Last night, as I sat at the bar of my favorite watering hole, I was watching the Calgary Flames get their ass handed to them by the Washington Capitals. The flames looked extinguished for much of the contest, but the one play that inspired me to pull out the old keyboard and start typing was a Calgary goal that was called off for Goalie interference.
This non goal is what pisses me off about the NHL and their lack of consistency, or rather their habit of consistently being inconsistent. Alex Tanguay fired a shot to the back of the net that was waived off because Jarome Iginla was called for goaltender interference. This was total Bullshit! Why do I say this? Well the rule is that the goalie must have a fair shot at making the save. And in this case, he did. Iginla did fall into the goalie, but by the time the shot was made, the Capital's net minder was free, and was able to move unimpeded to attempt to make the save, which he in fact did.
Last week, the game winning goal scored by Toronto enforcer Colton Orr, was pure goalie interference. It was textbook stuff. Orr side tackled the goalie with a ref standing right there watching. The goal was not even reviewed. I am a Leaf fan to the core, as you can probably guess from this blog, but when I see one blatant call not made, and another clear case of a good goal being disallowed, I get a bit worked up.
That one goal would not have changed the outcome of the 7-2 ass stomping the Caps were dishing out, but the principle of fair officiating is what is important.
This extends past good goals and bad goals, but all season long there have been calls that make no sense at all. This new blindside rule is one that is getting a lot of attention. Players, coaches, and even the refs themselves all seem to have no real solid grasp on the the rules. We have seen clean shoulder to shoulder hits get called as head shots. We have seen head shots get no calls at all. Slashes that not been called, and on and on.
The more I see, the more upset I get. There are 4 guys on the ice for reason, yet so much is missed, or allowed to happen that shouldn't. With technology the way it is, someone could easily be streaming the live game on a laptop and showing the refs what they missed. Sure there is a delay, but its still faster then what they do now. I also mention that because there was a goal review last week, I can't remember the game, but I remember it taking over 10 minutes because they were waiting on the TV Network's feed because they had better angles on the goal then the NHL had. So they do actually use the TV networks feeds form time to time.
Maybe one day the game will be fair for all teams and all games, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
At the end of the day, we are all fans of teams that have gotten screwed at some point in time, and despite who we root for, that is a common reality that binds us all together. I feel your pain Calgary.
That's all for now...
Till next time
Stay Angry!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Think Pink.
Tonight's Leafs/Rangers game, the third meeting this month, will feature Toronto enforcer Colton Orr taking to the ice in pink Reebok skates in support of breast cancer awareness month. A noble thing to do surely. Orr is not the only one to flash the pink, Islanders net minder Rick Dipietro ordered all pink gear, pads, blocker, trapper, etc. Other have used pink sticks, tape, coaches have worn pink ties, and I am sure some puck bunnies have pink g-strings on under their easily removed pants.
Showing support is a good thing, however sometimes things go to far. For example, years ago, I worked at a department store, and they brought in a pile of useless merchandise that no one would buy anyway, coloured them pink, and slapped Celine Dion's picture on them. As I predicted while setting up the display, non of it sold.
The above story really has nothing to do with anything except I wanted to poke fun at Celine Dion.
The Idiots that run the NHL actually have done something right they last few years with allowing players and teams to wear pink during the month of October. The NFL also allows this. Not sure about MLB stance on the matter because I haven't watched baseball since the 1994 lockout.
There is one league that is apparently run by even bigger morons then the NHL, and that is the good old CFL (Canadian Football League for those of you around the world that may not be familiar)
On October 23rd, in a game against the Toronto Argonauts, a Winnipeg Blue Bombers player Jon Oosterhuis (don't ask me to pronounce that name, I copy/pasted that shit) was fined $200 for wearing pink gloves in the game to show his support. The fine was for violating the policy that all player must only wear team approved colours as a part of their uniform.
$200 may not sound like a lot, but CFL players make like Mc Donald's money. That was probably this poor bastards yearly beer budget.
This is a great way to get the public to watch the CFL, A league that, outside of the hardcore fans, has a hard time getting people to go to games. This is a PR fuck up if I ever seen one.
The CFL has said that if they were to allow a player to wear pink, then they would have to allow the same level of support for every cause out there, and they would have to have a league wide standard for all teams in regards to how it was carried out. While I can see that they want to be fair to all causes out there, the fact is, with all other leagues out there allowing for things like this, why haven't they had these "standards' already in place? I mean this concept is not new.
And was the $200 fine really necessary? If they really had a problem with it, they could have called a closed door meeting and told the the guy their concern over the matter and avoided the bad press. Or if they were smart, they could have used the situation to their advantage and declared the leagues support for the cause. Total bullshit I know, but the public wouldn't have known the difference.
All the pink gear in all the leagues that are worn in games are auctioned off for cancer charities. The CFL could have also had the player donate the $200 to charity, and then added money themselves, you know, just to look good.
Ultimately, no matter what CFL has to say about their reasoning for the fine, they still come off looking like a bunch of out of touch, heartless assholes. The old saying that bad publicity is better then no publicity may not work in this situation.
here is a link to an article on the subject. The Pink and the Stink
Well that is all for now, I am off to watch some dudes in pink skates chase a chunk of rubber around the old hockey rink...
Till then...
Stay Angry
And Happy Halloween!
Showing support is a good thing, however sometimes things go to far. For example, years ago, I worked at a department store, and they brought in a pile of useless merchandise that no one would buy anyway, coloured them pink, and slapped Celine Dion's picture on them. As I predicted while setting up the display, non of it sold.
The above story really has nothing to do with anything except I wanted to poke fun at Celine Dion.
The Idiots that run the NHL actually have done something right they last few years with allowing players and teams to wear pink during the month of October. The NFL also allows this. Not sure about MLB stance on the matter because I haven't watched baseball since the 1994 lockout.
There is one league that is apparently run by even bigger morons then the NHL, and that is the good old CFL (Canadian Football League for those of you around the world that may not be familiar)
On October 23rd, in a game against the Toronto Argonauts, a Winnipeg Blue Bombers player Jon Oosterhuis (don't ask me to pronounce that name, I copy/pasted that shit) was fined $200 for wearing pink gloves in the game to show his support. The fine was for violating the policy that all player must only wear team approved colours as a part of their uniform.
$200 may not sound like a lot, but CFL players make like Mc Donald's money. That was probably this poor bastards yearly beer budget.
This is a great way to get the public to watch the CFL, A league that, outside of the hardcore fans, has a hard time getting people to go to games. This is a PR fuck up if I ever seen one.
The CFL has said that if they were to allow a player to wear pink, then they would have to allow the same level of support for every cause out there, and they would have to have a league wide standard for all teams in regards to how it was carried out. While I can see that they want to be fair to all causes out there, the fact is, with all other leagues out there allowing for things like this, why haven't they had these "standards' already in place? I mean this concept is not new.
And was the $200 fine really necessary? If they really had a problem with it, they could have called a closed door meeting and told the the guy their concern over the matter and avoided the bad press. Or if they were smart, they could have used the situation to their advantage and declared the leagues support for the cause. Total bullshit I know, but the public wouldn't have known the difference.
All the pink gear in all the leagues that are worn in games are auctioned off for cancer charities. The CFL could have also had the player donate the $200 to charity, and then added money themselves, you know, just to look good.
