THzkVuFd99Id2YTRRyqmRi-4/s1600/joel-hanrahanPIT.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGXKGAj5mRuyJ8Do4gVKX59PTednJGzdFg-TBso13AzkJZUn_0mVzyEPNjM4cXTS7SMR3WVJoKsBCuG50gT0zeIZEgKnqE7U2neTCH2iLovV-x8ICM26THzkVuFd99Id2YTRRyqmRi-4/s320/joel-hanrahanPIT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763555830411129634" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 30, 2009<br /><br />Pirates send Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to the Washington Nationals for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Nyjer Morgan has admittedly had more success in the major leagues than I ever thought he would. For a former hockey player with an eclectic personality, he’s done quite well for himself.<br /><br />But this trade has been instrumental in the Pirates success. Milledge may have fizzled out, but Joel Hanrahan is a two-time All-Star who has become an elite closer in the majors. Back in 2009, the Pirates didn’t have to worry about that too often. Now that they’ve started their winning ways, we see how important it is to have a shutdown guy in the bottom of the 9th. Another great deal for Neal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi066NT9a_pmYxXIvPVRKSPhAKfIkEXVt0a9x4wMaRFVlqJre6XjO1pnR-_uJC6X6vMUSQZzINdnsYAmhFBldlxAFyilUp7zKm7fg5_cux0ZfOCdNmmt-ME-5VZwZNy_u2KFZHGIJuiUiA/s1600/james-mcdonald.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi066NT9a_pmYxXIvPVRKSPhAKfIkEXVt0a9x4wMaRFVlqJre6XjO1pnR-_uJC6X6vMUSQZzINdnsYAmhFBldlxAFyilUp7zKm7fg5_cux0ZfOCdNmmt-ME-5VZwZNy_u2KFZHGIJuiUiA/s320/james-mcdonald.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763556166246661522" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 31, 2010<br /><br />Pirates send Octavio Dotel to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andrew Lambo and James McDonald<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Given what we know now, this trade is laughable. Dotel pitched in all of 19 games for LA, and was dealt in September of 2010 to the Rockies. James McDonald, in turn, has become one of the elite pitchers in the National League. But it’s very easy to forget that he essentially was a toss-in. The one that the Pirates were particularly interested in was Lambo, who was one of the darlings of the Dodgers organization, until he got into issues with PED use. Here in Pittsburgh, he’s become a forgotten man in the Pirates minor league system. Seriously, totally forgotten. Like, I don’t know where he is. Remember that kid from The Sandlot that got really into the 60s, and no one ever saw him again? That’s Andrew Lambo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKWxqPabPp4VUAY6Kv5flpp99emeOO5VFse99KrkTjXMtTAzQVPROROhn2eb5HmSBLfX3NvN0Tv-4gHswhdsI4ZORg2NHKDKm7wjetoy2HE31O-m08MhlJkiJEmDNDaewi-zaklizH_s/s1600/mckenryswing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKWxqPabPp4VUAY6Kv5flpp99emeOO5VFse99KrkTjXMtTAzQVPROROhn2eb5HmSBLfX3NvN0Tv-4gHswhdsI4ZORg2NHKDKm7wjetoy2HE31O-m08MhlJkiJEmDNDaewi-zaklizH_s/s320/mckenryswing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763556440312838722" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 13, 2011<br /><br />Pirates acquire Michael McKenry from the Red Sox in exchange for a Primanti’s Capicola and Egg sandwich or something like that.<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />McKenry may not be tall enough to ride everything at Kennywood, but his value to this team has been beyond measure. Right now he’s averaging a home run every 15 at-bats. That’s just insane for a player like him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63kBIGFCYJZbi_oJhhea_yRjEW4oDVgtAkz9ZEKorebKtqbmn1W91pDkaA2_9Bk6j39I3L0DnJbLU0_5P2UjfM7YgsGfAYIYAYyYgcxIThCFiCpZOaoqBJcvqKbf1XG-jcOGNjkwLZyo/s1600/grilli.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63kBIGFCYJZbi_oJhhea_yRjEW4oDVgtAkz9ZEKorebKtqbmn1W91pDkaA2_9Bk6j39I3L0DnJbLU0_5P2UjfM7YgsGfAYIYAYyYgcxIThCFiCpZOaoqBJcvqKbf1XG-jcOGNjkwLZyo/s320/grilli.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763556760724442594" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 21, 2011<br /><br />Pirates sign Jason Grilli to a minor league deal.<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Why the hell didn’t anybody want this guy?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUY3OIARCq2ZpRqS8qwlKwtPcqZodwjjq5_JpuWWW5u2h1Gk5j1JNz-UTjaxWxAF3nsVZxPSDAkz-j5qGamrbNCibc2VfZG0uZqlC2qzlOGeuy1di6_GtzG-f-kpBrr7mWiLYy516dff4/s1600/burnett.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUY3OIARCq2ZpRqS8qwlKwtPcqZodwjjq5_JpuWWW5u2h1Gk5j1JNz-UTjaxWxAF3nsVZxPSDAkz-j5qGamrbNCibc2VfZG0uZqlC2qzlOGeuy1di6_GtzG-f-kpBrr7mWiLYy516dff4/s320/burnett.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763557050101717954" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">February 18, 2012<br /><br />Pirates trade Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno to the Yankees for A.J. Burnett<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />If you had to Google search Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno, you’re not alone. I still don’t know who they are. Nor do I care.<br /><br />Before the season, I said I thought Burnett was a mediocre pitcher, and I think I even compared him to Matt Morris at one point. That shows you how much I know. If the Pirates 2012 season were a human body, Burnett would be the spine. Even if you excuse his outstanding performance on the mound (you shouldn’t anyways), what he’s given to the clubhouse is the knowledge of a veteran guy who has been around the block. He’s helped James McDonald reach his full potential. He keeps the guys loose. Along with Rod Barajas, he’s helped the entire team gel with one another. After Andrew McCutchen of course, Burnett should be the MVP of this team.<br /><br />Above all else, Bucco fans, enjoy this. Wherever this team goes in August, September and (potentially) October; never forget where you came from. The heartbreak of the past 20 years is gone, even if it’s only temporary. Love this team as it is, right here and right now.<br /><br />Even if they like crappy movies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8PExW23e7GuQ5thC68tOxpJiVs_xdAAtkd2kdbpS-Cj_Ttbi9KYvHgfOYU4t1FDLYXB40-9S-jUBrGslvUbb03G113cYF7k1BHoZtKrhFmIR6-kx-CK_ks0yBf-YeqX4-f6iSilJ6Vs/s1600/zoltan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8PExW23e7GuQ5thC68tOxpJiVs_xdAAtkd2kdbpS-Cj_Ttbi9KYvHgfOYU4t1FDLYXB40-9S-jUBrGslvUbb03G113cYF7k1BHoZtKrhFmIR6-kx-CK_ks0yBf-YeqX4-f6iSilJ6Vs/s320/zoltan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5763557347449657858" /></a>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-68261939287634802152012-01-03T09:14:00.004-05:002012-01-03T10:22:22.173-05:00Indefinite.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zpyaaXmCbM7rhZBXfsscxxxSUzgl75204J4eUiK4jVRCUxxlvzQUGHJgFjv5PAKAQdKsFWyN0l0cvf8l0W0XptHn9Ec08vX1kEwifvv269LkyxgJZu0nmDlp5XFjKEUBptOSnQnC5qY/s1600/crosby+concussed.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zpyaaXmCbM7rhZBXfsscxxxSUzgl75204J4eUiK4jVRCUxxlvzQUGHJgFjv5PAKAQdKsFWyN0l0cvf8l0W0XptHn9Ec08vX1kEwifvv269LkyxgJZu0nmDlp5XFjKEUBptOSnQnC5qY/s320/crosby+concussed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693413358915026898" /></a><br />"And there was a kid with a head full of doubt<br />So I'll scream til I die and the last of those bad thoughts are finally out"<br />-The Avett Brothers<br /><br /><br />There's a ticket stub that sits on my nightstand. It's been there for almost a month now (Yeah, I should clean, don't judge me). It says December 5, 2011- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins. It was an ordinary loss, an ordinary December night. Normally, those ticket stubs eventually find their spot amongst candy wrappers and apple cores in whatever landfill Waste Management deems fit.<br /><br />But I just can't throw this one away. I wish I could. But I always end up asking myself, "Did I see Sidney Crosby's last game?"<br /><br />For the last 367 calendar days, words like "indefinitely", "symptoms", "no timetable"; have become as routine to Penguin fans as tying their shoes. They've almost lost all meaning. Penguins fans are suffering from a rare phenomenon: being expectation-less. I'm not talking about "Dick Tarnstrom is our leading scorer," expectation-less. It's more like the feeling that things will never be the same again. As if years like 2008-09 were just a fever dream. Living without expectation isn't saying that things can't get any worse, it's not seeing how they can possibly get any better.<br /><br />And that's where we are today. The talk that ensued a month and a half ago about Crosby coming back and winning the scoring title feels distant and frankly, foolish. With all due respect to the current roster, Evgeni Malkin in particular, watching Pens games has become an exercise in "concussion-like symptoms" for Pens fans. Cheer as we may, there's a very numbing quality to watching these contests, as if our own vision is blurred, our memories fogged. When I think back to recent games, I often have trouble even remembering things that happened, as if they had existed only in the abstract.<br /><br />In such uncertain situations, it remains very difficult to garner any sort of perspective. In six months, we could look back at this time and think how crazy we were for thinking it was even in the realm of possibility for Sidney Crosby not to suit up again. Or we could (frightfully) look back and wonder how we could have ever been so optimistic. The only thing I know is that (and I hope I speak for all Pens fans when I say this) I'd rather see Sidney Crosby retire at 24 than not be able to recognize his family at 40. The former would be heartbreaking, but the latter would be tragic.<br /><br />The lack of updates are unsettling, yet familiar. The news that leaks out is vague at best. We don't know where Sid is, or really how he is, only that his symptoms aren't as "aggressive" as a year ago. Though we've seen this song and dance before (Remember when they called it a "mild" concussion last year?), so we've learned to take words like this with a grain of salt. Any good news that we'll hear in the future about Sid will be met with a nervous optimism, not an unbridled one.<br /><br />But at this point, most of us will take whatever we can get.<br /><br />So how will this all end? <br /><br />Our hope is that one day Crosby will awake to find his own personal clouds lifted. That he can do what he loves the same way he used to, and we can understand again what a privilege it is to watch him do it. My own hope is that I can wake up and finally have that ticket stub meet the same fate as the others, casting away with it my own personal fears and doubts. But that hope, like all else at this time, remains indefinite.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-51350406098679252032011-10-11T09:39:00.007-04:002011-10-11T11:19:39.424-04:00Who the hell are the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers?Crushing defeat at the hands of Baltimore.<br />Defense pitches a shutout against Seattle.<br />Indy almost pulls off the upset.<br />Houston demolishes the Steeler Run D.<br />Everyone does their part dismantling the Titans.<br /><br />If there's ever been a more schizophrenic 5 games in the last decade, I don't remember them. One week, they're written off, and the next, they're Super Bowl Contenders. Here are just a few things that I think are set in stone about this year.<br /><br />Weaknesses:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. The offensive line.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOgkOQBW3dTk10myfeyoJ0FAUxAytTftqZ-ghSXbYhDqEraH_m925yg_K7LUtUfuU1HtqSgZ3pQ9SxPc8P49y_5y6wf_TB-rppptsU5r8Fxnp7ypZH8zpR7RmttWiYbWX0aPhSAPjxfs/s1600/o-line+citeeah.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOgkOQBW3dTk10myfeyoJ0FAUxAytTftqZ-ghSXbYhDqEraH_m925yg_K7LUtUfuU1HtqSgZ3pQ9SxPc8P49y_5y6wf_TB-rppptsU5r8Fxnp7ypZH8zpR7RmttWiYbWX0aPhSAPjxfs/s320/o-line+citeeah.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662252086617122802" /></a><br /><br />They are aptly named, as their play offends anybody who watches it. Ben Roethlisberger is apparently being punished by the cosmos for his sexcapades by getting plowed for three hours on national TV every Sunday. The running game has disappeared like Rashard Mendenhall's Twitter account. They're so bad that fans welcomed back Max Starks with fervent enthusiasm. Dear Lord.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. The run defense.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5AfX0pYPQkWl5WhzO0j_cCbCxtqYXISf0-HX3aNz6EV8D8nsQUd9n3VCbXQ21yv4sFeOdKc68Sxl6UzdXhgFVn42eGIs3_76dvo25O352gUm544XnBjDW9eVJ3Z4-qoWYCcpYfL-vYU/s1600/snacks+will+eat+you.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5AfX0pYPQkWl5WhzO0j_cCbCxtqYXISf0-HX3aNz6EV8D8nsQUd9n3VCbXQ21yv4sFeOdKc68Sxl6UzdXhgFVn42eGIs3_76dvo25O352gUm544XnBjDW9eVJ3Z4-qoWYCcpYfL-vYU/s320/snacks+will+eat+you.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662252704811200194" /></a><br /><br />Finally, after all these years, age is catching up to these guys. Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Casey Hampton...oh how we've loved you. We really have. Three of the most important Steelers of the 2000s. Just thinking about you makes me smile.<br /><br />But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And that includes your careers. Let's see what Worilds, Hood and Heyward can do.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. The running game.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT-Rwq6E9d1y5rFgodJQMoVGq5jpvaLKKd2paOXo_pPXQOLQXyU6gNF2lBHZgtFMzyS4Ac_H68iHOiRSBMaGlvjuylidf7t0FrOKWM40CupYVmmUWLIK3MDEJqcY8EVUkXRyg194eyDo/s1600/mendy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT-Rwq6E9d1y5rFgodJQMoVGq5jpvaLKKd2paOXo_pPXQOLQXyU6gNF2lBHZgtFMzyS4Ac_H68iHOiRSBMaGlvjuylidf7t0FrOKWM40CupYVmmUWLIK3MDEJqcY8EVUkXRyg194eyDo/s320/mendy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662253216183026930" /></a><br /><br />When Jonathan Dwyer posts up the best rushing performance of the year (by 40 yards, no less). You have problems. Big ones.<br /><br /><br />Strengths:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. The pass defense.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXaCj4vd7qyYsurpujNQWf-N0IQ0jJeLXuZHtA7voUlID4bNPSUN5VaMrRsdpLJHqwAmLg8dtuaR_Ir3v-1AwoDJgBeznys6jPJGxSnuJ3mFUDOV3CempYcYOZKAx9ioYpR-G-bHKehM/s1600/ike.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXaCj4vd7qyYsurpujNQWf-N0IQ0jJeLXuZHtA7voUlID4bNPSUN5VaMrRsdpLJHqwAmLg8dtuaR_Ir3v-1AwoDJgBeznys6jPJGxSnuJ3mFUDOV3CempYcYOZKAx9ioYpR-G-bHKehM/s320/ike.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662253550994012146" /></a><br /><br />Just saying this gives me a headache. One of the best pass defenses in the league? Really? I'm not sure when Ike Taylor turned into Darrelle Revis, but nobody has thrown on Ike all year. The tandem of William Gay and Keenan Lewis have surprised everybody. You know what you get with Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu. Seeing the run defense be as bad as it is compared to the pass makes me feel as if I'm living in some parallel universe. And then I realize that I'm still a hairy ginger, so that thought gets thwarted pretty fast.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. The wide receivers.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9C0rTUd4EHK9klCK9z6eKfYM0fgzanVw6l466qjYbty9_BwpyFVHSCnsYcqVzIJRyL4NMa5f3y6BVj9J6dqCwcgKeY27KQ0omz32W53SB7eUYTOVUQ9c_nNP7HfMf6OCRekSHOi_7IY/s1600/ward+wallace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9C0rTUd4EHK9klCK9z6eKfYM0fgzanVw6l466qjYbty9_BwpyFVHSCnsYcqVzIJRyL4NMa5f3y6BVj9J6dqCwcgKeY27KQ0omz32W53SB7eUYTOVUQ9c_nNP7HfMf6OCRekSHOi_7IY/s320/ward+wallace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662253947061459074" /></a><br /><br />Top to bottom, this may end up being the best receiving corps in Steelers history. VERY rarely do you hit on two receivers in the same draft, but Kevin Colbert appears to have done it with Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. Throw in budding star Mike Wallace and everyone's favorite reality dance champion, and you've got unlimited weapons for Ben Roethlisberger. Considering that Wallace, Sanders and Hines Ward were all third round picks, and Antonio Brown was a sixth rounder, it's a remarkable testament to the due diligence of the Steelers front office.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Dan Sepulveda.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriSzgP18y41jrlvQqbTmaLBT3Y5Ar1E7D7n69LOlaYRvEZJP73AwviudG2-pP9cbCBCVrU2SlmvHKKXMfY5DO2Au43PYVhQQXlbK6xEMD9CG-3veIfzNH2clUF7P5Uu9XYLiSdk2z7OI/s1600/danny+sep.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgriSzgP18y41jrlvQqbTmaLBT3Y5Ar1E7D7n69LOlaYRvEZJP73AwviudG2-pP9cbCBCVrU2SlmvHKKXMfY5DO2Au43PYVhQQXlbK6xEMD9CG-3veIfzNH2clUF7P5Uu9XYLiSdk2z7OI/s320/danny+sep.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662254427714606962" /></a><br /><br />Shut up. I love the guy.<br /><br /><br />Given the ease of the schedule (I think at some point the Steelers play North Allegheny), I do think the Steelers are a playoff team.<br /><br />But ask me again next week.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-54323855751415884592011-07-27T02:16:00.004-04:002011-07-27T10:58:40.295-04:00He Called Him Safe?It was 1:50 AM on July 27th, 2011.
