Stanley Is Getting a Tan

Well that didn't work out the way I thought it would. I had counted on a game 6...mostly because I had free tickets but I really thought Ottawa would be able to adapt and turn the series around. In the end, the better team won and the Sens were without a counter-attack. Anaheim seemed able to turn the game to their favour any time they felt like it.

Many reasons have been brought up as to why the Ducks were so dominant...here are some of the popular ones:

• The reffing was atrocious and allowed the clutch and grab style of hockey back in the game. This type of hockey is clearly an advantage for a bigger, stronger team. I think that Ottawa should've found a way to battle through this...they didn't!!!
• 9 days off was too long and the Sens were never able to shake off the rust. I agree that 9 days off is too long but the Ducks were off for 7 and they seemed to be good to go when the puck dropped. If the Sens had any rust that needed to be shaken off, I believe the Ducks shook them up pretty good in that first game! They needed the split out of Anaheim...they didn't get it...again, they couldn't adapt to the Ducks' style of play.

The bottom line is this. Ottawa was out-played, out-muscled, and out-coached. I'm pretty sure they learned a valuable lesson from this...every round gets tougher and the final is 90% desire, 10% skill. You have to want it more than the other team. There were a few members of the Sens that turned it up...Fisher, Alfie, Neil, Emery (most times), Vermette...then there were others who disappeared and looked afraid to even get close to the puck. These players should be ashamed of themselves for letting down their team when they were needed most...Redden, Heatley, Spezza, Comrie, Volchenkov. These guys played great in the opening 3 rounds but when they first got hit in the finals they started to cower like beaten dogs.

I don't want to take anything away from the season they had, specifically the turn around that started in early December. To tell you the truth I sincerely doubted that Ottawa was going to make the playoffs due to the horrible start they had. But they turned it around and I, for one, am glad they did. They showed character that they never had to before...they excelled when their top players were sidelined with injuries. When they made the playoffs I was astounded with their style of play...it was something I've never seen them do before. I don't fault them for not winning the Cup...I have a feeling this experience won't sit well with them and they'll be back hungrier than ever to get that Holy Grail. Of course, before that happens some housework needs to be done. By that I mean trades have to happen and contracts need to be signed.

1. Redden must be traded!!! He has clearly become tired of being a Senator and a change of scenery would work well for both the team and him.
2. Gerber must be unloaded as well. Muckler would look like a true genius if he could find a team willing to take him and his 3.5 Million dollar contract of which he still has 2 years remaining.
3. With respect to the top 2 bullets, there are rumours of interest in Edmonton for Redden which would be a good fit for him...maybe Muckler can package both Redden and Gerber for a straight up trade in return for Jussi Markkanen ($850,000) and Steve Staios ($1.6 Million)? Just a thought...a man can dream right???
4. It probably wouldn't hurt shopping Spezza around. Just to see what Ottawa can get for him. He still has issues with playing the rough game that is expected during the playoffs. Heatley actually seemed to play better when Spezza was injured early in the season.
5. Bryan Murray needs to be re-signed. He has proven to be the right coach for this team. He now has a taste of the Stanley Cup Final and I believe he can bring Ottawa a cup.
6. Ray Emery has proven to be a starter in this league. He deserves a raise and at least a 3 year deal.
7. Tom Preissing is a solid defenceman. He also needs a raise with a one or two year deal.
8. Dean McAmmond should be re-signed. He has proven to be valuable on the 4th line and on the power play.
9. If Mike Comrie wants to take a pay-cut then he may be worth keeping but I wouldn't miss him if he left!!!

That's just my views on a successful season that ended about 2 games too short...it would've been nice to see the final go 7 games.

Hockey is now done...but there's still hockey news coming up. NHL entry draft, unrestricted and restricted free agent signings, the Stanley Cup travels will be closely monitored, and so on.

I will also start writing blogs about other sports namely NFL Football, Golf, Women's Beach Volleyball, Cricket, etc...

Also, if there's anything that you feel a second opinion is required please drop me a line and I'll put something together for you.

Till next time...give me some feedback as I always like to hear other people's opinion.

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

Stanley Cup 2007

Well hockey fans....this is it!!! The culmination of 82 games from September to the first week of April. The playoffs have run the first 3 rounds and we now have 2 teams left standing!!! Each one has won 12 games to get here...only 4 more wins to touch the beloved Cup from Lord Stanley.

My picks to emerge from the last round were right...although I picked Ottawa in 6 and they wrapped it up in 5. That being said, I'm still in shock that Ottawa has made it to the Stanley Cup Final!!! I'm even more surprised that I scored tickets...but that's another story...and they have to get to game 6 or I'm S.O.L!!!

So let's re-cap...in the first round I was 6 and 2...in the second round I was 3 and 1...and in the third round I was 2 and 0...that puts me at 11 and 3 so far...not too shabby!!! At least I'm beating TSN's monkey.

For the final I think I'm in the majority when I say the Senators are going to take the series. The way they've played to get here has been phenominal. It's completely out of character when comparing this team to their performances in playoff's past. Alfie is playing like a man-possessed and is the current front-runner for the Conn-Smythe trophy. Redden is starting to kick it in gear. Phillips is loving his role as the top defenceman. And his partner, Volchenkov, is living up to his nickname...The A-Train!!! He stops pucks and he'll level the opponent with a body-check that you swear you can feel through the TV. Also, the top line is playing like the top line...absolutely amazing!!! And let's not forget Emery who I think still has another level he can hit.

Now Anaheim is no slouch. They're a very big mobile team that is loaded with talent!!! Chris Pronger, The Niedermayer brothers, JS Giguere, the emergence of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, and the list goes on. They're just as hungry for this cup as Ottawa. This will be the toughest opponent Ottawa has faced thus far and their biggest issue may be the travel. They are heading to Anaheim this Saturday to get an extra day to climatize...personally I think they should've gone today (Thursday) and get some ice time starting tomorrow...but that's just me.

Let's look at some numbers...funky or otherwise...