Ultimately, no matter what CFL has to say about their reasoning for the fine, they still come off looking like a bunch of out of touch, heartless assholes. The old saying that bad publicity is better then no publicity may not work in this situation.
here is a link to an article on the subject. The Pink and the Stink
Well that is all for now, I am off to watch some dudes in pink skates chase a chunk of rubber around the old hockey rink...
Till then...
Stay Angry
And Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
That is why they get paid the big bucks... Part 2: The Revenge.
Well It is back to hockey talk this time, and seeing as nothing at the moment has me pissed off, I'll keep it short, and sweet, and talk about last nights Leafs/Panthers game.
Now if you had the good fortune to have read my award winning (I just made that part up) post entitled "That's why they get paid the big bucks" which blasted the refs for doing their best Three Stooges impression, well there are four officials, so I guess I would have to substitute Curly and replace him with Shemp and Curly Joe Besser (The shittiest Stooge of them all) to tag along with Larry and Moe.
To say the officiating was bad that night vs the Islanders is an understatement, but it seems the refs had a little pow wow and decided to pull their Stooges routine out again, however, this time it worked out in the Leafs favor.
Colton Orr's game winning goal was clearly goaltender interference, and the ref was standing right there when it happened. Was this not called to balance out the fact that they had missed a few big calls prior? Like Grabovski being hauled down going into the offensive zone? Or a slash that seen Colby Armstrong leave the game early in the first and not return?
If so, then despite the call going the Leafs way, it is still not cool. Or maybe the refs really are channeling the spirit of Mr Besser. Conspiracy, or incompetence? Either scenario is scary in it's own way.
Sure I am very happy for the win, however, this sort of thing seems to happen an awful lot these days. Sometimes it goes your teams way, and sometimes it kicks you in the balls, and it is true that most fans will remember the nut shots way more vividly than the ones that went their way, but having a game decided on bullshit is not good.
You could argue that Kessel's goal nullified the bad call, but you could also conclude that the Panthers would not have played as aggressive as they were at the time of his break away, which lead to his sweet ass goal had the game been still tied 1-1.
Some may say that the bad calls all balance out over a season, and maybe they are right, but maybe they are part of the grand reffing conspiracy. This thing goes all the way to the White House. Karl Rove and Henry Kissinger are probably involved somehow. Got goose bumps yet?
In the end, these assholes need to get their shit together and stop fucking teams over all the time. I am sure one of the 3 Florida Panthers fan's out there is writing an angry blog as we speak (or as I write) bitching about that Orr goal. And rightfully so. I also see many sequels to this post in my future.
One good thing to see, or hear rather, was the fans actually making some noise in the ACC for a change. See what happens when you cheer for your team? That's right, they play well, and have some energy. A lot of people must have read my "Yuppie Scum" article. I must have made a difference. That is the only logical explanation right?.
Well that is all for now.
Until next time...
Stay Angry!
Now if you had the good fortune to have read my award winning (I just made that part up) post entitled "That's why they get paid the big bucks" which blasted the refs for doing their best Three Stooges impression, well there are four officials, so I guess I would have to substitute Curly and replace him with Shemp and Curly Joe Besser (The shittiest Stooge of them all) to tag along with Larry and Moe.
To say the officiating was bad that night vs the Islanders is an understatement, but it seems the refs had a little pow wow and decided to pull their Stooges routine out again, however, this time it worked out in the Leafs favor.
Colton Orr's game winning goal was clearly goaltender interference, and the ref was standing right there when it happened. Was this not called to balance out the fact that they had missed a few big calls prior? Like Grabovski being hauled down going into the offensive zone? Or a slash that seen Colby Armstrong leave the game early in the first and not return?
If so, then despite the call going the Leafs way, it is still not cool. Or maybe the refs really are channeling the spirit of Mr Besser. Conspiracy, or incompetence? Either scenario is scary in it's own way.
Sure I am very happy for the win, however, this sort of thing seems to happen an awful lot these days. Sometimes it goes your teams way, and sometimes it kicks you in the balls, and it is true that most fans will remember the nut shots way more vividly than the ones that went their way, but having a game decided on bullshit is not good.
You could argue that Kessel's goal nullified the bad call, but you could also conclude that the Panthers would not have played as aggressive as they were at the time of his break away, which lead to his sweet ass goal had the game been still tied 1-1.
Some may say that the bad calls all balance out over a season, and maybe they are right, but maybe they are part of the grand reffing conspiracy. This thing goes all the way to the White House. Karl Rove and Henry Kissinger are probably involved somehow. Got goose bumps yet?
In the end, these assholes need to get their shit together and stop fucking teams over all the time. I am sure one of the 3 Florida Panthers fan's out there is writing an angry blog as we speak (or as I write) bitching about that Orr goal. And rightfully so. I also see many sequels to this post in my future.
One good thing to see, or hear rather, was the fans actually making some noise in the ACC for a change. See what happens when you cheer for your team? That's right, they play well, and have some energy. A lot of people must have read my "Yuppie Scum" article. I must have made a difference. That is the only logical explanation right?.
Well that is all for now.
Until next time...
Stay Angry!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
GWAR GWAR GWAR GWAR!!!!
So today's post is not about hockey. Every now and then I will have a non sports related post. This post is because I didn't watch any sports this weekend. I was too busy partying like a rock star deep in the bowels of Toronto, getting covered in space jizz at a Gwar show.
We had a large group of us going, 8 or 9 of us, I can't count, so that figure is speculative at best. Anyway we decided to all chip in for a Limo, and man, what a great idea it turned out to be. The driver, Sammy, was a cool as fuck dude. I was a little worried about drinking before getting in the limo for the exact reason that transpired, which was bladder control.
About half way through the journey the first rumblings of the old piss factory started to make its displeasure known, but it wasn't just me, it was EVERYONE! In some diabolical synchronization of misery, we all made our discomfort aware to each other, which came off more like a bunch of old dudes with bum prostates complaining about it.
The problem however was the fact we were stuck in traffic on the 401 among the many heading into the city to do what ever it is one does on a Saturday night in October. With no relief in sight, the first victim fell. It was one of the two ladies that were with us. She made it very clear that she could not hold it any longer, and was convinced by lady number 2 that the only solution was to pee in a cup. Much to my dismay, I was seated next to her.
After some maneuvering that erected a makeshift wall of people to create some privacy for her, she got the job done, and out the window, a fresh brewed cup of urine sailed through the air. Piss bombs are not just for truckers anymore. A few minutes later, following lady number 1's lead, lady number 2 decided to do the old cup trick as well. 2 down, 6 more bladders to go.
A few Km down the road, we got to an over pass. The Limo had stopped, and my buddy sitting next to the door took the opportunity to hop out of the car and run for the wall. The Limo began to move, leaving him behind. Someone alerted Sammy to the situation, and he stopped to allow my friend to get back in, but another one of the group had a better idea. He, like a great general, ordered us all out for for a blitzkrieg assault of mass bladder relief.
So now all six of us file out and run behind this wall. A line of satisfaction saturated the concrete and grass. It was on the way back to the car that I noticed we were still on the 401, and now we were causing a bit of a traffic jam. Oops.
Now with empty bladders, we continued our Journey without incident.
We got to to the Opera House, and there was a ton of Zombies in the lineup. I was not aware of the Zombie Walk that was held in the city that night. There were some pretty cool looking costumes. I wish I had the brains to take some pictures.