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<br />Just in case you wanted to document the worst call in baseball history.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbdZTgV5sAiBkXvDwkEfEIFZhXsU0j22L6atvgJTX553OCihZU7PeNySlWBpV16sJxdf8qH80iHcHWkUyo62pY1tlPAFd88LSQCENZkSb_Nt549_Rk_SJuGgjsOJ6vFeZbVpQuLqQfAM/s1600/mckenry+tag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbdZTgV5sAiBkXvDwkEfEIFZhXsU0j22L6atvgJTX553OCihZU7PeNySlWBpV16sJxdf8qH80iHcHWkUyo62pY1tlPAFd88LSQCENZkSb_Nt549_Rk_SJuGgjsOJ6vFeZbVpQuLqQfAM/s320/mckenry+tag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634045229346591394" /></a>
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<br />With all due respect to the Jim Joyce/Armando Galarraga perfect game debacle, when it comes to the ease of the call, umpire Jerry Meals rendition of what really happened between Mike McKenry and Julio Lugo borders on the hallucinogenic.
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<br />Before I post a link to a YouTube video that Major League Baseball will take down in the next thirty seconds, let me set the scene for those who drifted off to peaceful slumber.
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<br />Bottom of the 19th. Braves runners on second and third. One out. Relief pitcher Scott Proctor takes the plate for only the second time since 2007. Immediately goes down 0-2 to Pirates workhorse reliever Daniel McCutchen. McCutchen delivers, Proctor grounds to a charging Pedro Alvarez at third base. 850 year old Atlanta Brave Julio Lugo makes a beeline for home plate. Alvarez comes with a strong and accurate throw. McKenry receives it and swipes at Julio Lugo. Then all hell breaks loose.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="303"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d9LjarKHvTk?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d9LjarKHvTk?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="303" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Now okay, there's a lot going on in this 1 minute, 48 second video:
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<br />1. Most importantly, you can see the angles of the tag. The definitive one is at about 1:30 of the video. You can see McKenry making the swipe, and Julio Lugo's pantleg reverberating from the contact of McKenry's mitt. If ANYONE felt as if Lugo actually was safe, that angle puts the axe to that idea.
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<br />2. Clint Hurdle turned a color that I didn't know a human being could. It was almost a blackish purple hue. Even in my stunned disbelief at what I had just seen, I was readying myself to call an ambulance for him.
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<br />3. How bad do you feel for Mike McKenry? To catch 19 innings and over 300 pitches to have it end like that? Ouch.
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<br />4. If Lyle Overbay doesn't hold back Daniel McCutchen, he probably eats Jerry Meals.
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<br />5. This isn't in the video, but I had seen it last night (and had it confirmed through a billion tweets), that Neil Walker was actually signing autographs for fans immediately after the game. That's insane. Neil Walker, you are without a doubt a better person than I am. I would have been punching holes in anything I could. What a class act.
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<br />6. Scott Proctor does the world's most inexplicable belly flop, absolutely ensuring that if Meals calls out Lugo, McKenry can lob the ball to Overbay at first to complete the double play and get out of the inning.
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<br />We should have a bit of perspective here. Yes, the Pirates lost. If Meals ends up making the right call, maybe the Pirates win, maybe they don't. But the fact is that they deserved to find out. While the Pirates lost the game, the true losers were MLB fans as a whole. It was an instant classic. a six-and-a-half hour epic that featured game-saving plays and two of the best bullpen showings in baseball history. It didn't deserve to end that way. Fans should have either been treated to Joel Hanrahan closing out a Pirates win, or a dramatic walk-off hit by Atlanta. Not this. Major League Baseball owes the Pirates an apology, and the Pirates owe Major League Baseball a tongue-lashing.
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<br />Just as an additional note, shame on Jerry Meals for the way that he has reacted to his call. Within 30 minutes of Jim Joyce's awful call, he released a statement of contrition, saying that he had simply blown the call. His regretful demeanor and sheer humanness endeared him to fans, and to Armando Galarraga himself. While he still has a chance to do something similar, Jerry Meals is showing no signs of it.
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<br />Given the surroundings and circumstance, we will likely look back on this as a turning point in the Pirates season. The Buccos will either harness the "Us vs. Them" mentality and use it to their advantage, or crumble under the weight of fatigue and difficulty of schedule. Only time will tell.
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<br />And in just over 8 hours, the Buccos will continue the fight.
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<br />If the Pirates weren't "America's Team" at 1:49 AM this morning, they sure are now.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-16615214537203072552011-07-26T11:54:00.007-04:002011-07-26T12:35:32.542-04:00Captain Obvious? Western Conference ShitI've been hearing about this league called the "Western Conference". Apparently they play hockey just like the East, except three hours later. Not sure who could stay up for that.
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<br />Central Division:
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<br />Detroit Red Wings:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgUbVPaD1B-vSb-HthtJBJ0PCIX4NKjHxk4CLnV6OwdcfrYs2FrxDarr9yGEsXR2dpa17_rEUyzSzZC4P04_OOJ2x9KTXkY7yUpESUafNqyL5mv_kIbJIrRCNGDYPexnt9uf5cNOoV7o/s1600/nicklas-lidstrom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgUbVPaD1B-vSb-HthtJBJ0PCIX4NKjHxk4CLnV6OwdcfrYs2FrxDarr9yGEsXR2dpa17_rEUyzSzZC4P04_OOJ2x9KTXkY7yUpESUafNqyL5mv_kIbJIrRCNGDYPexnt9uf5cNOoV7o/s320/nicklas-lidstrom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633692151739279298" /></a>
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<br />Captain: Nicklas Lidstrom
<br />Player who should be Captain: Nicklas Lidstrom forever.
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<br />If you're wondering who Nick Lidstrom is, get off my blog. The dude is a Captain among Captains. Would he have steered the Titanic into an iceberg? No. He'd have broken the iceberg with a wrist shot.
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<br />Nashville Predators:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK9EUdGNJDz2oNCaMTc1tqjHnFW8eK4NUfTJK-aD1CDCDmDQE2pTW-fVHXoK0c4LR-Yc9pxlOR5GY6HBCTO4yZqgTuDkLjQ7qj40nIRb3XsdQpgXL6l_QNeFjnQTk2P_Jcfu2AKtuLsI/s1600/shea+weber.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBK9EUdGNJDz2oNCaMTc1tqjHnFW8eK4NUfTJK-aD1CDCDmDQE2pTW-fVHXoK0c4LR-Yc9pxlOR5GY6HBCTO4yZqgTuDkLjQ7qj40nIRb3XsdQpgXL6l_QNeFjnQTk2P_Jcfu2AKtuLsI/s320/shea+weber.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633693716736093426" /></a>
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<br />Captain: Shea Weber
<br />Player who should be Captain: Shea Weber
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xic10OJOD6I?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xic10OJOD6I?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Don't care if it wasn't for Nashville, if you shoot the puck through the net, you own the ice. Period.
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<br />Chicago Blackhawks:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlr7VWKiN9oktPoqknbpB0A62ARyOPTeArB8629wXOgC1BdQ7n7cE6dRSpIQNy0jlwo3hIB0dXDGbjpJuxMebC6iuRBQ_riI2zxd_U0NLV29gyFI8kOV-0CLH6dnpFzSkFt2whAPmfKo/s1600/sharp-dressed+man.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlr7VWKiN9oktPoqknbpB0A62ARyOPTeArB8629wXOgC1BdQ7n7cE6dRSpIQNy0jlwo3hIB0dXDGbjpJuxMebC6iuRBQ_riI2zxd_U0NLV29gyFI8kOV-0CLH6dnpFzSkFt2whAPmfKo/s320/sharp-dressed+man.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633695840276865618" /></a>
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<br />Captain: Jonathan Toews
<br />Player who should be Captain: Patrick Sharp
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<br />I'm a sucker for players like Patrick Sharp. He's not as talented as Toews (though he's no slouch, as his 34 goals last year will attest), but he's far more mature and has a great presence on the ice. He can play the tough minutes and is willing to mix it up with anybody. Sharp is a free agent after this season, and if the Blackhawks let him go, then they're idiots.
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<br />(Aside: I bet there are at least 45 "Sharp-Dressed Man" jokes in that article.)
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<br />St. Louis Blues:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7iLdLNItnmO-4FbRfieOFQp_J7bbUmgLt6pQgJZG9loYijLWu_34nlWe-j545Rlz-W5c-ZToZapjiXeK-Cvk_0hsK0Vym_0iWbd41ciNW6R2nJ47LAxPCWuUbFITcX28KsoEf2hyTME/s1600/backes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7iLdLNItnmO-4FbRfieOFQp_J7bbUmgLt6pQgJZG9loYijLWu_34nlWe-j545Rlz-W5c-ZToZapjiXeK-Cvk_0hsK0Vym_0iWbd41ciNW6R2nJ47LAxPCWuUbFITcX28KsoEf2hyTME/s320/backes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633698026344789202" /></a>
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<br />Captain: None.
<br />Player who should be Captain: David Backes
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<br />Backes is a true pain-in-the-ass. Which is pretty much a necessity if you're going to be a decent captain. For a forward, he's a fairly menacing force at 6-3, 230 lbs. The kind of guy who stands in front of the net, pistol-whips the goalie and puts the puck home. With a youthful pool of talent growing around him, Backes is the logical choice to lead the Blues in this tough division.
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<br />Columbus Blue Jackets:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpL_01LJm7ZsWUtn3Hbz0WePX8c-gk3GjRN4cvhJsYuT078a79hML1jAaqB8C-vPSivcjlgDuwfUQhBH-jMUttzY4mSKEsmtbKpqQaF6BeImUO6zcKSWNP4Vg-cO1mJtHeH_34ri7t3g/s1600/nash+bridges.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpL_01LJm7ZsWUtn3Hbz0WePX8c-gk3GjRN4cvhJsYuT078a79hML1jAaqB8C-vPSivcjlgDuwfUQhBH-jMUttzY4mSKEsmtbKpqQaF6BeImUO6zcKSWNP4Vg-cO1mJtHeH_34ri7t3g/s320/nash+bridges.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633700399009485458" /></a>
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<br />Captain: Rick Nash
<br />Player who should be Captain: Dear God, somebody get Rick Nash out of Columbus
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<br />Seriously, the dude is wasted there. They don't have anyone around him, aside from Plum native R.J. Umberger, pictured below:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvHe9m2VaWLHrQIgEUpJV7_1B6Q6jos8Eym1ncYLvZdYFPIlg-MOBhiypA-twfBSPyd3fhT1uXAIm9KOfaOO9S9qiWqmKJDIaU704dh8l2MfMHtlqZhVNiBlgRy5bfOvy6YaWA1ZY2y0/s1600/ooh+RJ%21.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvHe9m2VaWLHrQIgEUpJV7_1B6Q6jos8Eym1ncYLvZdYFPIlg-MOBhiypA-twfBSPyd3fhT1uXAIm9KOfaOO9S9qiWqmKJDIaU704dh8l2MfMHtlqZhVNiBlgRy5bfOvy6YaWA1ZY2y0/s320/ooh+RJ%21.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633699599797954930" /></a>
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<br />Only 5 percent of my readers will get that joke. Oooh, RJ!