• 1927 - The last time the Ottawa Senators won the Cup
• Any year that ends in a 7 has seen the Detroit Red Wings or a Canadian team win the Cup
• 2002 - 2004 - Bryan Murray was General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks and saw his team quickly make a mark in the playoffs, reaching the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Many of the players currently on Anaheim's roster are from his work as GM.
• 80 years ago, Frank "The Shawville Express" Finnigan won a Stanley Cup with Ottawa and scored the last goal in franchise history before that version of the Senators moved to St. Louis. Bryan Murray is also from Shawville.
• The Anaheim Ducks led the league in penalties in the regular season.
• On the power-play in the playoffs, Anaheim ranks seventh at 15.3% and Ottawa ranks second at 20.0%.
• Penalty killing in the playoffs has Ottawa fourth at 88.6%. Anaheim is sixth at 87.5%.
• In the playoffs Mike Fisher (47), Christoph Schubert (44) and Chris Neil (41) are the Senators' leading hitters. Samuel Pahlsson (57), Ryan Getzlaf (25) and Chris Kunitz (25) lead in the playoffs. Pahlsson leads the league with 57 playoff hits.
• The top face-off man for Ottawa is Antoine Vermette at 60.1%. Anaheim's Andy McDonald leads his team at 54.1%.
• Anton Volchenkov leads the playoffs with 61 blocked shots.
• Dany Heatley leads the Senators with 21 points in the playoffs.
• Daniel Alfredsson leads the Senators with ten goals in the playoffs.
• Chris Pronger leads the Ducks with 14 points in the playoffs.
• Andy McDonald, Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf lead the Ducks with five goals in the playoffs.

As you can see the numbers are slightly tipped in Ottawa's favour. It all depends on how bad they want it. Anaheim will be bringing their best game so it will depend on who wants it more.

My pick is Ottawa...I was going to take them in 5 but since I got free tickets to game 6 I'm gonna say Ottawa in 6!!!!

See ya at the parade!!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig...

Stanley Cup is 8 Wins Away!!!!

All I can say is WOW!!! These playoffs have been riveting. My picks from the last round were 3 and 1...I was wrong with the Rangers beating the Sabres. That's ok...it puts me at 9 and 3 so far in this year's playoffs which ain't too bad.

Some highlights in the last round...

1. Nabokov's puck clearing attempt right onto Datsyuk's stick which susequently went into the net in game 4.
2. Ottawa's game 1 mastery of Brodeur by scoring 4 goals in the 1st period right over his glove hand.
3. Chris Chelios is now getting 25 to 30 minutes of ice time...and he's 45 years old!!!!
4. Observing the mastery in Anaheim...The Niedermayer brothers...Chris Pronger...Teemu Selanne...JS Giguere. They are firing on all cylinders and are amazing to watch.

Again...I'm sure there's plenty more but that's all I can think of right now. Please feel free to send me some of your 2nd round highlights.

Well...on with the picks.

In the East

Ottawa Senators vs Buffalo Sabres (Ott in 6) -> These 2 teams have a history together and it's not pretty. However I think cooler heads will prevail in the playoffs. The winner advances to the Stanley Cup Final so there will be no room for costly penalties. Both of these teams will bring a dynamic offensive punch and posses an equally effective defensive game. Their goaltending has proven to be exceptional both in the regular season and so far in the playoffs. However, I believe that the Sens are rolling 4 solid lines and everyone is contributing both physically and on the scoresheet. If we haven't seen the Sabres best game yet then I may be proven wrong but they haven't really been tested the way Ottawa will test them. My pick is Ottawa in 6 games.

In the West

Detroit Red Wings vs The Anaheim Ducks (Anaheim in 6) -> Anaheim is the strongest team right now...The defensive pairing of Pronger and Niedermayer may well be the best in the league. Up front Selanne, Pahlsson and Getzlaf are playing like men possessed. Guigere is also having a dynamite playoff season. Detroit's battered and bruised right now and depending heavily on 45 yr. old Chelios and Lidstrom to carry the defensive weight due to injuries to Schneider and Kronwall. Detroit has had the toughest battle to get here...first Calgary then San Jose whereas Anaheim had an easier road going through Minnesota and then Vancouver. However I feel that the strength and depth of this Anaheim team will take them by Detroit in 6 games.

That being said you should see Ottawa and Anaheim in the final. Smart money would stick with Anaheim but we'll see how the injuries accumulate over this round.

Enjoy the conference finals....should be extrememly entertaining!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

One Round Down...Three To Go!!!

That was a pretty exciting first round. I could've done without the hockey marathon between Vancouver and Dallas but it was a good finish. With the Vancouver win I was 6 and 2 with my predictions. I lost with my Minnesota pick and, of course my Penguins pick. Not too shabby.

Some notes worth mentioning from the 1st round.

• Mikka Kiprusoff - in the six games against Detroit he faced 255 shots. That's an average of 42 per game!!! He let in 16 goals during that span and without him the Flames wouldn't have won the 2 games they took at home!!! He kept them in every game...if anyone deserves a raise it's this kid!!!
• Sidney Crosby - Anyone want to guess how many Stanley Cup rings this boy will have before he retires??? I'm guessing he'll be in the 5 or 6 range before he's done. This man-child played with the heart and determination of a true competitor. I don't care what Don Cherry says Sidney is one of the most dynamic players in the league. His future is very bright and so is the Canadian Hockey program.
• Anton Volchenkov - The Human Wall. This guy will do whatever it takes to block shots and find a way to deliver a body-crunching clean hit to the unsuspecting. He laid so many pastings on Gary Roberts that I'm sure Gary is still looking over his shoulder while he reaches for his 9-Iron!!!

There's probably many more highlights that I'm missing but those are the ones that stand-out for me. I can only remember so much!!!

Let me know what some of your highlights were!!!

So, as promised, here are my predictions for round # 2...

In the East

The New York Rangers vs The Buffalo Sabres (NY in 6) - The battle of New York State continues into round 2. After Buffalo dumped the Islanders in 5 games they're now facing another cross-state rival. The Rangers won't be as easy as the Islanders however. Buffalo will have a tough time with these guys. This promises to be a very exciting series as the offence on both teams are very exciting and their goaltending is very solid. The Rangers are tougher than they have been in the past and they won't give the Sabres too much room to showcase their fine passing skills. There will be alot of Buffalo turnovers that will more-often-than-not lead to goals. I'm picking the Rangers in 6.