There were 2 or 3 opening acts, I can't really remember too well, as they all bored me to death, so I spent most of that time outside smoking with various Zombies.
Gwar finally got on about 10, and right out the gate, Lead singer Oderus Urungus decapitated two poor zombies that were slowly walking around the stage. Ahh, good times. We stayed in the balcony part of the Opera House for most of the show until, for me, my evil bladder came back to haunt me. I had no choice but to make use of the facilities.
This brings me up to one of my many pet peeves, and that is fucking bathroom attendants. Why do places have these fucking people? I guess to discourage drug use in the bathrooms? Either way, I hate it with a passion. It is always black guys too. I am not sure why that is, but it doesn't seem right to me, but I digress.
The fact is it make people uncomfortable. I don't want some dude running the tap for me,and giving me soap and shit. I wanna go in, do my business, and get out. I do not want to feel like I have to tip some guy every time I tinkle. I know these poor bastards are just doing their jobs, so I can't fault them in anyways, but it is set up to make you feel like an asshole no matter what. If you allow the guy to do his job and you don't tip, you look like a schmuck, and if you do like I do and run past them to the sink furthest away, you look like a schmuck, and if you do tip, then you are a sucker for paying for something you didn't want in the first place. There is no winners here.
After my trip to the men's room, I decided to take my chances in the PIT. That was an adventure on its own, but I was good and drunk, and ready for the challenge. I was only able to get so far before it got too crazy for me to handle in my state, but I was still in range for one of the many cannons, decapitated heads, and Oderus's penis, which all shoot different coloured water onto the crowd. I must say, with the dank heat of a 1000 humans in close proximity, the cool water was a nice feeling.
I didn't notice until the next morning, when I awoke in my clothes on my buddy's couch that my pants and everything else I had on was stained in many colours. Good times indeed. That shit went through my pants, staining my legs too. My face was orange, and looked like I had one of those fake New Jersey tans.
After the Show, we all piled into the Limo, and mellowed out on the way home. It was pretty uneventful until one of my friends, the very same one that hopped out of the limo on the way to the show, had to vomit out the door of the car as we sped down the highway.
The night ended with an pizza being ordered, and passing out shortly after it arrived. Seeing this was our 3rd time going to see Gwar in the last 3 years, I am sure this whole story will take place again next year.
Well that is all for now, next time it is back to Hockey.
Till then....
Stay angry!
We had a large group of us going, 8 or 9 of us, I can't count, so that figure is speculative at best. Anyway we decided to all chip in for a Limo, and man, what a great idea it turned out to be. The driver, Sammy, was a cool as fuck dude. I was a little worried about drinking before getting in the limo for the exact reason that transpired, which was bladder control.
About half way through the journey the first rumblings of the old piss factory started to make its displeasure known, but it wasn't just me, it was EVERYONE! In some diabolical synchronization of misery, we all made our discomfort aware to each other, which came off more like a bunch of old dudes with bum prostates complaining about it.
The problem however was the fact we were stuck in traffic on the 401 among the many heading into the city to do what ever it is one does on a Saturday night in October. With no relief in sight, the first victim fell. It was one of the two ladies that were with us. She made it very clear that she could not hold it any longer, and was convinced by lady number 2 that the only solution was to pee in a cup. Much to my dismay, I was seated next to her.
After some maneuvering that erected a makeshift wall of people to create some privacy for her, she got the job done, and out the window, a fresh brewed cup of urine sailed through the air. Piss bombs are not just for truckers anymore. A few minutes later, following lady number 1's lead, lady number 2 decided to do the old cup trick as well. 2 down, 6 more bladders to go.
A few Km down the road, we got to an over pass. The Limo had stopped, and my buddy sitting next to the door took the opportunity to hop out of the car and run for the wall. The Limo began to move, leaving him behind. Someone alerted Sammy to the situation, and he stopped to allow my friend to get back in, but another one of the group had a better idea. He, like a great general, ordered us all out for for a blitzkrieg assault of mass bladder relief.
So now all six of us file out and run behind this wall. A line of satisfaction saturated the concrete and grass. It was on the way back to the car that I noticed we were still on the 401, and now we were causing a bit of a traffic jam. Oops.
Now with empty bladders, we continued our Journey without incident.
We got to to the Opera House, and there was a ton of Zombies in the lineup. I was not aware of the Zombie Walk that was held in the city that night. There were some pretty cool looking costumes. I wish I had the brains to take some pictures.
There were 2 or 3 opening acts, I can't really remember too well, as they all bored me to death, so I spent most of that time outside smoking with various Zombies.
Gwar finally got on about 10, and right out the gate, Lead singer Oderus Urungus decapitated two poor zombies that were slowly walking around the stage. Ahh, good times. We stayed in the balcony part of the Opera House for most of the show until, for me, my evil bladder came back to haunt me. I had no choice but to make use of the facilities.
This brings me up to one of my many pet peeves, and that is fucking bathroom attendants. Why do places have these fucking people? I guess to discourage drug use in the bathrooms? Either way, I hate it with a passion. It is always black guys too. I am not sure why that is, but it doesn't seem right to me, but I digress.
The fact is it make people uncomfortable. I don't want some dude running the tap for me,and giving me soap and shit. I wanna go in, do my business, and get out. I do not want to feel like I have to tip some guy every time I tinkle. I know these poor bastards are just doing their jobs, so I can't fault them in anyways, but it is set up to make you feel like an asshole no matter what. If you allow the guy to do his job and you don't tip, you look like a schmuck, and if you do like I do and run past them to the sink furthest away, you look like a schmuck, and if you do tip, then you are a sucker for paying for something you didn't want in the first place. There is no winners here.
After my trip to the men's room, I decided to take my chances in the PIT. That was an adventure on its own, but I was good and drunk, and ready for the challenge. I was only able to get so far before it got too crazy for me to handle in my state, but I was still in range for one of the many cannons, decapitated heads, and Oderus's penis, which all shoot different coloured water onto the crowd. I must say, with the dank heat of a 1000 humans in close proximity, the cool water was a nice feeling.
I didn't notice until the next morning, when I awoke in my clothes on my buddy's couch that my pants and everything else I had on was stained in many colours. Good times indeed. That shit went through my pants, staining my legs too. My face was orange, and looked like I had one of those fake New Jersey tans.
After the Show, we all piled into the Limo, and mellowed out on the way home. It was pretty uneventful until one of my friends, the very same one that hopped out of the limo on the way to the show, had to vomit out the door of the car as we sped down the highway.
The night ended with an pizza being ordered, and passing out shortly after it arrived. Seeing this was our 3rd time going to see Gwar in the last 3 years, I am sure this whole story will take place again next year.
Well that is all for now, next time it is back to Hockey.
Till then....
Stay angry!
Friday, October 22, 2010
You will be hearing from my lawyer!
Rick Rypien got 6 games for his little tussle with a Wild fan this week. I had guessed 5, but even that to me was a little high. Mike Milbury got 6 games for beating a man with his own shoes. You can see it here Fun with shoes So seeing the Rypien incident was way more minor than this, 6 seems a lot to me in a relative way. How ever this is Napoleon Bettman's NHL and turning the game into a passionless pussy fest is his goal. Or maybe it's society that is to blame.