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<br />I'm being real though. Somebody needs to go to Columbus and save Rick Nash.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-81009185152446392332011-07-22T10:34:00.001-04:002011-07-22T10:34:33.324-04:00The Silence is BrokenIt's been way to hot to post anything.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlqJcsp7ah2arqHV8hwfnqLjtkKzLcB6_huN5faGazc1nKajxpKT48P7ph5Kf8qLaazG2mZbW3fSf3E_9mhc6jNnIE81UJkyU0sN6E9GS_sIE275tzTa9Sy7WY6d0TFF-C0kX98DJyqk/s1600/buccos+keep+winning.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlqJcsp7ah2arqHV8hwfnqLjtkKzLcB6_huN5faGazc1nKajxpKT48P7ph5Kf8qLaazG2mZbW3fSf3E_9mhc6jNnIE81UJkyU0sN6E9GS_sIE275tzTa9Sy7WY6d0TFF-C0kX98DJyqk/s320/buccos+keep+winning.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632184610286758626" /></a><br /><br />Somehow, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been hotter.<br /><br />In what seems like a two-month fever dream, the Pirates have re-kindled a passion for baseball that hasn't existed for a long time in Pittsburgh. Since Memorial Day, the Pirates are 27-17. Their 51st win of the season came on July 19th. Last year, their 51st win came on September 19th. There are more mind-boggling statistics, but as the great Dodgers Announcer Vin Scully once said, "Statistics are used like a drunk uses a lamp post, for support, not illumination".<br /><br />So allow me to waylay statistics, and tell you why I really think the Pirates are winning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbjYOJm8O7dopvXSWPHOyVrGn_yLsjclpVa_RgTe-orUKhDYrziD7I6GkyRHQJyVoNpvynmuFYsHm8vnmd7Ee1aOKlGBK0LUYkvFEJK2p5C4ZJpQr6YoGfAHLQLydN7SS5VZ_U5n1eUY/s1600/clint_hurdle_111836222.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbjYOJm8O7dopvXSWPHOyVrGn_yLsjclpVa_RgTe-orUKhDYrziD7I6GkyRHQJyVoNpvynmuFYsHm8vnmd7Ee1aOKlGBK0LUYkvFEJK2p5C4ZJpQr6YoGfAHLQLydN7SS5VZ_U5n1eUY/s320/clint_hurdle_111836222.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632177667662815458" /></a><br /><br />^This guy.<br /><br />Hurdle isn't running away with the Manager of the Year award. He's taking what we used to know as the Manager of the Year, and kicking it in the balls. Hurdle and his staff (Pitching coach Ray Searage deserves his own award for making Jeff Karstens look like Greg Maddux) have marched their way into Pittsburgh and completely changed the atmosphere and attitude of this organization. Ever since Jim Leyland, every manager from Gene Lamont to John Russell looked as if they would rather be managing a Taco Bell. Simply going through the motions like a 16 year old doing chores.<br /><br />Not Clint Hurdle though.<br /><br />He's been the breath of fresh air that hasn't existed in Pittsburgh since the early 90s. He's an intense, yet jovial and portly guy who talks fast and chews his gum with such tenacity that you become legitimately concerned about his well-being. Hurdle is exactly the tonic that a young team needs: wielding an incessantly positive attitude while also refusing to except failure. Seriously, when was the last time you remember a Pirate team that has been so fundamentally sound? Talent is one thing, but fundamentals are directly derived from good coaching.<br /><br />Hurdle is the sole reason why I don't buy into people that say that the Pirates will fade as the season goes on. Yes, the schedule is tough. We play the Brewers about 8,000 times. We play Atlanta, we play Philly, whatever. This is a team that will succeed because Hurdle has them believing that they should. The Buccos see no reason why they can't go up to Miller Park now and take 2 of 3 games. They couldn't care less about how good the Phillies pitching staff is. They only care about playing the best baseball they can.<br /><br />And in 2011, their best may be good enough.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-31165893156985752982011-06-01T10:32:00.007-04:002011-06-07T12:52:01.811-04:00Captain Obvious? Part 3- Northeast DivisionThe Northeast Division sucks. I can always count on them for awful, boring hockey. I forgot Ottawa even had a team. Oh well, here goes:
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<br />
<br />Boston Bruins:
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtelcnrIryZCsURYyFaaJfUFou7NUdRpMQlsLBVZ65CWBAWtNJdIsUTC9LjkJN1dGpYlp2tPihSKzbdiW3zlcEpMAtcbU17OZdMYKFtWzDzFgVEe5JBfWN19V3gQxYsEJD0KsX3EPM68/s1600/zdeno-chara.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtelcnrIryZCsURYyFaaJfUFou7NUdRpMQlsLBVZ65CWBAWtNJdIsUTC9LjkJN1dGpYlp2tPihSKzbdiW3zlcEpMAtcbU17OZdMYKFtWzDzFgVEe5JBfWN19V3gQxYsEJD0KsX3EPM68/s320/zdeno-chara.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613267841876968194" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Zdeno Chara
<br />Player who should be Captain: Zdeno Chara
<br />
<br />I may hate Chara, but he's about the only choice. Recchi? Meh, no thanks. I think Chara is overrated, big and clumsy. He's got a great shot and is a good puck mover, but beyond that, I don't see anything particularly masterful about his game. He may not be a "repeat offender", but Chara has a history of some unpunished nasty play (see: the Max Pacioretty incident). Hopefully he doesn't get his ring this year.
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<br />
<br />Montreal Canadiens:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ayZcc59pw0l8Vc2gnCUEoxUjVANNZeApIVLT5L6y1l6uiRUtSm-sv4lRBZOlEfoT5RrDji6hnMjqKt5K8objuGDd-isFv5g2Ay2mznpIiif8OxS7P74SyTfX9iUsNdoHqk583j1sFgQ/s1600/brian+gionta.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ayZcc59pw0l8Vc2gnCUEoxUjVANNZeApIVLT5L6y1l6uiRUtSm-sv4lRBZOlEfoT5RrDji6hnMjqKt5K8objuGDd-isFv5g2Ay2mznpIiif8OxS7P74SyTfX9iUsNdoHqk583j1sFgQ/s320/brian+gionta.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613268202821516850" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Brian Gionta
<br />Player who should be Captain: Brian Gionta
<br />
<br />Brian Gionta is an easy choice. He's what a Captain should be: a pain in the ass. Every team that plays against him knows it. He always manages to score the big goal, and is a true warrior. Like Marty St. Louis, Gionta uses his small stature to his advantage, creating leverage that lets him deliver some big hits. He's a consistent 20-plus goal guy (the year after the lockout, he had almost 50 goals, don't know where the hell that came from). I would have to believe there are a lot of teams in the NHL who would love Gionta as a captain.
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<br />
<br />Buffalo Sabres:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWai8Ywo7XSGdCCtvFR7GKV_O_Ln3A21cbOn999CA3lSLX3etz3ROBOGYCY8Oaf9_0GadXMIaBsx5vJMIZeYC7ayHVdICeObkyZ5JOjS7ONvNhYUovLjMK_KfaWjHnjbnOl-YBEC2LUJ8/s1600/JasonPominvilleSabres.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWai8Ywo7XSGdCCtvFR7GKV_O_Ln3A21cbOn999CA3lSLX3etz3ROBOGYCY8Oaf9_0GadXMIaBsx5vJMIZeYC7ayHVdICeObkyZ5JOjS7ONvNhYUovLjMK_KfaWjHnjbnOl-YBEC2LUJ8/s320/JasonPominvilleSabres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613268571308617186" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Nobody.
<br />Player who should be Captain: Jason Pominville
<br />
<br />This is tough. I dislike Buffalo, but they're a team full of captain-esque players. Pominville, to me, stands out. After Ryan Miller, Pominville is the first Sabre I think about (sorry, Thomas Vanek). He's another gritty guy who isn't afraid to trade some paint (thought I'd throw in a NASCAR term for the 2 people who read my blog wondering why I never talk about racing). Here's my process: When I think about who should be the Captain of a team, I think about what person I would want the Pens to have, and in this case, it's Jason Pominville.
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<br />
<br />Ottawa Senators:
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<br />
<br />Captain: Daniel Alfredsson
<br />Player who should be Captain: Nobody.
<br />
<br />They don't deserve a captain. Here's their current one:
<br />
<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rAuj_AMnMGM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rAuj_AMnMGM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="390" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
<br />
<br />I'm not begrudging Alfredsson's talent, he's a great player. But in the same realm as French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, when I think about Alfredsson, I don't think about his ability, I think of this play. Mind the situation, a 2-2 tie in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I don't care what he says, this is intentional. If you watch the video, you'll bear witness to the only time I've ever agreed with Pierre McGuire. He eyes up Niedermayer, ADJUSTS HIS BODY, and fires the puck. It was captain-vs.-captain, and it showed me everything I know about who was the superior player and person in that situation. What a jerk.
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<br />
<br />Toronto Maple Leafs:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ouQmWYkwqEpl2mULehDA0ko5iyO-0YXFUqmZ16tyfF78bjZ-QYlOU3GfaL11nIx-oNvtQsh-HKwFSroMUZBPG6khCp4BmWnKPknpTY1YRyHh6efllDOBFv86PdrSGK4-A3DZresRMGw/s1600/leaf+fans.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ouQmWYkwqEpl2mULehDA0ko5iyO-0YXFUqmZ16tyfF78bjZ-QYlOU3GfaL11nIx-oNvtQsh-HKwFSroMUZBPG6khCp4BmWnKPknpTY1YRyHh6efllDOBFv86PdrSGK4-A3DZresRMGw/s320/leaf+fans.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613269963547153890" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Dion Phaneuf
<br />Player who should be Captain: Nobody, every Maple Leafs fan should wear a "C"
<br />
<br />Seriously, being a Maple Leaf fan for the last 20 years sucks. The fact that they sell out every game is a testament to the fans in Toronto.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-65319160050638520582011-05-26T09:07:00.010-04:002011-06-07T12:52:27.044-04:00Captain Obvious? Part 2- Southeast DivisionThis is too much fun. I love standing up on this pulpit, judging other people's/teams decisions. I would be a sweet cult leader, but none of that mass suicide crap, unless we lose another Stanley Cup or Super Bowl. Anyways, on with the show, this installment focuses on the captains of the Southeast Division.
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<br />Washington Capitals:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNCM2SYWlhbPcRgze8949TV8vouNaqV1NtFwSeRV8DdKzJKc6nzklITdgyrGh-4uCUXBZQrD9cSYjH3uUE374QG1hOZRtlTb3JmtkLbgKxgkDALqtcqEBL6hhHhDTdJUabUR_MYr12mE/s1600/ovi+hat+all+star.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNCM2SYWlhbPcRgze8949TV8vouNaqV1NtFwSeRV8DdKzJKc6nzklITdgyrGh-4uCUXBZQrD9cSYjH3uUE374QG1hOZRtlTb3JmtkLbgKxgkDALqtcqEBL6hhHhDTdJUabUR_MYr12mE/s320/ovi+hat+all+star.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611015689418740034" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Alexander Ovechkin
<br />Player who should be Captain: Brooks Laich
<br />
<br />I know he's a free agent this year, but my man-crush on Brooks Laich knows no contractual stipulations. But man, when you have a team as loaded as the Caps are, and as their leader, you can't inspire them to even win a game in the second round of the playoffs, or for that matter, to EVER get past the second round? That's pretty bad. I'm not taking anything away from Ovechkin as a player, he's got more talent than I could ever hope to have in anything. But the facts remain the same. Unlike Crosby, he's shown no real ability to lead his troops. He doesn't raise the game of the people around him, he simply tries to win the game by himself. This was never more apparent than in Game 4 of the Lightning series this year. Ovi probably took about a billion shots in that game, but nobody around him was playing with any sense of urgency. As a captain, you need to harness your energy and distribute it amongst the rest of your team. Ovechkin doesn't seem to have that ability, and until he does (if ever), he doesn't deserve the "C".
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<br />
<br />
<br />Tampa Bay Lightning
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzOMS58Ioc_UPcZiROrrCsxwvpFXKHPRqvIc7j3wtekg8nREZ-aGIkug-0oJ1R7EwnOJaGLAK_7_P9WvCtXlMd1DnhwZnhkrJfzEJ3k6JcJ9YcBkb9AZraFwcNPE_4s2k-RfxdIV6bfI/s1600/vincent-lecavalier.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzOMS58Ioc_UPcZiROrrCsxwvpFXKHPRqvIc7j3wtekg8nREZ-aGIkug-0oJ1R7EwnOJaGLAK_7_P9WvCtXlMd1DnhwZnhkrJfzEJ3k6JcJ9YcBkb9AZraFwcNPE_4s2k-RfxdIV6bfI/s320/vincent-lecavalier.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611017256756069506" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Vincent LeCavalier
<br />Player who should be Captain: Martin St. Louis
<br />
<br />This is probably more for the sake of argument than anything else. LeCavalier seems like a perfectly capable Captain. He leads, he raises his game up to the next level when he needs to, and plays a pretty clean game. It's hard not to love Martin St. Louis though. He's the ultimate underdog. Undrafted out of the University of Vermont, and extremely undersized, his tenacity and utter refusal to let his stature be a hindrance to his game is an inspiration to all who watch him. This is a truly tough call.
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<br />
<br />
<br />Carolina Hurricanes
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Sw0F5s4jKvB72oau2311IlCE2yB0X0fDPeN-5uIWgE4wAwOcly3z3YENQxYvZEx6G7fLdPB9hU8jqT1pe4ijz6fWkTNpEcBXEYh-ZIkbqaZPAqHn4d9KJVIa2f4OBuAdw0FtoPN7v1A/s1600/eric-staal-bat-boy.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Sw0F5s4jKvB72oau2311IlCE2yB0X0fDPeN-5uIWgE4wAwOcly3z3YENQxYvZEx6G7fLdPB9hU8jqT1pe4ijz6fWkTNpEcBXEYh-ZIkbqaZPAqHn4d9KJVIa2f4OBuAdw0FtoPN7v1A/s320/eric-staal-bat-boy.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611018171968186002" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Eric Staal
<br />Player who should be Captain: Eric Staal
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<br />There's not really anyone else it could be. Cam Ward? Meh.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Atlanta Thrashers/Manitoba Moose?
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppFF35trRAi8-E90vTs6TOOCsEdixQHB-xof-6rzVvyNxsBddSlJTIApnICMCgLpOrwnxJgWUz6HtE8fyqxq75uQZhQCg9vc6FKWhfT89qtuWcI1jYK0PUeMTwuT_Qe1dI2g_Dx5sz2o/s1600/Andrew+Ladd.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppFF35trRAi8-E90vTs6TOOCsEdixQHB-xof-6rzVvyNxsBddSlJTIApnICMCgLpOrwnxJgWUz6HtE8fyqxq75uQZhQCg9vc6FKWhfT89qtuWcI1jYK0PUeMTwuT_Qe1dI2g_Dx5sz2o/s320/Andrew+Ladd.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611020035958363986" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: Andrew Ladd
<br />Player who should be Captain: Andrew Ladd
<br />
<br />A case could be made for Dustin Byfuglien, but he's only been there a year. For the few Thrashers games that Pens fans get to watch in a year, eyes often fixate to Ladd. A very underrated player, Ladd looks as if he's always trying to hold back an avalanche. He knows the team around him sucks, but every shift, he strives for that not to be the case. Andrew, if you don't feel like moving your stuff the whole way to Manitoba, feel free to just set up camp here in Pittsburgh. I can hope, right?
<br />
<br />
<br />Florida Panthers:
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcI9QBGgAe2Z9ETqxhzV76Y6gmrmh_-twpVGy7-Wj_r8reaWTgWMY06I-ATUnOcMvTVQGNtbnp1d9RY1RoMUco65u0hPKkHaj7cp9u5GlUfblI0TWKSDeZ9RtdUL-BUflG9TKdBlSV_8/s1600/vacant.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcI9QBGgAe2Z9ETqxhzV76Y6gmrmh_-twpVGy7-Wj_r8reaWTgWMY06I-ATUnOcMvTVQGNtbnp1d9RY1RoMUco65u0hPKkHaj7cp9u5GlUfblI0TWKSDeZ9RtdUL-BUflG9TKdBlSV_8/s320/vacant.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611020838850852946" /></a>
<br />
<br />Captain: None
<br />Player who should be Captain: None
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<br />If you can even name three players on the Panthers, congratulations. So why should they even have a Captain? Management is making the right call here. Nobody cares about your team anyways, why put in the work of deciding on who should be Captain? Just go lay on the beach.