The Ottawa Senators vs The New Jersey Devils (Ott in 7) - I was extremely impressed and surprised to see how the Senators played against the Penguins. They were hitting with passion, they were getting goals from just about anybody, and Ray Emery was solid in goal. I was still waiting for them to play a heartless game but they came to play every night. I think they have what it takes to beat the Devils this time. I think they will probably lose the 1st game in NJ but they will get their legs and fight back to get the split before coming home for game 3. The Devils are a pretty solid team and won't go down easy but I think the depth and determination of the Sens will win in the end...Ottawa in 7!!!

In The West

The Vancouver Canucks vs The Anaheim Ducks (ANA 4) - Two words...BRIAN BURKE!!! Burke used to the GM in Vancouver...he's now the GM in Anaheim. He was fired by Vancouver so he wants to take them out!!! Also worth noting is that Vancouver just finished a marathon series with Dallas. Three games went to overtime with the first one being decided in the 4th overtime...they get a day-off today and they're back at it tomorrow night. They'll be done in 4!!!

The Detroit Red Wings vs The San Jose Sharks (Det in 6) - The Red Wings are too powerful and they're not showing any signs of slowing down. I think the Sharks will keep it interesting and close but they can't match the talent on this Red Wings organization. This team will be in the Stanley Cup final and may even take the whole thing. You have no idea how much that hurt me to say that...I'm definitely not a Red WIngs fan!!!

So that's my picks for round 2...let me know what you think...let me know if you agree or if you think I'm full of it!!!

Good luck on your pools...you can't hold me financially responsible if you lose.

Keep it real...

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig

Sixteen Wins!!!

Yes...16 wins...that's how many hockey games one team has to win in order to get their names engraved on Lord Stanley's Cup...and it all starts TONIGHT!!!! This is the best part of hockey season...the post-season. The media will be ripping each team apart through stats and play-off experience just to make their own predictions. All hockey pools are buzzing right now and people are making decisions based on one of three things...1) their favourite team is in so they'll be rooting for them 2) looking at the teams and making picks based on stats and 3) jersey colour.
You can basically eliminate reasons 1 and 3...these are people making picks without reason. If they actually thought about things they may actually pick against their favourite team or their favourite colour. So, as my personal contribution to the hockey society I will give you my picks for the 1st round and my reasons for the choice.

Let's start in the East.
Buffalo vs New York Islanders(Buffalo in 7): I'd love to see the Islanders take this one just for Ted Nolan. For those of you who don't remember, Ted Nolan used to be the coach for the Buffalo Sabres when John Muckler was the GM. Nolan had just won the Jack Adams trophy as coach of the year in 1995-1996. Unfortunately he and Dominik Hasek (Buffalo's goalie at the time) didn't get along so Muckler had to get rid of one or the other...Nolan was gone. He was blacklisted from the NHL for some time but he continued coaching in the juniors. The Islanders took a chance on him and he got them to just squeeze into the playoffs. Dubie is hot in nets right now...the team is clicking at the right time. I think they'll make a series out of it but any team that has Alexei Yashin in the line-up will not be going anywhere.

New Jersey vs Tampa Bay (NJ in 5): Tampa has some wicked firepower and they play a very high energy game however, their goaltending is average at best. You don't get anywhere in the post-season with average goaltending and you also never bet against Martin Brodeur in the play-offs. I think Tampa may steal one game...that will be game 3 in Tampa just to make it interesting. After that NJ will shut the door!!!

Atlanta vs New York Rangers (NYR in 6): Notice that 3 of the 8 teams in the east are from New York State!!! The last time that happened was in 1994 and that was the year the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4 games to 3. Anyone remember Mark Messier's bold prediction??? I'll save that one for another blog posting. Anyway, I think the Rangers are a much stronger and well-rounded team than the Thrashers. To me it boils down to strength in goal. Lehtonen was inconsistent all year whereas Lundquist was pretty solid. Also, you can count on Sean Avery to agitate Kovalchuk and Hossa to the point where they won't even want to step on the ice.

Ottawa vs Pittsburgh (Pens in 6): The lack of experience on the Pittsburgh bench will be a non-factor in this series. The veteran leadership of Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts and Sergei Gonchar plus the security of Georges Laraque will have this team firing on all cylinders. The Senators are a very fragile play-off team due to their past losses. The main reason the Sens have lost in the past is in their inability to play with the heart that is required in the post-season. The Penguins have the talent and their veterans will right the ship to rip out the Sens' hearts once again. The strength on paper sides with the Sens...at every position. However, you can't measure heart on paper and that's the Sens downfall.

In the West.
Detroit vs Calgary (Detroit in 7): This has the makings of an upset with Calgary winning it in game 7 but I think Detroit will take this one. The depth of the Red Wings is just too much for Calgary to contain. They will make a good push for it but I think Hasek will win the goaltending duel against the Kipper. This series will be a tough one physically and the winner will have some sore bodies to mend. Detroit won't have anything left after this series.

Anaheim vs Minnesota (Minn. in 6): This is my pick for the upset in the west. The Wild will play a trap style of game that will frustrate the Ducks to no end. This will be a boring series and, unfortunately there will be more in round 2. Coach Jacques Lemaire was a coach in New Jersey and he introduced the trap then. Now that he's in Minnesota they're playing the same style...BORING!!!! In nets the battle will be won by Niklas Backstrom over JS Giguere. Backstrom led the league with a 1.97 goals against average and .929 save percentage. Of course it helps when you have an entire team playing defence in front of you.

Vancouver vs Dallas (Vancouver in 5): This one is a no-brainer. Turco has been horribly inconsistent in nets all year...Luongo has been outstanding. The way these teams play goes by the way of their goalies...Luongo will shine and the Canucks will adavance.