That leads me to my main gripe with this whole situation. Sure Rypien should not have touched a fan, but the fact is it happened. And what about the victim? Well naturally, this kid did what any American would do. He got a lawyer.
This kinda thing makes me sick. No one can take responsibility for anything they do in life. It is always someones fault, and usually something they see as a lawsuit. We are always quick to blame the athlete for any such matter, but no one ever considers what the fan may have said or did to provoke an attack.
When someone is emotionally jacked up, it does not take a genius to know that it will not take much to set them off. Think about yourself in a moment of extreme emotion. I am sure everyone has snapped at some point during one of these episodes. It reminds me of some idiot that wonders why they got mauled by some wild animal. "I don't know why it attacked me, all I did was poke it with a stick a few times as it was feeding its baby it just birthed 5 minutes ago". All I am saying is it takes two to tango. We see it in all incidents involving players attacking fans. Usually the fan starts it. Go on Youtube and check some of them out.
Back to the lawyer thing. This weasel is gonna take this oppertunity to show the world what turd he is if he sues over this. It was a little grab of the shirt, and any judge that hears this waste of a case is also an idiot for wasting everyone's time. Give the little turd some free tickets and lets move on, and maybe an Ovechkin bobble head doll.
I had a similar reaction to the Vancouver couple that has decided to sue Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski over a bar fight during the winter Olympics.
This story has lawyer scum written all over it. They claim all sorts of injuries and mental anguish over this fight.
Their version is that the husband was just sitting there, being a model citizen, when a boozed filled Grabovski attack this angel because he was wearing a Habs jersey. After beating the husband, this crazy man also beat the shit out of his wife.
Sure, that sounds like a reasonable claim. People attack people all the time for no reason at all. Fuck.
Keep in mind that Grabovski allegedly beat up a whole bar on his own with a broken hand mind you, which had kept him off the Belarus roster, as well as the Leafs roster at the time.
The couple claimed at the time that they did not know who this man was, but when they heard he was an NHL player it was like "Shit, I got whiplash now... call my lawyer".
Eddie Murphy has a funny bit on Raw about a bar brawl that ended with everyone suing him. Like he could kick a whole bars ass by himself.
The Police in the Vancouver brawl said there was like a dozen people involved in the fight, and all were too drunk to press any charges, as they could not get the real story of what had happened.
My guess is that this perfect angel started running his mouth and Grabo Decked him. Others probably stepped in to break it up, and a few more punches got tossed from everyone involved. I have seen many bar fights in my day, and that is usually what takes place.
But that is society these days. Next time you go outside, make sure you have a lawyer on speed dial. You never know when you need to sue someone.
I will leave you with this little story about how my buddy almost caused a player/fan altercation at an Oshawa Generals game. I went with my roommate, and band mate at the time, who's name shall go unmentioned for security reasons.
We lived within walking distance of the new arena, and walked over to the game after having a few um... "non" alcoholic beverages. We had really good seats. We were about 3 rows behind the visiting Pete's bench. The game was okay, but things didnt really get interesting until the final 2 minutes of the 3rd period.
It was about this time my buddy thought it would be a funny thing to toss his empty 'non' alcoholic cup over the glass, hitting the Pete's coach right in the head. The whole team looked supper pissed off and were scanning the crowd to see who did it. At the same time, a guy a few rows back did the same thing at the same time as my buddy. His cup did not go over the glass though. No one saw my buddy do it, cause he did it all ninja style.
Cops and security were all over the place. The game was delayed. The announcer made a statement over the PA saying not to throw shit on the ice. It was madness. Plus the team was still looking like they were all gonna hop over the glass. That would have been a lot scarier had the the team not been a pile of 16 year olds.
Anyways, Security came down and asked who did it, and the best part was, not one person would rat out the guilty. That was pretty solid. Security did ask a few guys to leave, but that was because they were lipping off at the fake cops. Actually everyone in the section was giving security a hard time.
Even the guys they kicked out didn't actually leave, as they just stood in the aisle for the last minute of the game. It was pure madness.
But had these 16 year olds climbed the glass and attacked my friend, they would have been in the right in this case, because what he did was stupid. It was fucking hilarious, but still would have been his fault.
And unfortunately, we don't know any lawyers.
Well that's all for now. Until next time...
Stay Angy!
That leads me to my main gripe with this whole situation. Sure Rypien should not have touched a fan, but the fact is it happened. And what about the victim? Well naturally, this kid did what any American would do. He got a lawyer.
This kinda thing makes me sick. No one can take responsibility for anything they do in life. It is always someones fault, and usually something they see as a lawsuit. We are always quick to blame the athlete for any such matter, but no one ever considers what the fan may have said or did to provoke an attack.
When someone is emotionally jacked up, it does not take a genius to know that it will not take much to set them off. Think about yourself in a moment of extreme emotion. I am sure everyone has snapped at some point during one of these episodes. It reminds me of some idiot that wonders why they got mauled by some wild animal. "I don't know why it attacked me, all I did was poke it with a stick a few times as it was feeding its baby it just birthed 5 minutes ago". All I am saying is it takes two to tango. We see it in all incidents involving players attacking fans. Usually the fan starts it. Go on Youtube and check some of them out.
Back to the lawyer thing. This weasel is gonna take this oppertunity to show the world what turd he is if he sues over this. It was a little grab of the shirt, and any judge that hears this waste of a case is also an idiot for wasting everyone's time. Give the little turd some free tickets and lets move on, and maybe an Ovechkin bobble head doll.
I had a similar reaction to the Vancouver couple that has decided to sue Leafs centre Mikhail Grabovski over a bar fight during the winter Olympics.
This story has lawyer scum written all over it. They claim all sorts of injuries and mental anguish over this fight.
Their version is that the husband was just sitting there, being a model citizen, when a boozed filled Grabovski attack this angel because he was wearing a Habs jersey. After beating the husband, this crazy man also beat the shit out of his wife.
Sure, that sounds like a reasonable claim. People attack people all the time for no reason at all. Fuck.
Keep in mind that Grabovski allegedly beat up a whole bar on his own with a broken hand mind you, which had kept him off the Belarus roster, as well as the Leafs roster at the time.
The couple claimed at the time that they did not know who this man was, but when they heard he was an NHL player it was like "Shit, I got whiplash now... call my lawyer".
Eddie Murphy has a funny bit on Raw about a bar brawl that ended with everyone suing him. Like he could kick a whole bars ass by himself.
The Police in the Vancouver brawl said there was like a dozen people involved in the fight, and all were too drunk to press any charges, as they could not get the real story of what had happened.
My guess is that this perfect angel started running his mouth and Grabo Decked him. Others probably stepped in to break it up, and a few more punches got tossed from everyone involved. I have seen many bar fights in my day, and that is usually what takes place.
But that is society these days. Next time you go outside, make sure you have a lawyer on speed dial. You never know when you need to sue someone.
I will leave you with this little story about how my buddy almost caused a player/fan altercation at an Oshawa Generals game. I went with my roommate, and band mate at the time, who's name shall go unmentioned for security reasons.
We lived within walking distance of the new arena, and walked over to the game after having a few um... "non" alcoholic beverages. We had really good seats. We were about 3 rows behind the visiting Pete's bench. The game was okay, but things didnt really get interesting until the final 2 minutes of the 3rd period.