<br />
<br />On second thought, they should probably make Scott Clemmensen the captain just because of this:
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="303"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oX3AxfMNPKg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oX3AxfMNPKg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="303" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Refreshing.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-40637973320464937602011-05-25T09:12:00.009-04:002011-06-07T12:52:47.245-04:00Captain Obvious? Part 1 of a 6 Part EpicCaptain Obvious is a six part blog epic exploring all NHL captains, who deserves to be there, and who doesn't. Frankly, this is a result of my frustration towards the Pirates not scoring runs and my general disdain for Mike Richards. Since this is a Pittsburgh Blog, part 1 will focus on the Atlantic Division.<br /><br /><br />1. Pittsburgh Penguins<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ8wklO_ZYywwNFUxKtFC8YjtWrUgeBScVPdUJFc2SYY2x7y4p5kwYkjDeaDsu5mWfBnWZNBsoaypMyGlP3PaRrQAP8-0QNU-tCdjHGGZ9lcAng4_sWvK8ndTa2HRCudYpwz9-p0Q1Ok/s1600/crosby+pump.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQ8wklO_ZYywwNFUxKtFC8YjtWrUgeBScVPdUJFc2SYY2x7y4p5kwYkjDeaDsu5mWfBnWZNBsoaypMyGlP3PaRrQAP8-0QNU-tCdjHGGZ9lcAng4_sWvK8ndTa2HRCudYpwz9-p0Q1Ok/s320/crosby+pump.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610642323015176242" /></a><br /><br />Captain: Sidney Crosby<br />Player who should be Captain: Sidney Crosby<br /><br />This is pretty much a no-brainer. He's the best player in the NHL, and sets an example for the team on and off the ice. It was plainly apparent how much Crosby was missed during the stretch run of this past season. He's a guy who is able to elevate the game of everyone who laces up the skates with him. He's an all-world talent that has the mentality of a player who is just trying to make the squad. I could say more about him, but anything beyond this would be redundant and insulting to a Pens fan. Get better, Sid.<br /><br /><br />2. Philadelphia Flyers<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CtyFwUru-rl7TbJ19B3e69Vz0MtUuYusV1ASi-rrK7Jm7yR93MKtBu12JAmvMjIWyrQol7LXkh9EBQIeLqR1qG6NIsnE8_ycRzzv8NyhCphF6JqBKaBOBbZIaF5NYJ0HrWAyFcZ2X4M/s1600/mike+richards+gay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CtyFwUru-rl7TbJ19B3e69Vz0MtUuYusV1ASi-rrK7Jm7yR93MKtBu12JAmvMjIWyrQol7LXkh9EBQIeLqR1qG6NIsnE8_ycRzzv8NyhCphF6JqBKaBOBbZIaF5NYJ0HrWAyFcZ2X4M/s320/mike+richards+gay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610647126925892770" /></a><br /><br />Captain: Mike Richards<br />Player who should be Captain: Kimmo Timonen<br /><br />Trying to choose what Flyer should be Captain is like choosing what gun you want to be shot in the face with. No matter what, it sucks. Richards has become just like every other Flyer, dirty plays that don't get called, and mouthing off to the media. Next thing you know, he'll be banging Scott Hartnell's wife. As for Timonen, at this point in his career, he's deserving of a captaincy. He's been a stalwart on Philly's defensive front for a few years now, and has displayed a Brooks Orpik-like calm and cool on the ice. As is usually the case with Finnish players, Timonen is a classy guy, and seems like a great locker room personality as well. Timonen is without a doubt the least of all evils.<br /><br /><br />3. New Jersey Devils<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSURXAtDT2Q2IIeZYvald1DaeTG2ylKIZH3zdBbtnZ4UMYHj7mGCro6iK_vr175Xoqi4iWPZiuqjprajILEjYAXUWX3CTrENFb-4-BLcgScHxpoDk2hTnrKSc5_a67RT3Od9ByBML9xjY/s1600/vote_nobody.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSURXAtDT2Q2IIeZYvald1DaeTG2ylKIZH3zdBbtnZ4UMYHj7mGCro6iK_vr175Xoqi4iWPZiuqjprajILEjYAXUWX3CTrENFb-4-BLcgScHxpoDk2hTnrKSc5_a67RT3Od9ByBML9xjY/s320/vote_nobody.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610660323264386226" /></a><br /><br />Captain: Nobody<br />Player who should be Captain: Patrick Elias<br /><br />Beyond Marty Brodeur, no Devil is more recognizable than Patrick Elias. He's been a Devil since before I had pubes. Though he's 35, his productivity has shown no signs of slowing. Since the Captainship was vacated by the Jamie Langenbrunner trade this past year, Elias seems to me to be the logical choice.<br /><br /><br />4. New York Rangers<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcDg-7MwWwIj1Lphjnis1QWVtRn_2YdN8fxqQ5Oh4tjUOFeLcVC8LcdlVi_DG9WFZEN-j0L8MQlmjXoad7s1HAtfHOlGOZqHqHMg-3BfP6IZU4R2Q08EO4tHnSH2zKQbqnTfLcjaFz7I/s1600/drury_medium.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcDg-7MwWwIj1Lphjnis1QWVtRn_2YdN8fxqQ5Oh4tjUOFeLcVC8LcdlVi_DG9WFZEN-j0L8MQlmjXoad7s1HAtfHOlGOZqHqHMg-3BfP6IZU4R2Q08EO4tHnSH2zKQbqnTfLcjaFz7I/s320/drury_medium.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610662624839796706" /></a><br /><br />Captain: Chris Drury<br />Player who should be Captain: Chris Drury<br /><br />It's pretty hard to argue against Drury. The only player in league history to win both the Hobey Baker and the Calder Trophies, a three-time Olympian, and one of the few players in the leauge who have captained multiple teams. Drury hasn't always put up huge numbers throughout his career, but he's a tough, gritty player who will do whatever it takes to win. Once Drury retires, however, the Captain position should be assumed by Ryan Callahan. I still think the Rangers may have beaten the Caps if Callahan were healthy, but he was too busy laying his life down in front of a Zdeno Chara slapshot to try to get the Rangers into the playoffs. What a human.<br /><br /><br />5. New York Islanders<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrtJLbWqnWsHX4uHWfxniIcsl4mCyFinUuXkhA1GWhl45kuJlIb1_atIRhQ0rznSg52IFsmG0POQNHWyLTDHQryAH7dzdCNRbUix6RfYNpxEwhSkW8Lb_iw8zaYIJN1SDnTOLJjSg5vY/s1600/nhl_g_weight_300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrtJLbWqnWsHX4uHWfxniIcsl4mCyFinUuXkhA1GWhl45kuJlIb1_atIRhQ0rznSg52IFsmG0POQNHWyLTDHQryAH7dzdCNRbUix6RfYNpxEwhSkW8Lb_iw8zaYIJN1SDnTOLJjSg5vY/s320/nhl_g_weight_300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610666729625386322" /></a><br /><br />Captain: Doug Weight (kind of)<br />Player who should be Captain: Mark Streit<br /><br />Weight would be my Captain choice, but since he retired, that sort of takes him out of the running. Truly, the only logical choice behind him is D-man Mark Streit. Injured for most of this season, Pens fans know about Streit because he's really the only Islander we give a shit about. He's Swiss, which is awesome (also captains the Swiss National team), he can actually play defenseman or forward, a rarity in the NHL. The Islanders clearly missed his leadership this season, as they made a habit of going bat shit crazy during games. <br /><br />Plus I'm not sure they could give the Captain tag to Trevor Gilles. Woof.<br /><br /><br />Part 2 coming soon.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-64759879508153085072011-05-16T09:26:00.005-04:002011-06-07T12:53:03.503-04:00The Milwaukee Brewers are the Bane of my Existence<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vGV6IM_xBgMagdHFKS-ZRIf3iZZfOSCdEbbD9payz-wt9iInro5ClX2Eje1FUPKfg_1Zl2c0s8HbiL9rzcqtMIdra5w5OavKKOr26QxMa6hX8G8Gz3mPE5J4vd-1onnn9IC1FqumM0A/s1600/pirates+brewers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vGV6IM_xBgMagdHFKS-ZRIf3iZZfOSCdEbbD9payz-wt9iInro5ClX2Eje1FUPKfg_1Zl2c0s8HbiL9rzcqtMIdra5w5OavKKOr26QxMa6hX8G8Gz3mPE5J4vd-1onnn9IC1FqumM0A/s320/pirates+brewers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607305470777705538" /></a>
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<br />I honestly have no clue why we can't beat this team. No clue at all. We're something like 3-33 in our last few years at Miller Park. Milwaukee is apparently where my dreams go to die. This is what a Buffalo Bills fan would have felt in the 90s if they had to play the Cowboys every game. The Brewers aren't even that good. Prince Fielder is so big now it looks like he swallowed his dad (Note: if you're under 20, google Cecil Fielder). Ryan Braun only shows up for Pirates games, and then goes home to have a bug-eyed staring contest with Brooks Orpik.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW8jA0U6G0tlrqlyKiBzow3ImPjVXHHj6PIBKtSiJ1BeJWhcKfLgSzfZQ1FiNEZKdyX0Iv0zvJSHSknVctI_xobzETfiEC6mGTMVV1yPWgmZEeopcMxxZwjul9clG0Q-d01B103xSZYc/s1600/braun+bug+eyes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW8jA0U6G0tlrqlyKiBzow3ImPjVXHHj6PIBKtSiJ1BeJWhcKfLgSzfZQ1FiNEZKdyX0Iv0zvJSHSknVctI_xobzETfiEC6mGTMVV1yPWgmZEeopcMxxZwjul9clG0Q-d01B103xSZYc/s320/braun+bug+eyes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607307298564953762" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzgMVwelTso1SX2XijWXzoBxEm4AryfaF9ANDN7abtAmATD7yEhmqLhem03_9uf8h6UR75d1rOtMC5F9vDkupfq-bSzSgMRQJBt4epCU6eKokUnZiQjWDfogQFZWQipnXmQ2WrrC5XVI/s1600/orpik+bug+eyes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzgMVwelTso1SX2XijWXzoBxEm4AryfaF9ANDN7abtAmATD7yEhmqLhem03_9uf8h6UR75d1rOtMC5F9vDkupfq-bSzSgMRQJBt4epCU6eKokUnZiQjWDfogQFZWQipnXmQ2WrrC5XVI/s320/orpik+bug+eyes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607307297827125506" /></a>
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<br />I seriously hate the Brewers so badly.
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<br />This made me feel better though.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="303"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X7B4gic1-qU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X7B4gic1-qU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="303" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Go ahead and take a few minutes to digest how awesome that was. I have no idea how he finds pants to fit over his giant cojones. This guy actually made it out of the stadium, but was caught soon thereafter. And here I thought James Harrison spearing a Browns fan was the greatest consequence of any on-field dash. Guess I was wrong. Happy Monday all.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-11685296510411724162011-05-11T11:14:00.001-04:002011-06-07T12:53:16.254-04:00Pirates Keep on Truckin, Pittsburgh Loses a Legend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlBdAI7yQYgnh-qIewx91AND5dWVmFvW8VxH2YWU7zdtQrDe2ypOepKhEtMGb1FcfHlH4UFvOUOgXbsUXamvHtlgDrAAMnTk5QPRK64cSHJZmAV0Nfz0_HBAqTtHSz0sx7e2e9O8_JXw/s1600/kenny+geidel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlBdAI7yQYgnh-qIewx91AND5dWVmFvW8VxH2YWU7zdtQrDe2ypOepKhEtMGb1FcfHlH4UFvOUOgXbsUXamvHtlgDrAAMnTk5QPRK64cSHJZmAV0Nfz0_HBAqTtHSz0sx7e2e9O8_JXw/s320/kenny+geidel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605477983704810690" /></a><br /><br />You know you live in a special city when the loss of a vendor is front page news. But long-time Pirates/Steelers/Penguins vendor Kenny Geidel was no ordinary stadium employee. Anyone who has been to a sporting event in Pittsburgh in the past 30 years knew Kenny. A shrill, throaty "Cotton Candy Heeee!" became as much of a tradition as the national anthem, and at times more melodic. He was the embodiment of our sports teams and our city, approaching his job with a tenacious work ethic and unbreakable spirit. <br /><br />The grass will still be green and the ice will still be pure, but a small part of the Pittsburgh sports experience is lost forever. We'll miss you, Kenny.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw0e4WnV4ppsxhUaVKePLvPoamDl8I3m-jGXtzybklfeLNm6R8eBh0c3SZpmkn2Shmw8Wunn5eO2tziuBuGApeVNucf4ATRUKFR-41xuuFQMglsyRF84R7Ong8ZxgUQoVXNGvqxV3TBQ/s1600/pirates+hands+in.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw0e4WnV4ppsxhUaVKePLvPoamDl8I3m-jGXtzybklfeLNm6R8eBh0c3SZpmkn2Shmw8Wunn5eO2tziuBuGApeVNucf4ATRUKFR-41xuuFQMglsyRF84R7Ong8ZxgUQoVXNGvqxV3TBQ/s320/pirates+hands+in.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605483391362660642" /></a><br /><br />To the business of baseball:<br /><br />18-18. Basically the exact definition of mediocre. But for Pirate fans, this is as good as we've had it for a while. And here's the kicker: it seems as if we have nowhere to go but up. The Pirates are in every game, and are managing to pull out wins when their young star offensive players are putting up numbers like this:<br /><br />Andrew McCutchen- .242 BA, 7 HR, 19 RBI<br />Jose Tabata- .226 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBI<br />Pedro Alvarez- .202 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI<br /><br />If someone would have said to me in March that the Pirates would be at .500 in May with Andrew McCutchen batting under .250, I'd have kicked them in the groin for being so dumb. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMb912XDkJuiLw-Ivnz8DMSl4bkPu1jD7vPLw-amYF0oogbsDHh8vly1palK-d4qL6hkSA_l2KvFn-LoYEt6-jhIdQUC-DOoJurJJS81Q7bY6G5KzJnRbtzao_Vu3AXNtDY82odoCl5s/s1600/kevin+correia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMb912XDkJuiLw-Ivnz8DMSl4bkPu1jD7vPLw-amYF0oogbsDHh8vly1palK-d4qL6hkSA_l2KvFn-LoYEt6-jhIdQUC-DOoJurJJS81Q7bY6G5KzJnRbtzao_Vu3AXNtDY82odoCl5s/s320/kevin+correia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605486310151630962" /></a><br /><br />Truly, the surprise of the season to this point has been the starting pitching. The Pirates boast four current starters with ERA's in the three's. Consider that in 2010, the Pirates didn't even have one starter (at least 15 games started) below four. Coupling consistent starting pitching with a solid bullpen (currently minus the young set up man, Evan Meek) is going to keep you in games. If the Pirates can keep getting this type of pitching performance and get their young hitters on track, they all of a sudden become a division contender.<br /><br />Dear Lord, did I just type that? A division contender? The numbers back me up here. In 2010, in the largest division in baseball, there were only two winning teams. 2009 was the same story. The Pirates are currently 9-6 within the division. If they can continue to beat the teams below them (Milwaukee-a HUGE if-, Houston and Chicago), while occasionally stealing a series with St. Louis or Cincinnati, then it's not a preposterous thought.<br /><br />A guy can dream, right?<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-61007741272839524222011-05-04T08:42:00.007-04:002011-06-07T12:53:46.778-04:00"Real Caps Fans Should Hope to get Swept"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpTyhnowL4n8mxYC6eKRBbFx1yUFBuuK9dLBRFoD6DWZYjbjeGHKzlZ3IccQZsVBa6XPMgP1YZdzLhrN_Ei_hLPgqFlaqXegN_PFyd2AVtxpnt-sO6z3-VU20Hw6TmWnFWpEk1AXa9_g/s1600/Capitals%2BHockey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpTyhnowL4n8mxYC6eKRBbFx1yUFBuuK9dLBRFoD6DWZYjbjeGHKzlZ3IccQZsVBa6XPMgP1YZdzLhrN_Ei_hLPgqFlaqXegN_PFyd2AVtxpnt-sO6z3-VU20Hw6TmWnFWpEk1AXa9_g/s320/Capitals%2BHockey.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602842693819059586" /></a>
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<br />I can't even explain how much I love the Washington Capitals message board. There's no better tonic to help you forget about the pain of the Pens losing in the first round of the playoffs. So as I'm going through my time-tested ritual of perusing the Caps boards after another painful playoff loss, I come across this gem of a headline:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgkrH_i9dqQdcTInj8vJuqFKuACHUdfHuKo3hvb3R4yrHZWuHlIKnUrelK5w2rg4Yes0PhLCTcnx36ezJFkxBL0JwjeBOsS6o_J2x1y05ZCmxb2n0j7s3C1AyxGkDbCK44ZZv7EJ85dw/s1600/capsfangetty.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgkrH_i9dqQdcTInj8vJuqFKuACHUdfHuKo3hvb3R4yrHZWuHlIKnUrelK5w2rg4Yes0PhLCTcnx36ezJFkxBL0JwjeBOsS6o_J2x1y05ZCmxb2n0j7s3C1AyxGkDbCK44ZZv7EJ85dw/s320/capsfangetty.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602843215362787234" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"Real Caps Fans Should Hope to get Swept"</span>
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<br />My first thought was, "OK, they just lost, people are talking irrationally, and this is probably just some drunk who everyone will rail against." Aha, I overestimated Caps fans once again. Here are some of the responses:
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<br />"100% AGREE! I am going to be angry if I have to watch this sorry team play anymore after tomorrow night. I think the players don't like (or at least have absolutely no respect) for BB so we may see, and I hope we do, a collective F-U Bruce collapse tomorrow night."