Nashville vs San Jose (San Jose in 6): My reason for picking the Sharks is quite simple...Joe Thornton. I loved him in Boston and I still can't figure out why they traded him but he's been having a blast in San Jose. If Nashville can figure out a way to stop Thornton, Cheechoo, Marleau, and Guerin then they might have a chance. Nashville have Kariya, Forsberg, and Arnott but they don't have the depth. In goal they're pretty much equal so it'll take goal-scoring talent to win this series...Thornton was second in the league with 114 points. That should do it!!!

That's it for the 1st round...I'll be back to cover the 2nd round.

As usual any comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Keep it real!!!
The Rokpig...

Hockey in Florida!?!?!?

Good day folks!!! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...I was on a much-needed vacation with my family for about 10 days in the great state of Florida. We enjoyed Disneyworld, Seaworld, and the Islands of Adventure to no end...you can't put a price on the enthusiasm of a child in any of those theme parks. It was fabulous!!!!

Of course, for the kids and my wife it was great...I also had a great time however for some reason I couldn't get my sports fix!!! To be more specific I couldn't get my hockey fix!!! Now, the last time I checked, there were 2 NHL teams located in Florida...the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are basically out of the playoff picture but the Tampa Bay Lightning are still fighting for 7th or 8th position which will get them into the playoffs. This should be BIG news. It is also worth noting that the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004...right before the lockout. Now with 2 NHL teams located in one state how come I can't get any NHL news? The only sports news I received was NCAA March Madness basketball!!! To those of you who aren't familiar with this we're talking about college/university basketball championships...not a professional sport but bigger than any Canadian sporting event to be sure. That being said I should still be able to receive updates and hi-lights from professional sports...at least from the leagues that are local!!! In Florida they have teams in every professional sport...Major League Baseball (Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays), National Football League (Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars), the National Basketball Association (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic) and the National Hockey League (Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning). Yet I can only receive news from the NCAA (not professional), the NCWAA (the women's college/university basketball program...again non-professional) the NBA and some grapefruit league action...which is MLB's pre-season.

I'm sure I'm not the only individual who encounters this dilemma. I understand that Florida is not a huge hockey market however they are somehow able to support 2 hockey franchises in this state...someone down there must want to follow one or both teams. Florida is also known for it's abundance of Snowbirds...these are also known as retired Canadians who reside in Florida for the winter months. Hmmmm....let's see....Canadians in Florida during hockey season. That should equate to some people requesting hockey info especially as the playoff race tightens. For some reason that info is not supplied!!! I'm beginning to wonder if any of the news stations ever bothered to check what their viewing audience may want at different times of the year!?!?!? I doubt it!!!

Living in Ontario we have 2 NHL teams as well. The fan base is huge and when you watch Sportscentre or Sportsnet, hockey is front and centre in the news. However, I believe we have a higher sports IQ!!! We not only show the NHL we also show hi-lights of NCAA, MLB, NFL, NBA, Soccer, Cricket, Diving, Skiing, etc.

I'm not ashamed to say that, as Canadians, we have more sports knowledge and more sports savvy than the U.S. We're just too damn nice to pick up the phone and tell the station what we want to see...we're also too damn polite to tell the bartender to change the channel and find some NHL action!!!! Who knows...if more hockey news was broadcasted in the southern U.S. they might actually attract some fans!!! Remember when I said that Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2004??? They couldn't fill the arena...even during the playoffs...and they were giving tickets away!!!! Sad isn't it!?!?!?

If they spend as much time on the NHL as they do on the grapefruit league or NCAA I would bet the attendance would climb and the buzz would spread!!! After all, it's the best game in the world...if you know about it!!!!

Keep your stick on the ice...

All cheap shots and comments are welcome!!!

CHEERS!!!!
The Rokpig

International Women's Day

Don't let the title fool you...I will tie this into the wonderful world of sports!!!

In case anyone missed it, yesterday (March 8th) was International Women's Day. A day to reflect on the changes that women have gone through since the early 1900's when they fought for, and won, recognition as human beings. Since then the feminist movement has been strong as they fight for equality with men...at times though, the line has been crossed.

I personally have no issue with women having the same rights as men however I have issue when they want more rights than men. I'm only going to address this issue from a sport's perspective as that's my area of expertise.

As far as I'm concerned, women should be able to play any sport they choose whether it's considered a man's sport or not. There are hockey leagues, basketball leagues, golf leagues, rugby leagues, football leagues, etc. that are all available as a men's league or as a women's league. What I don't understand is the need for a woman to try and play in a men's league if they already have a league of their own. If women are in pursuit of equality then they should try and achieve it without running the risk of a double-standard. Sadly, in sports we have a double-standard. It is now acceptable for a woman to try and make the cut and play in a men's league. In some cases it's even encouraged through sponsorship exemptions or clever marketing ploys...but what would happen if a man tried to join a women's league? Case in point...Manon Rheaume started a pre-season game in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the St. Louis Blues. She only played one period, faced 9 shots and let in 2 goals. Good for her??? Yes. Good for the women's league??? I don't think so. Good for the Lightning? Absolutely!!! Phil Esposito even went on the record to state that putting her in nets was nothing more than a marketing ploy to get people in the building. What if a male goaltender wanted to play in the women's leagues? There's the Ontario Women's Hockey League, The Western Women's Hockey League, the Mid-Atlantic Women's Hockey League, etc...would that be acceptable??? Absolutely not!!! Have you heard of any of these leagues??? Probably not!!! Wouldn't that be a good marketing ploy to bring some exposure to these leagues??? I would say yes but would it be good for women's hockey??? I'd say no!!!

How about the world of golf? Michelle Wie continues to try and make the cut on the PGA tour. This one really confuses me. I would think that, before a woman would try and compete in a men's league she would have at least dominated somewhat in the women's league. I'm not taking anything away from her ability. She's one heck of a golfer. But there is a league for her to play in and it's called the LPGA...that's the Ladie's Professional Golf Association. Can you imagine the uproar if Tiger Woods decided to play in an LPGA event??? Same idea though isn't it??? And that's becoming a double-standard which is, by definiton...A set of principles establishing different provisions for one group than another. Does that sound like equality? It doesn't sound that way to me.