It was about this time my buddy thought it would be a funny thing to toss his empty 'non' alcoholic cup over the glass, hitting the Pete's coach right in the head. The whole team looked supper pissed off and were scanning the crowd to see who did it. At the same time, a guy a few rows back did the same thing at the same time as my buddy. His cup did not go over the glass though. No one saw my buddy do it, cause he did it all ninja style.
Cops and security were all over the place. The game was delayed. The announcer made a statement over the PA saying not to throw shit on the ice. It was madness. Plus the team was still looking like they were all gonna hop over the glass. That would have been a lot scarier had the the team not been a pile of 16 year olds.
Anyways, Security came down and asked who did it, and the best part was, not one person would rat out the guilty. That was pretty solid. Security did ask a few guys to leave, but that was because they were lipping off at the fake cops. Actually everyone in the section was giving security a hard time.
Even the guys they kicked out didn't actually leave, as they just stood in the aisle for the last minute of the game. It was pure madness.
But had these 16 year olds climbed the glass and attacked my friend, they would have been in the right in this case, because what he did was stupid. It was fucking hilarious, but still would have been his fault.
And unfortunately, we don't know any lawyers.
Well that's all for now. Until next time...
Stay Angy!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Yuppie Scum!
I noticed this during the Leafs last home game, and even more so tonight, and as I sit here watching the game on TV, it is making me angry. (Maybe cause this is the first game I have watched this year that I haven't been sideways drunk)
It is no secret that it is very expensive to go to the ACC to watch a game, although I believe that Vancouver tickets are more expensive this year, but either way, only those with lots of cash are gonna be in the seats most nights.
The problem with these yuppie scumbags is that they are so fucking quiet. In the last game there was a tweet mid game from one of the TSN guys that said he heard someone sneeze from across the arena. That is fucked up. Imagine what the team feels like when their home crowed sounds like they are at a funeral. There have been a few ohhs and ahhs here and there, but no electricity at all.
Maybe once these CEO type assholes get a few more $16 beers in them, they will open there fat yaps and make a few sounds.
I think with the team doing well to start, most of these ass clowns are actually going to the games instead of giving their tickets away to their real fan relatives. That is my guess anyway. They are flocking to the games not because they are fans, but like most of these weasel types, they just want to be seen, and to say they were there.
It makes me sick.
Not to take away form the Rangers play so far in this game, they are doing well defensively, but not having the energy from the crowd is not helping the team get things going. I predict that the Leafs will have a better road record this season then at home based on the crowd. Unless some rowdy drunks start filling the seats in the near future.
Quick side note as I am writing this just as the second period ends. Elbow to Versteeg's head in the dying seconds. Does it fit the new head-shot rule? Will it get a look from the NHL? We will soon see. I am guessing no, just cause that seems to be the way things go.
Plus the NHL will be busy suspending Rypien tomorrow for his tussle with a Wild fan the other night. My prediction: 5 games for that. Last incident got 4 games.
That's all for now folks. Keeping it short and sweet this time, but I got a few things I will be addressing in the next few days.
Stay Angry!
It is no secret that it is very expensive to go to the ACC to watch a game, although I believe that Vancouver tickets are more expensive this year, but either way, only those with lots of cash are gonna be in the seats most nights.
The problem with these yuppie scumbags is that they are so fucking quiet. In the last game there was a tweet mid game from one of the TSN guys that said he heard someone sneeze from across the arena. That is fucked up. Imagine what the team feels like when their home crowed sounds like they are at a funeral. There have been a few ohhs and ahhs here and there, but no electricity at all.
Maybe once these CEO type assholes get a few more $16 beers in them, they will open there fat yaps and make a few sounds.
I think with the team doing well to start, most of these ass clowns are actually going to the games instead of giving their tickets away to their real fan relatives. That is my guess anyway. They are flocking to the games not because they are fans, but like most of these weasel types, they just want to be seen, and to say they were there.
It makes me sick.
Not to take away form the Rangers play so far in this game, they are doing well defensively, but not having the energy from the crowd is not helping the team get things going. I predict that the Leafs will have a better road record this season then at home based on the crowd. Unless some rowdy drunks start filling the seats in the near future.
Quick side note as I am writing this just as the second period ends. Elbow to Versteeg's head in the dying seconds. Does it fit the new head-shot rule? Will it get a look from the NHL? We will soon see. I am guessing no, just cause that seems to be the way things go.
Plus the NHL will be busy suspending Rypien tomorrow for his tussle with a Wild fan the other night. My prediction: 5 games for that. Last incident got 4 games.
That's all for now folks. Keeping it short and sweet this time, but I got a few things I will be addressing in the next few days.
Stay Angry!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
That is why they get paid the big bucks.
A few bad calls ended the Leafs hopes of going 5-0-0 to start the season, however, it wasn't a complete loss, the Leafs did manage to get a point when Phil Kessel got a late 3rd period goal that sent the game to OT.
The thing is though, that tying goal should have actually been the game winning goal. For those of you that missed it, Kris Versteeg netted a goal that was called off due to the linesman that was well behind the play having his arm raised indicating a high stick. The actual Ref that was standing right by the net didn't seem to think it was a high stick.
The rule is, that it is not when the whistle blows, but when the official intended to blow the play dead. That's all fine and dandy, but the worst part of that rule is that any goal that happens is not reviewable. That to me is bullshit. Not just because it happened to my team last night, but it sucks for fans of any team, and of any sport for that matter.
Sure game officials are human and will make mistakes, the fact that all pro sports leagues seem to side with incompetence rather than admit and correct any mistake that was made. When the people in the back of the arena, as well as the people watching at home can clearly see something that was missed, or called incorrectly, why is it that the officials can't?
One of the announcers had a great point, I can't recall his name at the moment as I was drunk out of my mind by that point in the game, anyway, his point was that anytime a goal is scored in a situation such as the one last night, it should always be reviewable. Had the goal been reviewed, and then disallowed, then I believe most would have felt a lot better about things.
Right after the non goal, one of the Islander Dmen sat on Versteeg along the boards for a good 5 or so seconds. No call on that, but when Versteeg was finally allowed to stand up, out of frustration slashed the NY players stick, and the ref sure seen that. It reminded me of the bullshit cross-checking penalty given to Mike Komisarek after he tapped Sean Avery at the end of a play right after Avery's double slash on Komisarek happened.
It makes me wonder if Refs have personal beef with players, or some agenda. We have all seen it in games before. Games, series, championships all ruined by a bad call. Former NBA ref Tim Donaghy is a good example of shady business that sports officials get into. Fixing games, calling certain players or teams more harshly than others, and letting some get away with murder. This guy just got caught, but it would be naive to think it doesn't happen all the time in the NHL, MLB, NFL, and every other league out there.
I have added a link to an interview Mr. Donaghy gave not too long ago that details some of the bullshit that goes on in the NBA.
http://www.binnallofamerica.com/boaa081410.html
It is well worth the listen.
Back to last nights game. Many could argue that the Colby Armstrong goal review was correct in it wasn't a goal, but that Tavares may have used his hand to clear the puck, which should have resulted in a penalty shot. That call could go either way though, so I'll leave that one alone.
In OT a weak goalie interference call lead to the Islanders getting the game winning goal on the ensuing PP. This happened even after a few blatant penalties were not called in the plays directly prior, that would have seen the Leafs get a power play.