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<br />"Well we definitely need a new coach. Getting swept might do that for us. I actually like watching TB play, so they'll be fun to cheer for next round."
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<br />"I think when Tampa Bay scores first,they'll roll over. "
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<br />"I agree wholeheartedly"
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<br />Those are pretty much Caps fans in a nutshell. They even have an "Official Fire Bruce Boudreau Petition" that has 90 replies. Sometimes I can't even believe there are any Caps fans left, because most of them appear to want to lie down in the middle of the Beltway during rush hour. Truly, that's how the players looked after last night's game as well. Every game that Tampa Bay wins further validates the Penguins season. At least we put up a fight. When the Caps had to make a play, they folded in a major way.
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<br />Even after the game, things got even better, with Bruce Boudreau throwing players and refs under the bus so quickly that you'd think that they were keeping him from getting to a Dunkin Donuts.
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<br /><a href="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=112842&catid=-6">Bruce Boudreau being a a fat whiny douche.</a>
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<br />Unbelievable stuff. Especially that he calls out Eric Fehr by name. I've watched this series, and Fehr has been one of the most impressive Caps. He gives it his all on every shift, a fact that Pens fans learned during the Winter Classic. Boudreau even has the gall to call out the refs for his Too Many Men penalty while they were on the power play in the first, negating a Caps goal.
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<br />NEWS FLASH: If you have six guys on the ice, YOU HAVE TOO MANY MEN.
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<br />After this, Boudreau casts even more blame on the refs, saying that Malone's game-winning goal shouldn't have counted because Malone's stick hits Neuvirth's pad.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="303"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IfsPiSCbgXA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IfsPiSCbgXA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="303" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />If you stop the video at 0:50, you can see that D-Man John Carlson's skate is colliding with Neuvirth's pad at a far greater velocity that Ryan Malone's stick. In fact, before the puck even goes in the net, Malone's stick is completely off Neuvirth, as Carlson's skate continues to push him away from the puck. Boudreau is a ridiculous joke of a coach.
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<br />Can't wait to see how the "Real Caps Fans" show up in Game 4.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh233AuNCNBZtTqHnAW-x_E5hK1dxYqvQ8AzUNwJsYW41Ew0rXiMQ92c5mKkVrSRNB2yipuvmDNy6U-M-OCll6NgYGMHqY0GOSTCTHJYbXd5RTyo4BrfjcbNKf9Mfl_I-U6aMKcA0TCtzM/s1600/semin+lover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh233AuNCNBZtTqHnAW-x_E5hK1dxYqvQ8AzUNwJsYW41Ew0rXiMQ92c5mKkVrSRNB2yipuvmDNy6U-M-OCll6NgYGMHqY0GOSTCTHJYbXd5RTyo4BrfjcbNKf9Mfl_I-U6aMKcA0TCtzM/s320/semin+lover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602856538497981554" /></a>
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>
<br />Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-41978681717776364112011-05-03T09:02:00.004-04:002011-06-07T12:54:05.513-04:00Why all the fuss over Rashard Mendenhall?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXvPkHnDozR2kHtG_f7NV0YJfvfrWHiXM_GbQwzfAe-p-GuQGf86SP8i82tEs0bJ-DegYQvbHgBYX-vushomZClTVRy9S8tCrahBOkas-wxHmdI4EjuzaELQuDF_GtS_6gFZYATw8Vh0/s1600/mendenhall+super+bowl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXvPkHnDozR2kHtG_f7NV0YJfvfrWHiXM_GbQwzfAe-p-GuQGf86SP8i82tEs0bJ-DegYQvbHgBYX-vushomZClTVRy9S8tCrahBOkas-wxHmdI4EjuzaELQuDF_GtS_6gFZYATw8Vh0/s320/mendenhall+super+bowl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602536224233691906" /></a><br /><br />The increasingly controversial Steelers Running Back Rashard Mendenhall took to Twitter yesterday to espouse his views on the death of Osama bin Laden. Needless to say, his thoughts were really not a majority position.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0Hkz-WlYGkSuStHI9j8m0IogfeN_1DLeT7HesodWegU0N6RAG7r2L2pDmAgKrUCgUtmaErAzsLBVLYGocduN4kr059EpmYtaFvHN6upKOq7c22f9X8MCtCzKJb-jA0404nxDNlHN42g/s1600/mendenhall-tweet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0Hkz-WlYGkSuStHI9j8m0IogfeN_1DLeT7HesodWegU0N6RAG7r2L2pDmAgKrUCgUtmaErAzsLBVLYGocduN4kr059EpmYtaFvHN6upKOq7c22f9X8MCtCzKJb-jA0404nxDNlHN42g/s320/mendenhall-tweet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602493755734693682" /></a><br /><br />His other tweets included:<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"I believe in God. I believe we're ALL his children. And I believe HE is the ONE and ONLY judge."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">"For those of you who said you want to see Bin Laden burn in hell and piss on his ashes, I ask how would God feel about your heart?"</span><br /><br /><br />So basically, we learn that Mendenhall is a 9/11 truther and likely a devout Christian. The explosive reaction to these tweets was alarming to me for a few reasons.<br /><br />1) People putting words in Mendenhall's mouth.<br /><br />Let's use Will DePaoli over at The Insider on Pittsburgh Sports as an example. His headline read, "Controversial Comments? Rashard Mendenhall Speaks Favorably of Osama Bin Laden, Questions People Celebrating his Death". First off, at NO POINT does Mendenhall speak "favorably" of bin Laden. He simply says that he's not sure he believes the picture that the American government has painted of him as the mastermind of 9/11. DePaoli might as well have put a turban on Mendenhall's head, which is of course ridiculous. To imply that he is supporting terrorists is preposterous.<br /><br /><br />2) Mendenhall being painted as unpatriotic.<br /><br />Again, completely ridiculous. Just because someone questions a majority position doesn't make them unpatriotic. In fact, quite the opposite. This country was built on questioning the status quo and searching for our own personal truths. First amendment, baby. Mendenhall is free to say and feel however he wants to. He is simply exercising his right as an American.<br /><br /><br />3) 9/11 "truthers" are hardly a fringe group.<br /><br />This is a group of people that include Ralph Nader, former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, a significant number of WTC/Pentagon survivors (most famously William Rodriguez, who was a WTC janitor who was in the basement and claimed there were explosions in the basement and lobby before any plane hit), former CIA vets, a group of nearly 1500 architects, and many more. These are not "bin Laden supporters", but rather, people that simply want answers to some of their questions. According to a Scripps-Howard poll, nearly 1/3 of all Americans believe the way that Mendenhall does, that either 9/11 was an inside job, or that at the very least, the government knew of the attacks, and did nothing to stop it. People who categorize this group as lunatics simply refuse to acknowledge their true aim; to figure out ALL of the answers behind their concerns.<br /><br /><br />I'm not saying that I agree with Mendenhall's beliefs. On a personal note, I'm very conflicted as to what I think happened on 9/11. When two groups often rail against each other from wildly conflicting viewpoints, the truth usually happens to be somewhere in the middle. That's how I feel about 9/11. The government explains a lot, and to assume a governmental conspiracy is to assume that the government is hyper-competent, which most of us would say it isn't. However, the 9/11 conspiracy theorists do ask legitimate questions.<br /><br />Regardless, chastising Mendenhall and aligning him with terrorists is not only unethical, but extraordinarily ignorant. Does Joe Schmo on Twitter know any more than Rashard Mendenhall about 9/11? No. So why the hate for someone who simply has a difference of opinion? I don't use social media to denigrate people who like chocolate ice cream just because I like vanilla. Really, what's the difference?<br /><br />As American citizens, we owe it to each other to respect different thoughts and beliefs. We should respect Mendenhall's and he should respect ours. And in the light of intellectualism and free speech, we shouldn't ridicule his thoughts, but rather use his thoughts to re-examine our own and to continually challenge each other. By acknowledging our different beliefs, we can reinforce what we know and what we don't, and continue to strive forward in pursuit of the unknown.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-32773596961984245802011-04-29T11:53:00.013-04:002011-06-07T12:54:25.320-04:002011: A Cursed Year in Pittsburgh SportsCall it what you will. 2011 has been an extraordinarily painful time to be a fan in Pittsburgh. Shall we start at the beginning?
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<br />It's December of 2010, and we are drunk with happiness. The Penguins hadn't lost a game in a month and the Steelers were unexpectedly rolling towards a playoff berth after a tumultuous offseason. HBO was in town filming 24/7 in preparation for the Winter Classic. It was pretty much sunshine and kittens at that point.
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<br />And then the ball dropped.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6ZxtfF0HATYv2gyl-YBf-IOL2_CSiun2FPhsQ1QyVjBr_OOeUdomT5hbIJ0Mp1WCgehMEsrA-b4KzeBWJbAvRiN8ZLGsQSkp385vNSo_PECTsP2cSeWxu9v-obJ9TAdVgvCan6NRW7s/s1600/times+square.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6ZxtfF0HATYv2gyl-YBf-IOL2_CSiun2FPhsQ1QyVjBr_OOeUdomT5hbIJ0Mp1WCgehMEsrA-b4KzeBWJbAvRiN8ZLGsQSkp385vNSo_PECTsP2cSeWxu9v-obJ9TAdVgvCan6NRW7s/s320/times+square.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601036415009105938" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Go to hell, Times Square.</span>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jan 1, 2011:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br />On National Hangover Day, the Penguins played host to the Crapitals at Heinz Field in the Winter Classic. The atmosphere was incredible and the stage was set for a hallowed chapter in Penguins history. Little did we know.
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8cQxJvgeJA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8cQxJvgeJA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBemIBHi74jUJXcyBzOSkPnqvNjlRKcEZ6VGh1bi3vJ4_uBBOCTSYMcTvFNBm1_udIjvN8OMlUDWvR-e8wnUu2MScdiB98S0djfjDb-j0vUuLD1qU6m2TQjVF0xjLZiK2UmswtNOJwnJw/s1600/crosby+steckel+ouch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBemIBHi74jUJXcyBzOSkPnqvNjlRKcEZ6VGh1bi3vJ4_uBBOCTSYMcTvFNBm1_udIjvN8OMlUDWvR-e8wnUu2MScdiB98S0djfjDb-j0vUuLD1qU6m2TQjVF0xjLZiK2UmswtNOJwnJw/s320/crosby+steckel+ouch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601038560604099442" /></a>
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<br />I'm normally not one for drama or superfluous adjectives, but this is a seminal moment in Penguins history. This hit, coupled with Victor Hedman's less vicious shot several days later, left Crosby on the sidelines for the rest of the season. Yes, Crosby has skated with teammates, run through some drills and flashed his omnipresent smile. But the fact remains that since the Hedman hit, nobody has laid a hand on him. The Penguins have been all but mum on Crosby developments. The smart money says Crosby will get healthy and back to normal over this extended summer, but it's not something that's given at this point. Penguins fans may have to face the fact that Crosby may not be the same. Is it likely? No. But it's certainly not impossible.
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<br />Oh yeah, the Pens lost the game too.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">February 4th, 2011:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoNqinJA54x6v8vHIddbDtmb41b4OxzUqcIvso43YH7d3Ci4AgzMy6L-fvz1PyIaN6MzrUbwYD8yOeypg05i-4rb1ZO6lp0Bd318AUB8EE7l-33nj56SNWiafOLePQr3UK8vftx9zVBY/s1600/malkin+hurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoNqinJA54x6v8vHIddbDtmb41b4OxzUqcIvso43YH7d3Ci4AgzMy6L-fvz1PyIaN6MzrUbwYD8yOeypg05i-4rb1ZO6lp0Bd318AUB8EE7l-33nj56SNWiafOLePQr3UK8vftx9zVBY/s320/malkin+hurt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601042052243970658" /></a>
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<br />In a 3-2 comeback win over Buffalo, the Pens suffered another freak accident when Andre the Giant...I mean, Tyler Myers fell awkwardly on Evgeni Malkin's knee, tearing his ACL. Even then, we really had no idea how long the Penguins would have to go without the services of both Crosby and Malkin. This is the point where the Crosby Watch truly gained steam.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">February 6th, 2011:</span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0swSHfAjLK5GIl8PkmELaAF99JDeBQVg2kW0-HGtNU570NaJ-FIuHjeL9WeEsx-H4CwcYEfC6acb3wSxlCUEtK9KAtIknYhtupof0wQztOqKx45lSuCBi8lAlVEtzpCIPBryOsWuycxs/s1600/ben+sack+super+bowl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 318px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0swSHfAjLK5GIl8PkmELaAF99JDeBQVg2kW0-HGtNU570NaJ-FIuHjeL9WeEsx-H4CwcYEfC6acb3wSxlCUEtK9KAtIknYhtupof0wQztOqKx45lSuCBi8lAlVEtzpCIPBryOsWuycxs/s320/ben+sack+super+bowl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601045481657762738" /></a>
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<br />Watching the Steelers lose Super Bowl XLV was like getting head-butted in the balls by Zinedine Zidane. The Steelers were outplayed and outcoached from the start. Hell, the Packers lost half their secondary in that game and still beat us. Truly, it wasn't as close as the score would indicate. No excuses on this one. Green Bay deserved that win.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">February 11th, 2011:</span>
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/puMana_bq1o?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/puMana_bq1o?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a>
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<br />If I were Dan Bylsma, I would have shown the team this video before Game 7. This was nothing but childish retaliation for the Brent Johnson/Rick Dipietro fight the week prior (which is really the best thing to happen sports-wise this year). Just despicable the whole way around. Trevor Gillies turned into a household name, and were it not for Max Talbot's keen eye, Matt Martin would have been just as vilified. This wasn't a hockey game, it was a street fight. Hands down the low of the entire season in the NHL.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">March 19, 2011<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBQXuUq4wQ-6egUaB0k7X5v-ZSv0MMY8m6rczAu2OZPGSre2cMXhgbiX5_UUnJWDE27wuwHdp4X4-qtSwTgfU4zHJPAbJh_dm4ihIj95b0h6aMWIcdmCN1cmSDq3WJ5KkgcYkr26XNm4/s1600/butler-pitt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdBQXuUq4wQ-6egUaB0k7X5v-ZSv0MMY8m6rczAu2OZPGSre2cMXhgbiX5_UUnJWDE27wuwHdp4X4-qtSwTgfU4zHJPAbJh_dm4ihIj95b0h6aMWIcdmCN1cmSDq3WJ5KkgcYkr26XNm4/s320/butler-pitt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601090128210754386" /></a>
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<br />In one of the most bizarre endings in tournament history, #1 seed Pitt was ousted by #8 Butler. With slightly over two seconds left, and Pitt up 69-68, Butler's Andrew Smith made an easy layup off a great pass from Shawn Vanzant. Game over, right? Wrong. In a completely mindless play, Butler's Shelvin Mack dogged Gilbert Brown around midcourt, eventually fouling Brown with 1.4 seconds left. Butler's fanbase collectively poop themselves. Brown makes the first free throw (after some back and forth chat with Mack), tying the game at 70 all. The next sequence would etch itself into Pitt's ignominious basketball history.