Again...don't get me wrong...I think women should be treated equally as men but at the same time the realization that men and women are different has to be recognized.

• They can't share a change room for obvious reasons
• Men are physically stronger than women
• Women tend to be more emotional...(there's no crying in baseball...Tom Hanks)
• Typically records held by men are higher than the one's held by women in the same sport.

To sum up...there are fundamental differences between men and women. The fight for equality is a good one and should continue. The fight for women to compete with men in a man's sports' league should be stopped. Efforts should be spent on trying to raise the level of awareness of women's leagues which would eventually create a market. Once you have a market you will get television contracts and sponsorships. Instead, you're wasting energy by creating a higher profile for men's leagues. Sounds like women's fight for equality is being won by the men...again!!!

That's just my 2 cents...

Thanks for tuning in!!!

CHEERS!!!

The Rokpig...

The Winners and Losers

Happy Post-Trade Deadline day for the NHL. I don't know about you guys but I'm glad it's over!!! Nothing too exciting happened except for the Ryan Smith deal. Depending on who you talk to the writing was on the wall for Smith to be dealt. He was demanding a huge long-term contract and Kevin Lowe wasn't going to give in. I believe that Oiler management knew well in advance that Smith wasn't going to give in to a 'hometown deal' so they could've had their ducks in a row long before the trade deadline. In other words, they should've known what the other 29 GM's would've given up for Ryan Smith. Surely, at the GM's meeting in Naples, Florida, Kevin Lowe would've had a good sense as to what team would've given him the best deal for Smith. This is why I have no idea why he traded Smith for 2 prospects and a pick!!! Kind of reminiscent of the Joe Thornton trade Boston made with San Jose...basically giving him away for a bag of pucks and a stick-boy!!! Just my two cents!!!

Anyway, from my stand-point, these are the winners and the losers...
Winners:
East
The Pittsburgh Penguins - They were able to get a gritty forward who loves play-off hockey in Gary Roberts. They also get George Laracque who's going to keep everyone honest when it comes to Crosby and Malkin. They just may be playing Ottawa in the 1st round and that would be bad news for Ottawa...unfortunately for Sens fans this would be another early play-off dismissal and I'm willing to bet that Roberts is going to have a big hand in that!!!!

West
The San Jose Sharks - In getting Bill Guerin they'll be able to spread out more scoring responsibilty. Thornton and Guerin played together in Boston so they wouldn't be strangers if paired up on the same line. Also, they picked up Craig Rivet from the Habs on Sunday. He's a solid defencman but suffering from pneumonia right now. Should be good to go soon.

Losers
East
Well the losers from the trade deadline in the east is a tough one to nail down. Ottawa wanted Roberts but got Oleg Saprykin. Not quite the same type of player.

Montreal needed goaltending so they claimed Michael Leighton off waivers from the Flyers. They could've had seasoned goalies such as Eddie Belfour or Curtis Joseph for next to nothing.

Toronto got Yanic Perrault...FOR THE THIRD TIME!!! This has got to be the biggest trade loser in the east. They get Perrault, who was a free agent looking for a team at the beginning of the season...nobody wanted him!!! Toronto trades Brendan Bell for him...Bell is a solid defenceman that is starting to mature and will only get better. I can only shake my head at the Big Smoke and laugh...if there's a more backward team in the NHL please point them out to me because I have no idea who they are.

West
And this is strictly from the trade deadline point of view. Detroit is the biggest loser by acquiring Todd Bertuzzi. This man has played 7 games all season and hasn't even been close to game shape...what are they thinking. The Panthers get Shawn Matthias and up to 2 conditional draft picks, depending on how the team and Bertuzzi do from here on in. Now I still think that Detroit will do well in the play-offs but I doubt that Bertuzzi will have any influence in any of their series!!

Well...that's my opinion on what went down yesterday. I'm sure everyone agrees with me so I won't be surprised if I don't get any comments.

Let's see how the last section of this season plays out...I'll be back next week to let you know who's in and who's out of the play-off's!!!

Till then...
Always shoot for the 5-hole...
CHEERS!!!
The Rokpig!!!

Tainted Numbers...

Hey everybody!!! Just wanted to thank you for the comments that some of you have left me. Some have been humurous and others have been creative. There is one person who keeps asking for a some insight on some beach volleyball...I will email you that one separately. May not go over too well in this space. I would also like to encourage everyone to forward this blog-site to anyone else that may be of interest in something like this. The more the merrier and it would encourage even more feedback and comments...which is what this blogging stuff is all about!!!

Now...onto what bugs me!!!!

The records of goalies and coaches are being tainted by the shoot-out!!! To put it simply, any winning record that gets set by either a goalie or a coach should have an asterisk next to it. When a team wins in the shoot-out, both the coach and the goalie get credited for the win. The player that scores a goal in the shoot-out doesn't accumulate a point toward the scoring race. That means that all other coaches and goalies who have set records for wins could have had better numbers. Back when games could end in a tie, neither the coach nor the goalie would get the win (obviously). For example, if you look at the 1,244 wins that Scotty Bowman achieved, he amassed 314 ties over his illustrious career? It would be safe to say that if he had the shoot-out he may have gotten another 150 wins. How about Patrick Roy's numbers? He holds the record for most wins by a goalie at 551. He had 131 ties. It would also be safe to say that he could've gained another 65 wins out of those ties had it been for the shoot-out. Now Ottawa Senators coach, Bryan Murray has just been credited with his 600th career win. However, it was done in a shoot-out! These numbers are fudging the accomplishments of past record-setters who didn't have the luxury of shoot-outs. In order for the records to be broken and set by the present-day hockey personnel then the NHL has to rule out any accomplishments achieved from the results of a shoot-out. In other words, give the team the points in the standings for the win but the goalie and the coach should not get the credit for the win. If they are still tied at the end of overtime then their stats should show a tie. The NHL has to address this situation as soon as possible and correct the numbers before it gets out of hand. If they don't then the record books will be filled with a whole lot of asterisks...which will only cloud the achievements of the past!!

That's my beef for the week!!!!

I appreciate your time...comments are appreciated!!!

Go BRUINS Go...
The Rokpig...