In the end, there is not a lot that can be done about any of it now. But with technology the way it is, bad calls should be a rarity. With all the cameras and shit recording during modern sporting events, there should be no problem having some dude watching the monitors and using a head set to tell on ice officials that they fucked something up. It would be quick, and the ref can take all the credit cause no one would know if he seen it himself, or if big brother tipped him off.
Hell, I would even be happy if NHL coaches got flags like in the NFL they can throw out if they want a call reviewed. At least that way, you have some sort of feeling of control, instead of letting the officials bend you over prison style when ever they miss the obvious.
The thing is though, that tying goal should have actually been the game winning goal. For those of you that missed it, Kris Versteeg netted a goal that was called off due to the linesman that was well behind the play having his arm raised indicating a high stick. The actual Ref that was standing right by the net didn't seem to think it was a high stick.
The rule is, that it is not when the whistle blows, but when the official intended to blow the play dead. That's all fine and dandy, but the worst part of that rule is that any goal that happens is not reviewable. That to me is bullshit. Not just because it happened to my team last night, but it sucks for fans of any team, and of any sport for that matter.
Sure game officials are human and will make mistakes, the fact that all pro sports leagues seem to side with incompetence rather than admit and correct any mistake that was made. When the people in the back of the arena, as well as the people watching at home can clearly see something that was missed, or called incorrectly, why is it that the officials can't?
One of the announcers had a great point, I can't recall his name at the moment as I was drunk out of my mind by that point in the game, anyway, his point was that anytime a goal is scored in a situation such as the one last night, it should always be reviewable. Had the goal been reviewed, and then disallowed, then I believe most would have felt a lot better about things.
Right after the non goal, one of the Islander Dmen sat on Versteeg along the boards for a good 5 or so seconds. No call on that, but when Versteeg was finally allowed to stand up, out of frustration slashed the NY players stick, and the ref sure seen that. It reminded me of the bullshit cross-checking penalty given to Mike Komisarek after he tapped Sean Avery at the end of a play right after Avery's double slash on Komisarek happened.
It makes me wonder if Refs have personal beef with players, or some agenda. We have all seen it in games before. Games, series, championships all ruined by a bad call. Former NBA ref Tim Donaghy is a good example of shady business that sports officials get into. Fixing games, calling certain players or teams more harshly than others, and letting some get away with murder. This guy just got caught, but it would be naive to think it doesn't happen all the time in the NHL, MLB, NFL, and every other league out there.
I have added a link to an interview Mr. Donaghy gave not too long ago that details some of the bullshit that goes on in the NBA.
http://www.binnallofamerica.com/boaa081410.html
It is well worth the listen.
Back to last nights game. Many could argue that the Colby Armstrong goal review was correct in it wasn't a goal, but that Tavares may have used his hand to clear the puck, which should have resulted in a penalty shot. That call could go either way though, so I'll leave that one alone.
In OT a weak goalie interference call lead to the Islanders getting the game winning goal on the ensuing PP. This happened even after a few blatant penalties were not called in the plays directly prior, that would have seen the Leafs get a power play.
In the end, there is not a lot that can be done about any of it now. But with technology the way it is, bad calls should be a rarity. With all the cameras and shit recording during modern sporting events, there should be no problem having some dude watching the monitors and using a head set to tell on ice officials that they fucked something up. It would be quick, and the ref can take all the credit cause no one would know if he seen it himself, or if big brother tipped him off.
Hell, I would even be happy if NHL coaches got flags like in the NFL they can throw out if they want a call reviewed. At least that way, you have some sort of feeling of control, instead of letting the officials bend you over prison style when ever they miss the obvious.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Holy Sour Grapes Batman!!
Man, there sure are a lot of little bitches out there with keyboards and an internet connection these days. I am not a huge fan of the bandwagon jumping, overly negative at times, Toronto sports media, as they are often a bunch of wind bags that will gladly suck the teams collective cocks when things are going well (4-0-0 start) yet will call for public executions when things are going bad (the last 5 years).
While this annoys me at times, what I have been seeing the last few days is truly amazing... in a douchbag sort of way. All over the hockey world people are noticing the Leafs great start, yet very few of them are actually giving the team any credit. Article upon article, and countless blogs have come up with every excuse as to why the Leafs are winning.
Things like "Every team they played have been missing players." "It's just luck, and they will tail off very soon", "Sure they are in 1st place now, but by the end of the season, they will be lucky to make the playoffs", and on and on. The last few seasons saw a lot of negative things being said about the Leafs, and rightfully so, but now that things have reversed course, these people have to find something petty to say.
All that is one thing, but now I am seeing the real babies coming out to play. I was going to add the links to these articles, but I decided I didn't want to give these human centipedes any more site traffic (all 2 of my readers, but that's not the point). I am sure anyone that has been reading the papers, or online have come across some of these works of bull shit.
One article that made me shake my head in shame, for being on the same planet as this asshole, was from the Ottawa Citizen. It was a long winded piece attempting to make that lame "plan the parade" joke funny. It failed hard. Usually I get a kick out of these types of articles, even at the expense of my team. But this article, which had a funny premise about the NHL declaring the Leafs the cup winners after winning 4 games and the rest of the season just being played out for shits and giggles became very clear that this dude was a bitter man. Had the article followed the idea it alluded to, which was lampooning the Leaf media for overly hyping the teams success in this early season, then I am sure I would have thought what he did was clever. However, after a paragraph or so, that notion fades and the personal jabs took over and the witters true sentiment came through.
Hey, didn't The Sens get off to a crazy good start a few years back? like 10-0 or something like that? And all the sports media was saying they would only lose like 12 games all year? Didn't they have a massive implosion and lose a ton of games after that? Yeah, that's that I thought. Whenever any team is doing well, people will make grand predictions, it's not just because it is the Leafs, it just so happens to be the Leafs right now. Maybe that memory is what has made this sad man so bitter.
Then I read a blog from a Vancouver writer. This one was even worse. It followed no logic at all. It was comparing the Leafs to the Canucks so far this season. This guy couldn't wrap his mind around the fact the Leafs at this point in time are the better team. Now I am not saying its going to last for ever, but these comparisons where ridiculous.
His started off by saying the Leafs second line was nowhere near as good as the Canucks second line. Hmm, well seeing as Clarke MacArthur has 5 goals in 4 games, and the entire Vancouver team combined has only 7 goals total, well I would say that his assessment is wrong.
He also stated that Toronto's defense is way below Vancouver's in terms of talent and depth, even though the most hardcore Leaf hater will admit that on paper, the Leafs defense corp is one of the best in the NHL.
His best comparison was when this genius got to the goal-tending. He confidently stated that Giggy, who according to him is not a real NHL goalie anymore, will magically turn into Vesa Toskala in the near future, leaving the Leafs with out a net minder. He also said Luongo would play better this year after having an off year last year, and I can agree with that, but then claimed Giggy was coming off 4 or 5 off years. So he is saying he was having an off year when he won the cup with the Ducks in 2007. Yeah that makes a lot of sense.
These are just a few examples of the sour grapes being tossed about these days. I like to go to different teams media to see what other writers and fans are saying around the league, and its like that all over. When the Leafs lose, everyone loves to pile on, and when they win, people still need to find something negative to say. I don't see that sort of thing being said about Dallas, or any other team on a roll right now. Even if the leafs make the playoffs, there will still be the haters and doubters, and people that will still bring up the Kessel deal, and all that sort of shit. Bitterness brings out the best in people I guess.