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<br />Brown shoots. Off the rim.
<br />Butler's Matt Howard rebounds
<br />Nasir Robinson's left arm.
<br />Howard sinks a free throw to win.
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<br />I'm one of the few Pittsburghers who will defend Robinson here. First of all, it's a high pressure situation, and Robinson wants to win the game. He wanted that rebound badly. His crime was one of passion, and while it's staggering, it is defensible. Robinson took the blame after the loss, but it certainly wasn't deserved. Pitt squandered opportunities all game long. Regardless, it stands as one of the most painful losses in the program's history.
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<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 2011:<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajiVzgEMUA_mWzSii-0cx4JxtvbKB6u0hGr5PzRMfwFBA-gZFxlF9fe3bs9S11taZjzp9jLq_Oil904nub0e-nLn7VAwjex17WW6UxGUd5YH6THaeq3Fogr3jFF6-Sur2SxeGXNYQLk0/s1600/stupid+series+loss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajiVzgEMUA_mWzSii-0cx4JxtvbKB6u0hGr5PzRMfwFBA-gZFxlF9fe3bs9S11taZjzp9jLq_Oil904nub0e-nLn7VAwjex17WW6UxGUd5YH6THaeq3Fogr3jFF6-Sur2SxeGXNYQLk0/s320/stupid+series+loss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601095444758916818" /></a>
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<br />This Bolts-Pens series was just so tough to swallow. A week prior to the Game 7 loss, the Pens were flying high after James Neal's Double OT winner to put the Pens up 3-1 in the series. Most thought the Lightning would fold, and the Pens would be 2nd round bound. Not so fast. Tampa's third line (including new enemy Sean Bergenheim) took over the series, and Dwayne Roloson did what he had to do.
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<br />The whole thing culminated in one last flurry of action in Game 7s waning seconds. The season died where it was born; the choppy ice of Consol Energy Center, surrounded by a winded but hopeful Pens faithful, anxious for another day.
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<br />
<br />So where is this all leading? One would ask (and rightfully so) if things could get any worse. That question is always dangerous because the answer will always be yes.
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<br />But we're Pittsburgh; we face the present with steely resolve, and the future with cautious optimism.
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<br />Because really, could things get any worse?
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-54220634585125953912011-04-29T09:30:00.004-04:002011-06-07T12:54:37.448-04:00Come on up to Pittsburgh, Little Ironhead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz6XIuPHYTDfHOrhfMV-qBSXQFcc9pA1v2F6_lG-e3rJNHq7zS9HV5tcf8jk_iV86gy1V6Z9TKhUqXcckums2Lszr6IDlqgSXm8JipsIs3oDypVl0-59csLf1EqFnSni8YlzJgIbZwn4/s1600/cameron_heyward+osu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz6XIuPHYTDfHOrhfMV-qBSXQFcc9pA1v2F6_lG-e3rJNHq7zS9HV5tcf8jk_iV86gy1V6Z9TKhUqXcckums2Lszr6IDlqgSXm8JipsIs3oDypVl0-59csLf1EqFnSni8YlzJgIbZwn4/s320/cameron_heyward+osu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601001775290985458" /></a><br /><br />The Falcons had former Pitt Panther Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, and now the Steelers have his boy, Cameron (well, i guess he's a "Steelhead") Heyward. Truly, I didn't think he would be around for the Steelers to take at 31, but in typical draft fashion, a few guys always fall. Congrats to the Steelers, the Heyward family, and Cameron's late father Craig.<br /><br />So what are we going to get out of this Ohio State DE?<br /><br />Heyward is about 6'5", 290lbs, but has the agility of a much lighter player. He's very quick off the ball, and is a well-conditioned, high-motor player. He's ideal for the Steelers 3-4 system, as he is a solid run stopper as well a pass rusher. Given the Steelers age at the defensive end position, he's a very logical choice, without a standout O-lineman or corner on the board. <br /><br />This is also a pick for the Steelers of old. In the recent past, the Steelers have strayed from their "character" picks, with such high-profile problem children as Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes. Heyward was a good scholar-athlete (he's already graduated from OSU), and from the looks of it, is a great character player. <br /><br />Welcome (back) to Pittsburgh, Cameron.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-89952801623446846042011-04-28T08:20:00.008-04:002011-06-07T12:55:32.787-04:00Stairway to a Game 7 exit. Tampa moves on.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy9TWTW4jZGN73wqh_XbLIm0gLFSh0hxK8aP42K51x6gWCk9syrLTMBpWuhoVPsu5dabCqRI1RHmYaBoWGakUwRkeBFdNSm_BOr61L2kJxFH7ugvO93wJHCVr6i2QJv2R4J1FBHWUfCk/s1600/pens+lose+to+tampa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy9TWTW4jZGN73wqh_XbLIm0gLFSh0hxK8aP42K51x6gWCk9syrLTMBpWuhoVPsu5dabCqRI1RHmYaBoWGakUwRkeBFdNSm_BOr61L2kJxFH7ugvO93wJHCVr6i2QJv2R4J1FBHWUfCk/s320/pens+lose+to+tampa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600609350425238242" /></a><br /><br />It ended the way it should have. The power play. The bane of the Pens fans existence for the past four months. Remember when we whined about how Mike Yeo ran the PP? If only we knew. <br /><br />If you're looking for a scapegoat, the reason as to why there's no round two for us, it's the power play. We ended the series about 1-100000 on the PP. Very little flow. I could also jab Bylsma for playing Kovalev over Tangradi, but that seems a bit useless at this point.<br /><br />Three Stars of the Series for the Penguins:<br /><br />3. Arron Asham<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uQRtxa0PDIWPiD732BzhNibpyimOnY_pldjPJ3RcthWZABkN6k80RM9n-vpAwwGyrm4LCJYVQw70ZLfXnTZfpBcx-Qv3zdeBQgiaV6emqekf1GXdSofL0HPsppII8ADwZcCEGkyAS_k/s1600/asham.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uQRtxa0PDIWPiD732BzhNibpyimOnY_pldjPJ3RcthWZABkN6k80RM9n-vpAwwGyrm4LCJYVQw70ZLfXnTZfpBcx-Qv3zdeBQgiaV6emqekf1GXdSofL0HPsppII8ADwZcCEGkyAS_k/s320/asham.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600612450917469250" /></a><br /><br />Given his playoff pedigree, maybe we should have expected this from Asham. Big time goals, and he was a physical presence throughout the series. He (likely) won't be back next year, but let us not forget his contributions.<br /><br /><br />2. Craig Adams/Max Talbot<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczKeuPJOplFTSv4_Q4hatPYzoR-PK5ug7EFpQNgZuxuOV6WZ1gKZzb2jpYWjD1K7FxLBP1eKsa4_I6OWsg4XlPSjOM8USnZILHbUi25anvQZQxCilvT7lsxxkk8mW-kU4Pg7qtVxRDMQ/s1600/adams+talbot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczKeuPJOplFTSv4_Q4hatPYzoR-PK5ug7EFpQNgZuxuOV6WZ1gKZzb2jpYWjD1K7FxLBP1eKsa4_I6OWsg4XlPSjOM8USnZILHbUi25anvQZQxCilvT7lsxxkk8mW-kU4Pg7qtVxRDMQ/s320/adams+talbot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600614077030686754" /></a><br /><br />It was impossible to choose between these two. Max Talbot was his old playoff self. There were no Game 7 SCF heroics, but he played an admirable series. It was as if he knew every shift may be his last as a Penguin. If he goes elsewhere in the offseason, this city is forever indebted to Max, and we'll love him no matter what.<br /><br />Craig Adams. I don't even know where to start with this guy. If I were a hockey player, I'd want to mirror my game off of Craig Adams. He does everything the right way, and will lay down his life for his teammates. There's a reason that Adams has a couple of Stanley Cup rings. He's a winner through and through.<br /><br /><br />1. Marc-Andre Fleury<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAag-TrF-LDn74RuBQTfow5PzVMdGS8xGszMKxCxworADmxLcoRPKMmngtn5a-6VOtRU8gK5dkD9Ie1UY80FpE0iyZQDpE3z7jtB4MNVXL-7Bb45CUi8dUoxzJ_9jJMLnGWRenHJ_WeI/s1600/fleury+kubina.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAag-TrF-LDn74RuBQTfow5PzVMdGS8xGszMKxCxworADmxLcoRPKMmngtn5a-6VOtRU8gK5dkD9Ie1UY80FpE0iyZQDpE3z7jtB4MNVXL-7Bb45CUi8dUoxzJ_9jJMLnGWRenHJ_WeI/s320/fleury+kubina.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600615799888930466" /></a><br /><br />He was our rock all season long, and he played well enough to win Game 7. Period.<br /><br /><br />Honorable mention: Jordan Staal, Mike Rupp<br /><br /><br />CEC was pure bedlam last night. But if you're the drunk who stood behind me last night yelling "Hit him!" every time a Bolt touched the puck, stop coming to games. Seriously.<br /><br />Sure, it didn't end the way we wanted. We'll be depressed for a while, but eventually shrug it off and start going to Pirate games. But the truth be told, there was a certain beauty in the way Game 7 played out. People always say that sports are a distraction from everyday life, but that's not the case. Sports are a visual representation of it. When it comes down to it, we've all been exactly where the Penguins were last night: trying and trying, but failing and failing. After all, life is just a test that we all inevitably fail, whether by our minds or by our bodies. There's no shame in losing. Things like this are seldom a pleasant journey, but always an important one. Just as we learn from our mistakes and shortcomings, they learn from theirs. And just like us, they will have new opportunities and new stories, just waiting to be written.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3J_6WfO7w2pTuAcq1Mjk6z4dy7jI77vdclMUuU1a8aVlDK4d9nwS5r66UMH0E0uBL1cS8Q6i63uE6e5TM95hkx-jfMkvRT_exYfkzoVTMHoh1qa3kVKeXQafUiYiX9LGCNHWlmlxuig/s1600/penguins+salute.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3J_6WfO7w2pTuAcq1Mjk6z4dy7jI77vdclMUuU1a8aVlDK4d9nwS5r66UMH0E0uBL1cS8Q6i63uE6e5TM95hkx-jfMkvRT_exYfkzoVTMHoh1qa3kVKeXQafUiYiX9LGCNHWlmlxuig/s320/penguins+salute.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600619440233604386" /></a><br /><br />Let's go Pens.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-33882842330520845952011-04-26T08:37:00.006-04:002011-06-07T12:55:59.949-04:00A New Day: Go out and get it in Game 7EDIT: Just got my Game 7 tickets. I'm filing this under INdisposable income. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_-ChWZRElJ3Oub62n4Bin3BLfE9OgTSwZt7tBEkvzLN6cNhRbW63n0JZEBG3-2WuFY24ShrBZVbzHk4rW5nFGARRgOuzl6DK7zXvDHlOptpkPMriF567aHhli6sna94o0gSypbAm7ak/s1600/pittsburgh+sunrise.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_-ChWZRElJ3Oub62n4Bin3BLfE9OgTSwZt7tBEkvzLN6cNhRbW63n0JZEBG3-2WuFY24ShrBZVbzHk4rW5nFGARRgOuzl6DK7zXvDHlOptpkPMriF567aHhli6sna94o0gSypbAm7ak/s320/pittsburgh+sunrise.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599891320980236514" /></a><br /><br />Contrary to what a lot of people around here thought last night, the sun still rose this morning, and we still have one more game to play. I'm choosing not to listen to the radio because I don't feel like hearing bandwagon Pens fans (hey, yinz guys wanna watch the 'Guins game dahntahn since there's no Stiller game?) call in to eulogize the 2010-11 season. We've got one more game to throw these past two back into the vault that contains Game 5 of the 2009 Cup Finals and other Pens games that nobody cares about. Go win it.<br /><br />There's not going to be any type of recap of what happened last night, but I did feel the urge to point a few things out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YK5qAAtkwiZgWe7arwmfWTLRXre2kRS2ZRhbin77yzqGVS5_nQDFSs_9A_iQCIIVU1fX4c192DWYjlXceRv7wg8cw24DBiy0a1G1cmazyWxd7QhwSaf9yp4Sr-Y_ogAeYUSpilc1VnU/s1600/bugsy+is+a+douche.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YK5qAAtkwiZgWe7arwmfWTLRXre2kRS2ZRhbin77yzqGVS5_nQDFSs_9A_iQCIIVU1fX4c192DWYjlXceRv7wg8cw24DBiy0a1G1cmazyWxd7QhwSaf9yp4Sr-Y_ogAeYUSpilc1VnU/s320/bugsy+is+a+douche.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599891319477884130" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">1. Was Bugsy this much of a dick when he played for us?</span><br /><br />For real, I don't remember.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">2. Jordan Staal and Craig Adams wanted to end</span> it.<br /><br />If we'd have had a team full of Staals and Adams, we would be laughing our way into the second round right now. Just when I think I can't love Craig Adams more than I already do, he puts together a performance like he did last night. That guy is just nothing but guts. Props to Staal as well for trying to take the team on his back. He was due for a big time goal, and in typical fashion, he delivered. It's a shame it had to go to waste. He played 22 and half minutes, and they were all productive.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">3. Where in the world is Kris Letang?</span><br /><br />Just an awful game last night. Not to absolve Michalek and the rest of the D, who weren't far behind him.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">4. Bench Kovalev, put in Tangradi</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIseDLZC3DJNQktm_baEPBso7-1IwJrUPN39q49PsWDq95AdznqHRSgxYDuJKSTxo0puVm_7_SqN1WrCo0v21VctbTJk8aKe__nar8OePar6Sxucxamf2hE5cuFle9KFsrRMJvCZ4-FQ/s1600/tangradi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIseDLZC3DJNQktm_baEPBso7-1IwJrUPN39q49PsWDq95AdznqHRSgxYDuJKSTxo0puVm_7_SqN1WrCo0v21VctbTJk8aKe__nar8OePar6Sxucxamf2hE5cuFle9KFsrRMJvCZ4-FQ/s320/tangradi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599891318158682210" /></a><br /><br /><br />I don't like impulse lineup changes in the playoffs, and this will probably happen on the 7th of never, but I truly fail to see Kovalev's value. He's a -3 in the series, has taken bad penalties, and plays with very little vigor. When it comes to beating the Lightning, the Pens are better off with a big body like Tangradi than a ballerina like Kovalev. Even Kovy's lone goal of the series came because he was dragging ass by the net, and James Neal made a great play. <br /><br />A friend of mine said something that I totally agree with. "If you bench him, you're never dressing him again." He's right, and I'm okay with that.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">5. The Lightning deserve respect.</span><br /><br />Outside of Steve Downie and my newfound disdain for Ryan Malone, I can't help but be impressed with this team. They could have lay down and died after Neal's double OT winner, but they got a second wind, and have managed to send it to a Game 7. A playoff ready team, no doubt.<br /><br /><br />All these things aside, just go out there and want it more. I'm bringing back an old friend for this one. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KURwyzPp9O7cdRQ32CuHgUYDXttDpQL-qWqT6z7SkE-o7yRa55qFbL56HjOaQF28gQ8iIztU3oC5eE3iDPfP8EPsaL7WsaXM_0LZ0lNManl_Jvp-zsFRl3e_VBjF6JXsWhSyw8eT-iY/s1600/Pens-Celebrate-Cup-Staal.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-KURwyzPp9O7cdRQ32CuHgUYDXttDpQL-qWqT6z7SkE-o7yRa55qFbL56HjOaQF28gQ8iIztU3oC5eE3iDPfP8EPsaL7WsaXM_0LZ0lNManl_Jvp-zsFRl3e_VBjF6JXsWhSyw8eT-iY/s320/Pens-Celebrate-Cup-Staal.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599888854531817666" /></a><br /><br />Let's go Pens.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-73609477139684828192011-04-25T23:09:00.002-04:002011-04-25T23:11:07.394-04:00Don't Jump. Game 7 on Wednesday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuLxn-oRiq5LLlvaltzLz4T-EOsIJpfju_rwsAWDKOLfWsBNH7axe9YboueIpq4ajzSDu9gUfn0Boc4i3BnPb30mNoSuw-NFSh5Hq0VSnzVzszLeBqCEb-5g_uv_F-YEMCCKxRS27i-E/s1600/bridge+jumper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuLxn-oRiq5LLlvaltzLz4T-EOsIJpfju_rwsAWDKOLfWsBNH7axe9YboueIpq4ajzSDu9gUfn0Boc4i3BnPb30mNoSuw-NFSh5Hq0VSnzVzszLeBqCEb-5g_uv_F-YEMCCKxRS27i-E/s320/bridge+jumper.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599724251763684818" /></a><br /><br />Don't jump yet. Game 7 on Wednesday. If you have given up, just do us a favor and leave the fanbase forever. Thanks.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-4774003427871414282011-04-25T11:57:00.003-04:002011-06-07T12:56:23.077-04:00Will the NHL ever have the balls to suspend Mike Richards? Apparently not.Throughout the whole "Head Shot" chaos in the NHL, the poster boy for the problem has been Penguins winger Matt Cooke. And deservedly so. Cooke's reckless play has jeopardized the health of other players, and needs to be curtailed. This is not an article in defense of Matt Cooke.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFLhUIXgy9LIYXoUFJqg5q6GliG83Js9chErXJEsWquVxkLtCQ7JaINmkr6C62k1VkzKsZPanjN3I694QLGfvfUwkyk4lrhVX7k2QUzOQb7zqJH6tzoVdi58ivb19lXgowJpId0ZmNRs/s1600/mike-richards1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFLhUIXgy9LIYXoUFJqg5q6GliG83Js9chErXJEsWquVxkLtCQ7JaINmkr6C62k1VkzKsZPanjN3I694QLGfvfUwkyk4lrhVX7k2QUzOQb7zqJH6tzoVdi58ivb19lXgowJpId0ZmNRs/s320/mike-richards1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599570153700748914" /></a>
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<br />But I'm beginning to wonder why Philadelphia Flyers Captain Mike Richards isn't receiving the same treatment.