True Post-Game For The True Fans!!!!

Are you sick of hearing the same old post-game questions with the same old post-game answers? Reporters asking the safe questions and the athletes supplying the politically correct responses!!! It's getting boring and predictable!!! Fans want to know how the athletes feel after a win or a loss!!! I think people want to know what's going on in their heads!!! People I've spoken to have expressed the same feeling and are frustrated with the way reporters and athletes converse. There have been a few gems that are highlights in the mundane world of post-game conferences...I think Bobby Knight owns most of the spectacular post-game footage...most of the time the questions and answers are typical politically correct nonsense.

I've decided to put together my own version of a post-game news conference. Any similarities to real people or real situations are purely coincidental...and purely for entertainment purposes!!!

Enjoy!!!

Good evening everybody this is Lance P. Mannion with the post-game scoop. I normally cover figure-skating but we were short-staffed so I will attempt to get to the heart of this game. Now, The Philadelphia Flyers just upset one of the big teams in the NHL and I have the coach here to answer a few questions.

REPORTER: How did you feel about getting the win?
COACH: To be honest, I am kind a pissed off. I was hoping to get back home so I could watch "American Idol." Now I have to use my excellent coaching skills to build from this game.

REPORTER: Your team was very animated after the win. Can you talk about that?
COACH: They were just happy as hell that they didn't have to watch "American Idol" with me.

REPORTER: What was the key to the win?
COACH: We scored more points.

REPORTER: Did you do anything different to them for the win?
COACH: Well, I opted for the buffet rather than the continental breakfast.

REPORTER: Your next opponent will present a lot of problems for you. Do you think you have a chance?
COACH: Hell, you're right we've got no shot so we'll probably just skip the game and plan a night out at the local strip joint.

REPORTER: How big is this win for your team?
COACH: Well, it was nice, but not as big as the anticipation of Peter’s Swedish Bean Dip for the next team showing of “American Idol.”

REPORTER: Is this the biggest win of your career?
COACH: Well, in the fourth grade the kids on my street beat the guys from the next block over.

REPORTER: Talk about the shot that went in off the skate of their defenceman.
COACH: That's part of our special teams training. Our guy was open in front of the net, but we wanted a high-percentage shot.

REPORTER: You keep referring to your 'four out - one in' special team. Can you elaborate? COACH: Yeah, we take four guys out of the game and just put one in. It's a good ploy.

REPORTER: You and Coach Doe are great friends. Do you feel bad for him?
COACH: Yeah, I do. As a matter of fact I feel so bad that I am going to tell him that he can play the next game instead of us.

REPORTER: What are you going to do to get ready for the next game?
COACH: We're going to hang out, have a few drinks, maybe get a few movies from Blockbuster or just order pay per view porn. Stuff like that.

REPORTER: What are the negatives about the win?
COACH: Well, my assistant coach is pissed because some woman winked at him during the game, but blew him off afterwards.

REPORTER: Your next opponent is an overwhelming favorite. How can you beat them? COACH: Well, we are going to breakdown film later so why don't you come on over and give us some of your tremendous insight.


Now, the Red Wings have just taken the worst loss of the season and the coach has taken a seat in the press room to answer questions from the media.

REPORTER: How do you feel about the loss?
COACH: I feel just freaking great about it. Now I can get back in time to see the finale of "American Idol."

REPORTER: With about three-minutes remaining you called the refs over. Was there a problem with the clock or were you confused about something else?
COACH: Actually my staff and I had no idea what to do with our final few minutes so I asked the ref if he could get a few members of the distinguished media to coach our team. You people seem to be just overflowing with hockey knowledge.

REPORTER: Their defense seemed to bother you. You couldn’t get any shots from in-close. Can you explain that?
COACH: Great observation, but we weren’t actually trying to hit the net. I told the lads to pick a spot somewhere on the glass and aim for it.

REPORTER: Are you disappointed in your team's effort?
COACH: They are a great group of guys and they worked so hard for me so I am glad that they got their asses kicked today.

REPORTER: What was the key to the loss?
COACH: The other team scored more points.

REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to be as focused tonight. I didn't see that same intensity. They looked like they didn't have their game faces on.
COACH: You're absolutely right. We had them, but we left them back at the hotel. My centreman had a skeleton face, my wingers were both sporting Zorro masks, my defencemen had Abbott & Costello faces and my goalie had a nice Batman mask. Hell, he even had an outstanding cape.

REPORTER: Can you talk about the great contribution from your goalie today?
COACH: He always plays better after a liquid lunch.

REPORTER: Why did you switch from the trap to fire wagon hockey?
COACH: Well, we played fire wagon for the entire game. Glad to see you were watching though.

REPORTER: When your number one centre left the game due to the major penalty, did that hurt your team?
COACH: No, it was great. He sat next to me on the bench and we talked about where we were going to eat after the game. Then he asked my assistant coach about the girl who winked at him. I think he is going to hook up with her.

REPORTER: I thought I heard your assistant coach yelling '4-1 offence' or something like that. Was that the offensive format you wanted?
COACH: No, he was trying to tell that woman that he was in room 41 at the hotel.

REPORTER: Your team didn't seem to have that same sense of urgency that they had in the last game.
COACH: Hell, you're right. I forgot to tell them that if we lose I get fired and they will be coached by you for the rest of the season.

REPORTER: When you were down one with two-seconds left in the game were you looking for an offensive miracle?
COACH: Actually I was looking for the hotdog guy and my assistant coach was looking for that woman.

REPORTER: During the final timeout before the last five minutes you looked angry. Could you talk about that sequence?
COACH: Well, we had turned the puck over on four straight possessions, which all resulted in goals for them so would you have preferred that I was ecstatic? Then you could have asked me why I was smiling. Great question.

REPORTER: What problems did they present for you?
COACH: Probably the fact that they scored more goals.

REPORTER: What were the positives that came out of the loss?
COACH: My assistant coach did hook up with that woman.

REPORTER: What did you say to the team after the game?
COACH: I told them that I was sorry, but that they had to go out and answer stupid questions from the media.

Got em...Got em...Need em...Need em...