While this annoys me at times, what I have been seeing the last few days is truly amazing... in a douchbag sort of way. All over the hockey world people are noticing the Leafs great start, yet very few of them are actually giving the team any credit. Article upon article, and countless blogs have come up with every excuse as to why the Leafs are winning.
Things like "Every team they played have been missing players." "It's just luck, and they will tail off very soon", "Sure they are in 1st place now, but by the end of the season, they will be lucky to make the playoffs", and on and on. The last few seasons saw a lot of negative things being said about the Leafs, and rightfully so, but now that things have reversed course, these people have to find something petty to say.
All that is one thing, but now I am seeing the real babies coming out to play. I was going to add the links to these articles, but I decided I didn't want to give these human centipedes any more site traffic (all 2 of my readers, but that's not the point). I am sure anyone that has been reading the papers, or online have come across some of these works of bull shit.
One article that made me shake my head in shame, for being on the same planet as this asshole, was from the Ottawa Citizen. It was a long winded piece attempting to make that lame "plan the parade" joke funny. It failed hard. Usually I get a kick out of these types of articles, even at the expense of my team. But this article, which had a funny premise about the NHL declaring the Leafs the cup winners after winning 4 games and the rest of the season just being played out for shits and giggles became very clear that this dude was a bitter man. Had the article followed the idea it alluded to, which was lampooning the Leaf media for overly hyping the teams success in this early season, then I am sure I would have thought what he did was clever. However, after a paragraph or so, that notion fades and the personal jabs took over and the witters true sentiment came through.
Hey, didn't The Sens get off to a crazy good start a few years back? like 10-0 or something like that? And all the sports media was saying they would only lose like 12 games all year? Didn't they have a massive implosion and lose a ton of games after that? Yeah, that's that I thought. Whenever any team is doing well, people will make grand predictions, it's not just because it is the Leafs, it just so happens to be the Leafs right now. Maybe that memory is what has made this sad man so bitter.
Then I read a blog from a Vancouver writer. This one was even worse. It followed no logic at all. It was comparing the Leafs to the Canucks so far this season. This guy couldn't wrap his mind around the fact the Leafs at this point in time are the better team. Now I am not saying its going to last for ever, but these comparisons where ridiculous.
His started off by saying the Leafs second line was nowhere near as good as the Canucks second line. Hmm, well seeing as Clarke MacArthur has 5 goals in 4 games, and the entire Vancouver team combined has only 7 goals total, well I would say that his assessment is wrong.
He also stated that Toronto's defense is way below Vancouver's in terms of talent and depth, even though the most hardcore Leaf hater will admit that on paper, the Leafs defense corp is one of the best in the NHL.
His best comparison was when this genius got to the goal-tending. He confidently stated that Giggy, who according to him is not a real NHL goalie anymore, will magically turn into Vesa Toskala in the near future, leaving the Leafs with out a net minder. He also said Luongo would play better this year after having an off year last year, and I can agree with that, but then claimed Giggy was coming off 4 or 5 off years. So he is saying he was having an off year when he won the cup with the Ducks in 2007. Yeah that makes a lot of sense.
These are just a few examples of the sour grapes being tossed about these days. I like to go to different teams media to see what other writers and fans are saying around the league, and its like that all over. When the Leafs lose, everyone loves to pile on, and when they win, people still need to find something negative to say. I don't see that sort of thing being said about Dallas, or any other team on a roll right now. Even if the leafs make the playoffs, there will still be the haters and doubters, and people that will still bring up the Kessel deal, and all that sort of shit. Bitterness brings out the best in people I guess.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Are you F'ing kdding me?
Last nights game between the Maple Leafs and the NY Rangers was an exciting affair to say the least. More positives for Leaf fans to rejoice in. Clarke MacArthur gets his 5th goal on the season to tie the game, and start a 3 goals in 6 minutes thrashing that included Mike Komisarek's first goal as a Leaf, as well as a beauty goal by Kessel from a nifty Bozak pass.
The second period was a thing of beauty. Not only did the Leafs make the Rangers look silly, it was also the first game the leafs didn't score first, but that all changed in that wonderful second period. A good sign that this team will not fold up shop when things are not going their way. In fact it seemed to motivate them.
Things were going swell until mid-way through the third, when perpetual asshole Sean Avery slashed Mike Komisarek, not once, but twice in the leg well behind the play. There was a ref facing the incident as it happened, yet all this goof got was a 2 minute minor. Are you fucking kidding me? That should have been an automatic game misconduct and a suspension.
But no, just as I predicted last night, there was no further discipline from the NHL. How the hell does this ass clown get involved in two major incidents in less than a week and not have the NHL do anything about it? It is a fucking joke. Didn't Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri get a one game suspension for doing almost the exact same thing in a pre-season game?
The NHL had no problem handing out one of their new head shot penalties on a clean shoulder on shoulder hit, that fit none of the criteria of the new head shot rule, yet Avery gets away with it. Typical NHL head office incompetence. They must be too bust trying to keep hockey in the desert. More on that story in a future post.
After serving his measly 2 minute minor, a 5 on 3 power play that the Leafs failed hard to do anything with
( SHOOT THE FUCKING PUCK!), Avery manages to set up the tying goal. The leafs were clearly riled up over the whole thing, and seemed to have lost focus. But I also noticed some bullshit officiating going in that period that made things worse. Like when Komisarek gave Avery a little bump behind the net, of course Avery plays it up like some soccer player, and the penalty goes to the Leafs for cross-checking. It seems the refs were too worried about protecting the guilty and not actually doing the right thing in the first place.
By the end of the third period the Buds seemed to have re-gained their focus and looked sharp once again.
An exciting OT climaxed with a sweet game winning goal by Kessel (his 4th on the season).
Last year, being down a goal, and/or allowing a team to tie a game would have in either situation resulted in a loss most nights, no longer seems to be the case. I also believe that when the first loss happens, unlike in past years, it will a motivating experience rather than a nasty morale slide. At the rate they are going I would not be surprised if they go in to win the North East Division.
So what about Avery? Well the Leafs play the Rangers two more times this month, the next meeting being on Thursday. I am sure justice will be served on way or another. I would gladly take a suspension to personally deal with that guy. And I bet the player that does finally cross the line with Avery would receive many anonymous gift baskets from players and coaches around the league, hell, I bet the biggest gift basket would be from Rangers bench boss John Torttorella.
** MILESTONES**
Clarke MacArthur became the fist Leaf in History to score a goal in their first 4 games as a Maple Leaf. Not too shabby for a guy that nobody wanted a few months ago.
The second period was a thing of beauty. Not only did the Leafs make the Rangers look silly, it was also the first game the leafs didn't score first, but that all changed in that wonderful second period. A good sign that this team will not fold up shop when things are not going their way. In fact it seemed to motivate them.
Things were going swell until mid-way through the third, when perpetual asshole Sean Avery slashed Mike Komisarek, not once, but twice in the leg well behind the play. There was a ref facing the incident as it happened, yet all this goof got was a 2 minute minor. Are you fucking kidding me? That should have been an automatic game misconduct and a suspension.
But no, just as I predicted last night, there was no further discipline from the NHL. How the hell does this ass clown get involved in two major incidents in less than a week and not have the NHL do anything about it? It is a fucking joke. Didn't Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri get a one game suspension for doing almost the exact same thing in a pre-season game?