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<br />To adequately understand the scope of the comparison, we need to go back to the 2009-10 season.
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<br />October 2009:
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<br />This is the hit that truly galvanizes the head shot movement. Florida Panther winger David Booth skates towards the middle of the ice, when he collides with a streaking Mike Richards, who forearms him in the head/neck area. Booth never sees him coming and has no way to protect himself. He was knocked out before he ever hit the ice. Richards faced no suspension or discipline at all.
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<br />Fast-forward to March of 2010, later that season:
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Z1vJrIAg-0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0Z1vJrIAg-0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object></a>
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<br />If Richard's hit was the one that truly started the head shot movement, Cooke's hit was the one that fast-tracked it. Again, Boston Bruin Marc Savard comes into the zone at center ice and attempts to throw a shot towards the net. Cooke comes across and decks Savard in the head in a very similar manner to how Booth was hit. Savard never stood a chance, and he too, was unconscious before he went to the ice. The only difference between this hit and the Booth hit is that Cooke was coming at Savard from behind (Savard is a lefty, Booth is a righty). However, it becomes a non-issue because both Booth's and Savard's heads were in very similar positions. Like Richards, Cooke faced no discipline for this hit.
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<br />The biggest difference between the two hits is, and I'm convinced that this is why Cooke is the poster child and not Richards, is that David Booth is fine. He's back to playing hockey at a high level. Savard is not. He attempted a comeback this season, but is a very different player, and given his age, may never play again. If the shoe was on the other foot, and it was Booth that had his career ended, the hockey world would look very different right now.
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<br />On to other instances:
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<br />February 2011: Matt Cooke boards Fedor Tyutin, gets 4 game suspension.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JZW4avMvcBs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JZW4avMvcBs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Stupid play all around. Tyutin looks back towards Cooke as he goes into the corner to retrieve the puck. Cooke then hits Tyutin from behind and up high, sending him into the boards. Tyutin ends up being fine, but that certainly doesn't take away from the fact that this is the type of hit that shouldn't happen. Most people end up agreeing with the four game suspension except Jeremy Roenick, who cries for a while on TV.
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<br />
<br />One month later, March 2011: Matt Cooke elbows Ryan McDonagh, gets a 10 game suspension + first round of the playoffs.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/emTQpD8jmuw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/emTQpD8jmuw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Zero excuse for this hit. Was it the most vicious elbow ever? No. But Matt Cooke knows his reputation, and needed to be a lot smarter than this. He clearly raises his elbow to hit McDonagh in the head. Like Tyutin, McDonagh is fine, but it's almost beside the point. Cooke gets a hefty penalty, now up to 16 games, including 6 playoff games thus far. Most people thought this would be the straw that broke the camels back. A hefty penalty, and a very deserved one.
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<br />
<br />Now the story turns back to Mike Richards, and this current playoff series with the Buffalo Sabres.
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<br />Game 4: Richards' elbow to Patrick Kaleta
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FS3xMoEFJU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FS3xMoEFJU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object></a>
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<br />This is pretty much as blatant as the McDonagh hit. Richards is digging for a puck along the boards, Kaleta comes in for a hit, and Richards throws his elbow up in Kaleta's face. Just as cowardly as Cooke's elbow. Richards gets a five-minute elbowing major for this hit, but faces no additional discipline.
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<br />Game 6: Richards' boarding of Tim Connolly
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2wRMsNCUlHQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2wRMsNCUlHQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Yesterday, Richards unleashed the latest of his questionable hits, basically grabbing Sabres center Tim Connolly's nameplate and driving him into the boards. Connolly hits the boards with the crown of his helmet and falls to the ice. According to Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, Connolly is "not doing very good", and almost certainly won't play in Game 7. The NHL again did not hand out any discipline to Richards.
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<br />
<br />If you were trying to keep score, allow me to help. Matt Cooke and Mike Richards make three similar hits, and the suspensions go as follows:
<br />
<br />Matt Cooke: 20/21 games, including 6/7 playoff games.
<br />Mike Richards: 0 games
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<br />Now, when making this comparison, I'm obliged to recognize the fact that Cooke was also suspended for two games in November of 2009 after a hit to Rangers forward Artem Anisimov.
<br />
<br />But it still begs the question, why does Richards continue to get off scot-free while Matt Cooke has been villefied? Is it because Richards isn't a repeat offender? Well of course he isn't! How can someone be a repeat offender if his dirty play is never punished? The NHL continues to hide behind the "repeat offender" cloak, in hopes that everyone forgets it and nobody asks too many difficult questions. I'm not saying that Richards should get suspended for double-digit games, but the NHL at least needs to acknowledge that this is a problem with him.
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<br />Until then, we'll just have to wait for his next victim.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>
<br />Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-85138252253197838362011-04-25T09:23:00.005-04:002011-04-25T09:58:32.383-04:00Game 6. Malkin before Crosby?<a href="http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ice/2011/04/24/why-not-to-believe-anything-about-sid-and-geno-and-not-to-believe-in-momentum/">Rob Rossi</a> is stirring the pot over at the Trib.
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<br />Major league issue with Rossi's article. He tells me not to believe anything that anyone says about Malkin or Crosby, then proceeds to espouse a rumor about Malkin and Crosby. Classic Rossi. Though if he's right about Malkin possibly coming back for the ECF, holy potatoes. I always thought Malkin was tougher than people give him credit for, but possibly coming back this year after Tyler Myers sat on his knee? Tough shit, right there.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_TjQVZwBWyu26KxIPAHrjShV-FnCTsqdEaOJTnTI-fxnrQ8bRZfksZlg470GNk7HJ45WR5iS4BiPOAkFY7iMKQlVluj3PMSU7OufVcB_nZpyH3oslQFlyNghSsmpIBvZQCRnswN2G30/s1600/malkin+hurt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_TjQVZwBWyu26KxIPAHrjShV-FnCTsqdEaOJTnTI-fxnrQ8bRZfksZlg470GNk7HJ45WR5iS4BiPOAkFY7iMKQlVluj3PMSU7OufVcB_nZpyH3oslQFlyNghSsmpIBvZQCRnswN2G30/s320/malkin+hurt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599515315295572114" /></a>
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<br />(Side note: If you try to run a Google Image search for Rob Rossi, you're going to see penises. You've been warned.)
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<br />Pens are down in Tampa for Game 6. If they aren't pissed off, they aren't breathing. The whole state of Florida sucks.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3pmIpFx01PIO1O7p6851KJmrWDuYLtSCgpY47y8_o2y7zlnI2nhWulj1iC5TEcRfOx1PaClHFrWiGNLwfp7Bat9m5YAaPFKCmB_CNDsAIuqDBp_PCpLTLvCbDHaYnYGJ0ee3wgmVLlY/s1600/America%27s+Penis.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3pmIpFx01PIO1O7p6851KJmrWDuYLtSCgpY47y8_o2y7zlnI2nhWulj1iC5TEcRfOx1PaClHFrWiGNLwfp7Bat9m5YAaPFKCmB_CNDsAIuqDBp_PCpLTLvCbDHaYnYGJ0ee3wgmVLlY/s320/America%27s+Penis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599516549892256370" /></a>
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<br />Here are a few things the Pens need to do to win:
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">1. Get on the board early. </span>
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<br />The Pens should come out jumping. Nobody likes to lose 8-2 at home. If they can rattle Roloson early and take all 47 Tampa fans in attendance out of the game, it could be a blowout.
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<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">2. Reinvigorate the D</span>
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<br />Frankly, I'm hesitant to be critical of the Pens D-men. They're perhaps the biggest reason we're even in this position, and Orpik and Letang played almost 40 minutes in Game 4. But man, they weren't even there on Saturday. Michalek may have had his worst game as a Pen, and Orpik looked winded. The D has to set the tone of this game.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">3. Crash the Net</span>
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<br />Everyone has made a big screaming deal about how much Dwayne Roloson sucks at handling pucks. So make him do it. If you crash the net on Roloson, one of two things is going to happen: he's either going to give up rebounds that can be easily stuffed home, or he'll corral the puck and force an offensive zone faceoff. Given the Pens depth of good faceoff guys, coupled with defenseman who can shoot from the point, it's a recipe for goals.
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<br />
<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">4. Rebound game for Fleury.</span>
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<br />This is going to happen. I have zero doubt.
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object></a>
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Wild Card:</span>
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<br />The third line.
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<br />Quietly, the line of Chris Conner, Pascal Dupuis and Max Talbot have been pesky and effective. I look for one of these three to come up with a big goal when the time comes.
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<br />Let's go Pens.
<br />Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-65705383406237622032011-04-23T21:51:00.005-04:002011-04-23T22:17:15.775-04:00Weekend Waylay. Series Goes Back to Tampa
<br />We really should have seen that one coming. And oddly enough, we did. The weird start time should have been an omen.
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<br />The Pens came out blazing. Not like Wiz Khalifa blazing, but you know, fast. A bunch of good chances in the first half of the first, capped with Brooks Orpik nearly taking the net off its moorings with a slapper. Then all of a sudden, the Lightning break out of the Pens zone and make 20,000 passes, eventually setting up Simon Gagne for a a ridiculously easy goal. A half a second later, the Lightning scored again, and the wheels just came off.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRbQyuhbIz-XQYhBj2bt2QBWFpqpS1XdRtu5TsE5nHEpop7XrcilCQFsofOUWaS6NN2XRF2KaqDvMEFWaEON-eaIvTOxG-md5yKTtvl_QddrQcmALMpvtuKxhPYdfnz2qovZTVHQ0O8M/s1600/wheels_off.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRbQyuhbIz-XQYhBj2bt2QBWFpqpS1XdRtu5TsE5nHEpop7XrcilCQFsofOUWaS6NN2XRF2KaqDvMEFWaEON-eaIvTOxG-md5yKTtvl_QddrQcmALMpvtuKxhPYdfnz2qovZTVHQ0O8M/s320/wheels_off.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598963708048866450" /></a>
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<br />Actually, this picture is an understatement.
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<br />The rest of the game was a blur, really. It ended up being a billion to 2. Mike Rupp and Chris Connor with well-deserved goals.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4WydVyAns3DeV6ePfHwLbOCH3Sy3J8AO3E3KrMqNy_AAEeKdf7QyIrsEvbpLf16_H4pF5-7JXjlhV5bwMa1DVtqTV-jwBiOvACugxrXAqo50ydEbfLlMjCfrzzu-dA4p4FSmcsKLLVc/s1600/lightning+celebrate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4WydVyAns3DeV6ePfHwLbOCH3Sy3J8AO3E3KrMqNy_AAEeKdf7QyIrsEvbpLf16_H4pF5-7JXjlhV5bwMa1DVtqTV-jwBiOvACugxrXAqo50ydEbfLlMjCfrzzu-dA4p4FSmcsKLLVc/s320/lightning+celebrate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598964927215545410" /></a>
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<br />A few game notes:
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<br />-Steven Stamkos finally woke up. He's too good of a player to be quiet for an entire series. They're a different team when he's playing well
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<br />-The Pens defense was completely non-existent. Hands down the worst Pens defensive performance of the year. Nobody played well. From Letang and Orpik on down.
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<br />-Did Martin St. Louis even touch a puck? The fact that they could score 8 goals without much mention of St. Louis is terrifying.
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<br />-Bylsma probably tore the head off a small child after the game.
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<br />
<br />All that being said, I just don't see how the Pens can go to Tampa and lose. Given the resiliency of this team (best personified by MAF, who is unreal in games after he was pulled in the previous one), they won't go into Florida without their asses on fire. Nobody wants to be embarrassed like that. Particularly not at home. Games like that leave a very sour taste. One could easily argue that the Lightning took momentum away from the Pens in Game 5. These are probably the same people who thought the Lightning wouldn't be able to rebound from their Double OT Game 4 loss.
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<br />Momentum is a very tricky beast. If you believe that you have it, you probably don't. To believe that the Lightning will maintain that level of momentum into Game 6, then you vastly underestimate the heart of this Penguin team. Every one of these guys have something to prove.
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<br />Supposedly this was a team that could never win without Crosby and Malkin. Yet they did, and they continue to. If you want to write them off, go ahead. It's nothing they haven't heard before.
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<br />Pens will take it in six. I have no doubt. Let's go.
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHG42PhnSwE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHG42PhnSwE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object></a>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-64894622679201888752011-04-21T09:25:00.005-04:002011-06-07T12:56:46.141-04:00Neal Before Us. Pens Take a 3-1 Series Lead HomeSince James Neal netted the OT winner, get used to this, because it isn't going away:
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object></a>
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<br />More on that later.