Got em...got em...need em...what have you got??? What do you need???

Sounds like the good old days when trading hockey cards was a great way to get the card of your favourite player. You had to be pretty wise, a little sly, and extremely lucky to get the card you wanted without losing a lot in the process. Well guess what...some of those kids never stopped playing that game!!! They grew up and became General Managers of hockey teams and they do the same thing but with real players. Since the introduction of the salary cap blockbuster trades are a little tougher to come by but the potential is still there. I think there will be considerable movement before the trade deadline...Sean Avery has already been moved to the Rangers.

Now, with trading and salary caps the NHL players still hold the upper hand. This is somewhat of a thorn in my side!!!! The going rate for players is starting to creep back up to what it was before the lockout and the owners don't seem to care!!! Can you smell another lockout??? As far as I'm concerned the NFL does it right. If a player signs on to a team that contract is not really worth much. If that player tanks then the team can dump him and his contract. The team is only on the hook for the remainder of the season. If that same mentality applies to the NHL then the Ottawa Senators could dump Martin Gerber and keep Emery...opening up room to get a decent backup. The Montreal Canadiens could dump Sergei Samsonov and free up over $3 Million for next year. Colorado could dump Jose Theodore...the Islanders could dump Alexei Yashin...and the list goes on!!!! If you want true parity in the new NHL then a team shouldn't be forced to keep a high priced boat anchor on their team...they should be able to dump him if he's not performing!!! Then let another team take a chance on him or he just doesn't play!!!! Sounds fair right??? For the amount of money a fan pays to go to a game we should see the best possible product on the ice every game...that means every player should be giving 100% of their work every game in order for him to feel his job is safe. That would make for some very exciting hockey games in every NHL city...hey, US attendance might even go up!!!!

That's it for now...remember the trade deadline is February 27th...there just may be a blockbuster move by then so keep your eyes and ears open!!!

CHEERS!!!!
Bobby Orr's # 1 Fan...
The Rokpig

Super (Chili) Bowl (and chip dip) worth a Couple of Million Dollars!!!

This coming Sunday February 4th will be the 41st contest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy...also known as the Super Bowl XLI!!!
This is the time of year where even border-line football fans watch the game!!! Super Bowl parties are held at homes globally with a plentiful supply of chili, chips, dips, and copious amounts of beer!!! One of my favourite times of the year!!! There are also more pools than you can imagine...big grids that go from $1.00 to $10.00 per square...there will be a winner for the end of the first and third quarter...a bigger winner at the end of the half and the biggest winner at the end of the game!!! These house parties can get quite expensive but the pools actually make the game a bit more interesting when you have some potential money on the line!!! Speaking of money, that brings up another tradition of the Super Bowl...ADVERTISING!!!!
Advertising is huge for this game...for example a 30-second spot will cost US advertisers up to $2.6 Million...Canadian advertisers will pay about $100,000 for the same spot...why is that? US advertisers will reach about 90 Million people. Their commercials are only aired on a US feed...the Canadian advertisers reach an audience of about 4 Million...they get piped into CBS and Global feeds during the US commercials. Makes sense now I guess!!! The major Canadian Advertisers are McCain, Labatt's, GM and Rogers. In the US??? Anheuser- Busch is the biggest dollar donator. You may not like Bud but most of you love their commercials!!!!
So where does the power of the internet play in all of this??? Quite simply, websites have been charging these companies extra to show their ads online after the game. Can you smell the cash being generated here? First they pay the networks to show their ads to a US only audience then they pay a website (YouTube, AOL, iFilm) to show them to the world. Unfortunately, I can't find any info on how much the websites are getting...I would imagine this info will become available in the near future!!! Suffice to say...the Super Bowl and the NFL is a money-generating machine that stays on top of technology!!! And who says sports is for neanderthals!?!?!?

Anyway, on with the sports side of things...this epic battle features a little bit of history right of the top. For the first time there will be an African-American coach with a Super Bowl ring. Both coaches, Lovey Smith of the Chicago Bears and Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts, are African-American so history will be made.
The tale of the tape shows that this will be a very entertaining game...Super Bowls of the past have boasted the same but rarely lived up to the hype!!! Keep one thing in mind...the Super Bowl is all about the hype...inside the numbers...who's best in the red zone...the best record of getting a 1st down when they're 3rd and long...it's all crazy stuff but the fans eat it up!!!!
When all is said and done everyone hopes for a very tight game that is decided on the last play. Unfortunately, I'd bet that this game will be decided by the end of the first half!!! Most Super Bowl's of the past have been lopsided victories that were decided by the end of the half and I think this one will as well.

My Prediction
The Colts offence was ranked 3rd in the regualr season and the Bears defence was ranked 5th. They say that defence wins championships (see the Ravens in 2001) but I can't see the Bears working the magic on this one!!! Peyton Manning has alot to prove...he just got the Tom Brady monkey off his back and his time is now to win the championship. You have to score some points to win this game and if you just look at the quarterbacks it becomes quite clear that this will be a walk-away win for the Colts. In the last 5 games Peyton Manning threw 178 footballs and completed 118 of them for 1433 yards...in that same span Rex Grossman threw 134 and completed 70 of them for 803 yards...PATHETIC numbers!!! If it wasn't for their defence the Bears wouldn't even be here!!! And they'll need more than that to beat the Colts!!!

My pick is the Colts over the Bears by a score of 30-13!!!!

As usual, any comments would be appreciated!!!

CHEERS!!!
Rokpig

NHL All Star Game

G'day folks,

As the NHL All Star week kicks off tonight I thought it would be a good time to send out another blog. Tonight's festivites include the YoungStars Game. This game will boast the NHL's very impressive rookie class. This game is played as a 4-on-4 format and the All Star skills competition will follow...that is usually quite entertaining as well.

This year's rookie class includes some of the best players in the game...some surprising and some not so surprising. Names like Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Phil Kessel, and Jussi Jokinen were almost expected to be chosen but pleasant surprises like Kari Lehtonen, Andrej Meszaros, Patrick Eaves, Peter Budaj, Ryan Getzlaf, and Lee Stempniak should make this game a pretty good show!!! Call me biased but I'm going with the East on this one...between Malkin, Kessel, and Eaves I think the goals will come fast and furious!!!!