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<br />
<br />Right out of the gate, this game didn't feel like a playoff game at all. You could legitimately hear individual fans during the broadcast. Steiggy and Errey pointed it out about a bajillion times. The Lightning had a bit of a bounce for the first few shifts, but then their world fell apart. Not surprising who the catalyst of that was.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GhoTAcIa89TrzPI-wAu3aiiADmizUcO4a9e5cBWNYVMEMzpBgH7tSvrU4QT8Ws0ttL6BkSmykZhgYfnyaUWmCt8zbG24BISMc7gmk800-Jd0JBzkLdG3Qtcjz2QCg1UhKFMkj9waBf4/s1600/kennedy2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GhoTAcIa89TrzPI-wAu3aiiADmizUcO4a9e5cBWNYVMEMzpBgH7tSvrU4QT8Ws0ttL6BkSmykZhgYfnyaUWmCt8zbG24BISMc7gmk800-Jd0JBzkLdG3Qtcjz2QCg1UhKFMkj9waBf4/s320/kennedy2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598030380859126962" /></a>
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<br />Short side. No room. What a goal. Not sure where we'd be this year without TK.
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<br />After Kennedy's goal. Tampa Bay pretty much went home. They were playing with the enthusiasm of a 15 year old doing chores. Pens getting to every loose puck, putting a body on every member of the Lightning. Were it not for some stellar saves by Rolly the Goalie, the game would have been over pretty early. No idea how many shots we had in the first 30 minutes, don't care, it was a ton. The first period ended with the crowd silent and the Pens in control.
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<br />Second period was more of the same. Arron Asham and the Fourth Line (who sounds like a band that needs to open up for Huey Lewis and the News) turned in a ridiculous shift, followed by a supremely awkward goal where Asham puts a shot on net, and it apparently hits off somebody's penis, and then goes under Dwayne Roloson and in. Everyone sits back and waits for the Penguins to score 20 more goals at this point.
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<br />But that doesn't happen. Pens get chance after chance, but no dice. And then all hell breaks loose. St. Louis makes an amazing play and bashes one past Fleury.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qcWggGlWeDk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qcWggGlWeDk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Gotta be honest here. It's hard to dislike this guy. Undrafted, undersized, and a future HOFer. He's the little midget that could. This series would have been over in Game 2 if it weren't for this guy. He makes everyone in Pittsburgh clinch their buttholes when he touches the puck. Hell, I get concerned when St. Louis picks up a puck in practice. What a player.
<br />
<br />St. Louis' goal woke up the slumbering crowd and electrified his team. Bad puns everywhere. Nobody was thinking that two goals would win this game, and with a bit over three minutes left, that thought came to fruition. Sean Bergenheim and St. Louis camp out in front of Fleury. Somehow the puck squirts in. That feeling is what it must be like to be a Caps fan. Talbot gets obliterated somewhere in here. He was fine. Let's go to OT.
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<br />After a couple of tense moments, OT levels out, and for the most part, the Pens dictate the play. Not surprising, the Lightning are old and upset that they're missing Modern Family on ABC to play extra hockey. Solid show, by the way. Double OT in your face. Petr Sykora buys Domino's pizza for the intermission.
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<br />Second OT starts and for some reason, Staal inexplicably dives headfirst into the boards. No clue why, he was having a great game...so much to live for. He ends up being fine. Tough dude. And two minutes later, he factors in on this:
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HPy8f__TOH8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HPy8f__TOH8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />What a moment for Neal. Props to Steiggy and Errey for actually throwing out some good juju for once. Potentially a back-breaking goal for the Lightning.
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<br />That being said, you're an idiot if you don't think the Lightning are going to come out flying on Saturday. Can't wait.
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<br />Tons of sentence fragments in this post.
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<br />End it, Pens.
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<br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"></script>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-54605306737371564542011-04-20T09:06:00.005-04:002011-04-20T10:18:37.991-04:00Pens/Bolts Game 4 Preview and One of the Greatest Hockey Pictures everThis picture is so good that I don't even feel right posting it. Make the jump over to <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Vince-Vaughn-sums-up-Roberto-Luongo-s-Game-4-eff?urn=nhl-wp3006&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Puck Daddy</a>, but only after you read this. Best performance that Vince Vaughn has put up since Wedding Crashers.
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<br />On to more important things.
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<br />In case you needed a reminder of how important game 4 could be:
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DL3ejFPofPM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DL3ejFPofPM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Turning point in that series. Big time. A lot of people point to Game 3 as the biggest game in most series. I disagree entirely, Game 4 sets a tone. If the Pens win, they've got a chance to clinch it at CEC. If the Pens lose, you have to ride through the winds of momentum. I'd show a stat about how Game 4 winners fare in the series itself, but I'm lazy.
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<br />Tonight the Pens will have to face-off without Chris Kunitz, who decided to channel his inner Matt Cooke and stick his elbow in Simon Gagne's ear. Gagne probably said something about his mom. The Lightning will be without Steve Downie, but who cares? Still not sure whether we'll see Eric Tangradi or Mike Comrie in Kunitz's spot. My gut says Comrie, since he's got playoff experience, but I'm an idiot, so whatever.
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<br />
<br />Some keys to a Pens win:
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">1. Stay out of the box.<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbFPETC6toFWOytCnDnJiVgRXo2qQqwxrnTw4-AThA9O111-mXTWVfeXBbtPJxFCQSA5wGxJmkLe1lKUlqRtVtArx8F3HwJOuiU2VPtU5oU6HHUGxO3yAQXMzqp3Iapu7Xnpvt-4KYg8/s1600/out+of+the+box.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbFPETC6toFWOytCnDnJiVgRXo2qQqwxrnTw4-AThA9O111-mXTWVfeXBbtPJxFCQSA5wGxJmkLe1lKUlqRtVtArx8F3HwJOuiU2VPtU5oU6HHUGxO3yAQXMzqp3Iapu7Xnpvt-4KYg8/s320/out+of+the+box.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597669038652358146" /></a>
<br />This is as easy as it gets. Martin St. Louis has been lights out on the power play. Why give him the chance?
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Fourth line creating shit<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span>.</span>
<br />
<br />Probably the theme of the series so far. When your fourth line outplays their fourth line by a considerable margin, you're going to win a lot of games.
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Jordan Staal<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span>
<br />
<br />He's had a good series, but talk about someone who's overdue for a huge goal. We'll see how he holds up without Kunitz in the lineup.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">4. The same Fleury we saw in Games 1 and 3.<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span></span>
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<br />He knows playoff pressure. Would you want anyone else guarding the cage right now?
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">5. Power Play.<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span></span>
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<br />I'll just say it right now. If we score a power play goal, we'll win. If not, we lose. Take it to the bank.
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<br />
<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AKjGFFUyC3M?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Wild Card:<span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span>
<br /></span>
<br />James Neal.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaXKt6EPlejeo4Eb_joXFZBPIoDjTFUignaMIcl_xOrIj_KdU3awDFAbKUEmM7PrvGZPvxTG8SU6_xHRD6lrvkRu1LIEKTY9nwg7SK0vhj6IRDFxCIVgntiy98HpMD6F-CeMB3z6MOhc/s1600/james+neal+beard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaXKt6EPlejeo4Eb_joXFZBPIoDjTFUignaMIcl_xOrIj_KdU3awDFAbKUEmM7PrvGZPvxTG8SU6_xHRD6lrvkRu1LIEKTY9nwg7SK0vhj6IRDFxCIVgntiy98HpMD6F-CeMB3z6MOhc/s320/james+neal+beard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597669035192502946" /></a>
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<br />He's had exactly one goal since joining the Pens. To say that Neal is snakebitten is the understatement of the millenium. I haven't had blue balls as bad as James Neal since I was 17. Here are some things that have happened in the world since the last time James Neal scored a goal (March 8):
<br />
<br />-The U.S. started bombing Libya
<br />-Elizabeth Taylor, Geraldine Ferraro and Nate Dogg all died.
<br />-A 9.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Japan.
<br />-Corey Perry has scored 19 goals (inc. postseason)
<br />
<br />Holy crap. Get it done, James Neal.
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<br />We believe. Let's go Pens.
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<br />
<br />Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-45535080400829787442011-04-19T09:07:00.004-04:002011-04-19T09:50:29.228-04:00Pens Win. Pirates Win. Pittsburgh Wins.Before this series started, I proclaimed that there was a good chance that the Penguins would put up 6 or more goals in one of these games. I gave the statistics, blah blah, whatever.
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<br />Pretty sure I'm going to be wrong on that. The Lightning are not in awe of the playoffs at all.
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<br />If any game was going to be that 6-0 or 7-1 rout, it would have been Game three. Pens came out strong, and then all hell broke loose. Not surprisingly, it was longtime Pens hater Steve Downie that provided the fireworks. Just so you remember...
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<br /><a href="<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TxQZevUbaII?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TxQZevUbaII?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object></a>
<br />
<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SHeh3tyUL10?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SHeh3tyUL10?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
<br />
<br />...exactly what Steve Downie is about. Also remember that Downie was suspended for 20 games early in his career for a flying cheapshot to Dean McAmmond. Here's video of the hit:
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yKM9s230HiE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yKM9s230HiE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />Ouch. Of course, Talbot gets pissed off about the hit and roofs one on Roloson.
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<br />While we were all crying for a major penalty, Bylsma sends the fourth line out there. Oh, fourth line. Mike Rupp carries, kinda whiffs on the puck, but then makes a sweet little backhand pass to Asham who has apparently decided to start playing hockey. You start to think that this game COULD be that blowout game.
<br />
<br />And then you remembered the Lightning have Martin St. Louis. That guy is a termite. You forget he even exists, then he chews a giant hole in your wall. He buries a power play goal and stops the momentum in its tracks.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVULUgftFTl4-k0GXig1XEnCH-Pzt2kE8hB2mDQdYkTm_5Mwz5-lL9qNKjyvGljALmwk7mna4vqTEnG07K16sWcnyV2gguNjya4Y20EswQzpKfbvY0Tkxack4-1amE4_DsUV4ubuSayBE/s1600/St_Louis_Sucks_by_SweetChile.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVULUgftFTl4-k0GXig1XEnCH-Pzt2kE8hB2mDQdYkTm_5Mwz5-lL9qNKjyvGljALmwk7mna4vqTEnG07K16sWcnyV2gguNjya4Y20EswQzpKfbvY0Tkxack4-1amE4_DsUV4ubuSayBE/s320/St_Louis_Sucks_by_SweetChile.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597287861284908818" /></a>
<br />Not sure who made this. Pretty sure it's awesome.
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<br />The second period happened. That was about it.
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<br />The third starts, St. Louis scores again, and you begin to wonder exactly how much Zbynek Michalek's stick in Game 1 pissed him off.
<br />
<br />Side note: Zbynek Michalek may be the MVP of this series right now.
<br />
<br />Anyway, after St. Louis scored for the millionth time, it starts to feel like a major meltdown could be coming. Cue Tyler Kennedy.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YC0bLmYJgqg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YC0bLmYJgqg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
<br />
<br />Just go to the net.
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<br />The last 15 minutes of this game lasted longer than a JAG marathon. Craig Adams' Mohawk blocks a shot to end it.
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<br />
<br />Other crap:
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<br />Downie and Chris Kunitz each will be receiving some sort of discipline from the league today. Don't know how I forgot to mention the Kunitz elbow. While not nearly as dangerous as the Downie play, it was equally as mindless.
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<br /><a href="<object width="480" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bp92x9Keoww?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bp92x9Keoww?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="300"></embed></object></a>
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<br />No idea what Kunitz is thinking here. This is about as easy as it gets. It's a pretty delicate elbow, but it's still an elbow, and it's still ridiculously blatant.
<br />
<br />Jesus, I've put like a billion YouTube videos in this post.
<br />
<br />
<br />Gotta mention the fact that the Pirates won another road series. This is a damn impressive habit to get into. Bucs travel to Florida tonight. Let's go.Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826109375924096621.post-91913954055345518062011-04-18T12:36:00.002-04:002011-04-18T13:17:50.000-04:00Tax Day Update.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p2QB2S9cwCFpdhVTfFDdfZFUNZqutfEpKa_1_YN2jvrShvA2UPPyNlggfnvI-vXlURfK9EnHHK8CnO7xcpAJGha9BexdBSmQDETHUXdy7VzLuQ9IauBThYdrocLchtadrjsaBguAJEA/s1600/pay+taxes+snipes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_p2QB2S9cwCFpdhVTfFDdfZFUNZqutfEpKa_1_YN2jvrShvA2UPPyNlggfnvI-vXlURfK9EnHHK8CnO7xcpAJGha9BexdBSmQDETHUXdy7VzLuQ9IauBThYdrocLchtadrjsaBguAJEA/s320/pay+taxes+snipes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596973550118309538" /></a><br />Pay your taxes, slackers. Yeah, even you, Wesley Snipes.<br /><br />Pens lost 5-1 on Friday night. Big deal. Nobody goes 16-0 in the playoffs. Fleury had a rough outing, but he's approximately 100000-0 in rebound games, so I'm sure he'll be fine. The game actually wasn't as lopsided as the score would indicate. Outside of the first half of the first period, the Pens played a decent game. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbARjsprtZxl8c3bLS9RGjiYDJ9IWTB06FsxxzEIXRLred8I8v2QLv-Bs8j2_9Q1WSkVpbkjZHJmiv51W1k5pRtX3b4GHMUgltKxWymoHzxBv64YufWk-5bI5yZNwkqngk_fBr6cfHDA/s1600/fourth+line.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbARjsprtZxl8c3bLS9RGjiYDJ9IWTB06FsxxzEIXRLred8I8v2QLv-Bs8j2_9Q1WSkVpbkjZHJmiv51W1k5pRtX3b4GHMUgltKxWymoHzxBv64YufWk-5bI5yZNwkqngk_fBr6cfHDA/s320/fourth+line.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596973554238686978" /></a><br />The fourth line pretty much deserve Purple Hearts at this point in the series.<br /><br />Cassie Campbell from CBC posted a speculative tweet saying that she thought Crosby was missing practice because he was at the doctor's and may be cleared to play. She's cool, don't know why she just started making stuff up, but whatever. I wasn't paying attention, and it ended up being a crap report (probably).<br /><br />Per Rob Rossi, Crosby hasn't skated since Friday. Can't be good news there. He's in Tampa though, so Coach Crosby will probably be donning the headset again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ96gq4eM8eiVI8n9uytWF1dz8PeZjxUaZLgXJqPIBVZbFB7WoH5O4Ka4hmQZk4Ve1xOiYFlfxd2ojTKE9DDN3PVJSFPONvL_HFvi1HR66y0EZOXb91mlXc0G_obemn1TypWIjNYHPsUE/s1600/pirates+2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ96gq4eM8eiVI8n9uytWF1dz8PeZjxUaZLgXJqPIBVZbFB7WoH5O4Ka4hmQZk4Ve1xOiYFlfxd2ojTKE9DDN3PVJSFPONvL_HFvi1HR66y0EZOXb91mlXc0G_obemn1TypWIjNYHPsUE/s320/pirates+2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596973561946491074" /></a><br />The Pirates are still playing baseball. It's now the opposite of last year: they suck balls at home, but keep winning road series. Impressive stuff on the road if they can keep it up.<br /><br /><br />We'll end with some love to the Pittsburgh Power, who are coming up with some respectable performances in their inaugural season.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhv2KJRDsMH8GvHEs80t6Oh9HnbvZspJNTIp9Iur7K2juc_6bBdsbWsdyX7eL23PMSRvmPWUOHOkR-if_v5J6bavw33WfBmWzF7UzPHOgvXejk5zBEw0LwebZjuUzyngPF5txBZrqBoS4/s1600/pittsburgh_power.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhv2KJRDsMH8GvHEs80t6Oh9HnbvZspJNTIp9Iur7K2juc_6bBdsbWsdyX7eL23PMSRvmPWUOHOkR-if_v5J6bavw33WfBmWzF7UzPHOgvXejk5zBEw0LwebZjuUzyngPF5txBZrqBoS4/s320/pittsburgh_power.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596973569637779122" /></a>Kurt Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876063061851217688noreply@blogger.com0