The Skills Competition is quite entertaining...you see alot of the comradery between the players even if they're from the opposing teams. Here's a run-down on the some of the skills:

Puck Control Relay The last winner of this event was Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets. It's impossible to say who will win it because you don't know who signs up for what event but I'd guess if Alexander Ovechkin enters this one then he gets it hands-down!!!

Fastest Skater Scott Niedermayer won this last and I wouldn't put it past him to get it again however there are some younger legs out there though and my guess is Martin Havlat might blow the doors off everyone this year!!!

Hardest Shot Al MacInnis used to own this one!!! Last time there was a tie...Sheldon Souray and Adrian Aucoin at 102.2 mph...that's fast!!!! Hate to be a goalie in this league!!! That being said, I saw Zdeno Chara crank out a slapshot at the Sens Skills competition that was at least 102 mph...I'm going with Chara to do it again at the skills competition!!!

Accuracy Shooting My man Ray Bourque used to be the man to beat at this one...believe it or not Jeremy Roenick has owned it the last 2 years!!! Well, he's not there this time so the torch will be passed...judging by the dryer in his parent's house I think Sydney Crosby will get this one!!!

Goaltender's Competition The winning goalie will be decided by the best record in both the In the Zone and Shootout competitions...Roberto Luongo won it last time...the popular choice will be Martin Brodeur but I'm going to buck the trend on this one and go with Ryan Miller...hey, call me crazy!!!!

As for the actual All Star Game it's a no-brainer...the fire-power and the goaltending is so lopsided this year...it will be the East by at least 5 goals!!!!

Enjoy the fun folks!!!!
We'll see how close I get!!!!

Check out NHL.com to get the line-up and more info on the festivities!!!!

CHEERS!!!!
Rokpig!!!!

What a Weekend!!!!!

Happy Monday sport's fans!!!! What a weekend!!! CBC had Hockey Day in Canada and all 6 Canadian teams played each other!!! Not to mention all but 2 teams in the NHL played at some point during that day!!! Not sure if everyone is familiar with the concept of Hockey Day in Canada...so I'll try and capture it in a nutshell. Basically, CBC holds a contest to see who will be the host city for the main show. This contest is based on the best feel-good story as well as funds raised for charities plus the level of volunteerism. Many cities across Canada will submit their own stories for consideration and CBC will choose one rfrom all of them. The others will still have some degree of exposure as well. CBC will plant a reporter in each of these small towns across Canada and will spend air-time showcasing each and every one...kind of gives you the warm fuzzies about the state of hockey in our great land!!!!

So in case you missed it...here's a general re-cap of the Canadian teams...
Ottawa 8 - Montreal 3 (in Ottawa)
Vancouver 6 - Toronto 1 (in Toronto)
Calgary 3 - Edmonton 1 (in Calgary)

I'm not going to go through all the other teams...suffice to say my Bruins lost to the Rangers 3-1...and that's all I'm going to say about that!!!!

Also, if that wasn't enough, the NFL play-offs were on this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. AFC and NFC semi-finals were played and they were extremely entertaining games. On Saturday we watched the storied New Orleans Saints run past the Philadelphia Eagles for a 27-24 win!!! That rookie Reggie Bush is something to watch...always finding a way through the line!!! Then the Indianapolis Colts kicked their way past the Baltimore Ravens for a 15-6 win. The Ravens held Peyton Manning off the scoresheet but couldn't contain Adam Vinatieri's foot...probably the most prolific kicker in the NFL when needed.

On Sunday we witnessed The Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 in overtime. Thanks to kicker Robbie Gould who kicked the tying field goal with 4:28 left in regulation from 41 yards out and then kicked the game-winner at 4:58 in OT from 49 yards out. Hard to believe this guy was a walk-on during training camp...he was a construction worker before he got this job!!!! Also on Sunday, The New England Patriots demonstrated why they've won 3 of the past 5 Super Bowls by coming from behind and scoring 11 points in 3:26 to beat the heavily favoured San Diego Chargers 24-21. What a game!!! Hell, the whole weekend was a great game after another great game!!! The remote sure got a workout!!!!

So after all this excitement on the weekend I still found a bunch of issues. There was a confrontation between Tomlinson and "someone" from the New England team...there was no footage and none can be found. The NFL has more cameras in so many locations than any other sport yet they have no footage of the incident. It happened so fast last night that you knew something happened but you weren't sure. And the networks didn't go back and try to find anything on it...if they did it wasn't shown on the channel I was watching!!!

No post-game news conferences for any of the Hockey Day in Canada games...very little post-game coverage for the NFL games. I just want to hear what's going on in their heads!!!

Well...that's it for now...I will blog again next week!!! Till then enjoy your sports!!!

CHEERS!!!
Rokpig...

Opening Face-Off

HELLO SPORTS FANS!!!!
Well...let's see if this blog site works better than the others I've tried!!! Hopefully you won't have to register here in order to give your opinions and/or feedback to my blog. You should be able to reply anonymously if you don't feel like registering.

Let me introduce myself...I'm a huge sports nut who suffers annually due to his favourite teams' inability to rise to the occassion year in and year out!!! I'm a Boston Bruins fan...an Oakland Raiders fan, and a Boston Red Sox fan!!!! I must be crazy but that's the life of a fan. But enough about me...I want to know about what drives other sports' fans crazy.

I'm hoping use this forum to solicit opinions on sports information. What sports information is available as compared to what you want. Do you feel slighted because you missed a highlight on TSN because you were brushing your teeth...now you have to wait for it to be replayed which is basically in another hour. Do you want to hear what coaches say after the game...whether it's the winning coach or the losing coach? Why can't I pick the 3 stars of the game...or the turning point of the game? What makes Molson's, TSN, or NBC the judge of something that should be fan-based?

Basically, I'd like to know what other sports fans want to have as part of their daily info fix!!! Any comments would be appreciated!!!

My fingers are crossed that this blog works...

CHEERS!!!!
Rokpig!!!!