The NHL had no problem handing out one of their new head shot penalties on a clean shoulder on shoulder hit, that fit none of the criteria of the new head shot rule, yet Avery gets away with it. Typical NHL head office incompetence. They must be too bust trying to keep hockey in the desert. More on that story in a future post.
After serving his measly 2 minute minor, a 5 on 3 power play that the Leafs failed hard to do anything with
( SHOOT THE FUCKING PUCK!), Avery manages to set up the tying goal. The leafs were clearly riled up over the whole thing, and seemed to have lost focus. But I also noticed some bullshit officiating going in that period that made things worse. Like when Komisarek gave Avery a little bump behind the net, of course Avery plays it up like some soccer player, and the penalty goes to the Leafs for cross-checking. It seems the refs were too worried about protecting the guilty and not actually doing the right thing in the first place.
By the end of the third period the Buds seemed to have re-gained their focus and looked sharp once again.
An exciting OT climaxed with a sweet game winning goal by Kessel (his 4th on the season).
Last year, being down a goal, and/or allowing a team to tie a game would have in either situation resulted in a loss most nights, no longer seems to be the case. I also believe that when the first loss happens, unlike in past years, it will a motivating experience rather than a nasty morale slide. At the rate they are going I would not be surprised if they go in to win the North East Division.
So what about Avery? Well the Leafs play the Rangers two more times this month, the next meeting being on Thursday. I am sure justice will be served on way or another. I would gladly take a suspension to personally deal with that guy. And I bet the player that does finally cross the line with Avery would receive many anonymous gift baskets from players and coaches around the league, hell, I bet the biggest gift basket would be from Rangers bench boss John Torttorella.
** MILESTONES**
Clarke MacArthur became the fist Leaf in History to score a goal in their first 4 games as a Maple Leaf. Not too shabby for a guy that nobody wanted a few months ago.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Not so crazy Lou after all?
Last nights Leaf/Pens game was great. I watched the game with some friends at our favorite watering hole, and it seemed that every time I turned my head to talk to someone, the puck went in the net. I pretty much missed every goal in the game. But the Parts I did see were fantastic. It is nice to be in 1st place, even if its only a week into the season.
I was pretty harsh on Devils GM Lou Lamoriello and his mess of a team, but I read an article on Sports Illustrated .com today that has given me reason to think Lou may not be so crazy after all.
I had this idea back in the summer time when all the Kovy shit was going down that maybe he was doing all this to show that either there was a glaring hole in the CBA, or that Gary Bettmam was selectively policing the NHL.
Seeing that Lou pretty much came up with the CBA, showing any loopholes would be showing flaws in his own work. The selective policing idea seemed more likely as the NHL went bat-shit insane over the Kovy deal, yet allowed many similar moronic deals to happen, although this deal was way over the top to the point it couldn't be ignored.. I quickly lost interest in the whole saga, and no longer put any thought into it.
The SI.com article I read today took that idea and added a new piece to the puzzle. The authors idea was that fielding a team below the required 18 skaters and 2 goalies was not strictly for cap purposes, but rather another thing the NHL has let happen before without punishment, like the Flames last season.
Precedent has been set in both retarded contracts, and abusing the emergency roster minimum, with Napoleon Bettman watching with his stupid grin, and doing nothing. Yet some times, if the wrong person makes a move, his ego will not allow him to rest until he flexes his puny muscles.
I am interested in how this all plays out in the next few weeks. If the master plan is to make that awful dwarf Gary look like an asshole, than I am all in support of Mr Lamrriello's vision.
There will be plenty of posts in this blog about my hate for all things Bettman, so stay tuned as I unleash the fury on his useless ass!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Go Leafs Go!
Tomorrow night (Wed) The Leafs take on the Penguins, and try to extend their best season start since 1999. Already, the Leafs have proved themselves better then last years dreadful team, but how long will this streak go?
Game one, Vs Montreal was a pretty decent outing. The did look a bit shaky at times, but I had confidence they would take advantage of a shell shocked Carey Price. That kid is gonna have a year of Toskala proportions in Montreal. Not that I think he is a bad goalie, but the fans and media are gonna eat this kid alive. They are even worse than the scumbag media (and fans) in Toronto.
The Ottawa game was a total bashing. The Sens looked bad from the opening face off, until the final buzzer.
Having Ottawa suck balls, and Montreal's unhealthy relationship with Price, which, if it continues for any length of time can only lead to good things for the Buds in their division . Buffalo is not doing that well either at the moment, and Boston has some cap and injury issues. It is still early I know, but having a 2 pt lead over the second place team in your division is always a good thing.
Pittsburgh is win-less so far in their new arena and have one win on the road. So the odds seem to be in favor of the Leafs in this one. Crosby and Co. will be a way harder test than the first two games. Pittsburgh will want to right the ship before any real damage is done to their season. So I expect a tough game. Who will want it more?
Another nice thing to see today was the Leafs finally put Jeff "the pressbox" Finger on waivers today. I wonder what the press box is like at Ricoh Coliseum? Some think the move was to clear cap space for a deal, possibly with New Jersey, to bail out Crazy Lou and fix the mess he made to his roster to sign Kovy.
Man, what an idiot. 15 skaters? ( I know, there are injuries and suspensions)and you sign Adam Mir to help out today? 0-2-1 shows how much that contract has paid off. They are gonna go with 18-20 skaters most nights for the season unless they dump a lot of payroll. Good thing they don't have many draft picks now, as they wouldn't be able to sign any of them anyway. All that drama in the summer, and the end result, and predictably so, is that you fucked your team for years to come. Good job.
But in reality, there is no trade coming. The leafs cleared some room for Lebda to come back, and perhaps some breathing room. Besides, why make a trade or any roster move for that matter now when the team is on a roll?
If the Leafs do happen to win tomorrow, the rush of band wagon media and fan types will be nutting all over themselves to talk about how great the team is, and how they never doubted Burke's vision. That is until the first loss, and all that flips around, where the Kessel trade gets chewed on again, Wilson needs to be fired, Bring Kadri up so we can photoshop his picture some more, etc.
But I guess that is how it goes in the media world these days, where good journalism is a non factor. Look at the Pat Burns is dead fiasco. Some cock from the Toronto Star (not his real name, but pretty close) over hears Cliff Fletcher say Pat Burns passed away. And instantly pulls out his crackberry to tweet the news to the world (gotta get the scoop). The story goes National, everyone hears the sad news, including a very alive, and pissed off Pat Burns. Of course no one actually checks their facts before running a story these days. Facts are not important anyway.
So when this Cock is found out to be the source of the false story, he says "Well Mr. Fletcher is a public figure, so we didn't need to check out the sources" I am sure that is taught on day one in journalism school.
That is like when Bill Clinton said " I did not have sexual relations with that woman" and the media said. "Oh, well the president is a public figure, so we will take him at his word and just ignore the DNA bomb he left on that blue K-Mart dress (I mean c'mon lady, you are blowing the president, show some respect. At least get a dress from the GAP or something).
Well I got off on a bit of a rant there, but it popped into my head as I was writing this.
Anyway, GO Leafs GO!
Game one, Vs Montreal was a pretty decent outing. The did look a bit shaky at times, but I had confidence they would take advantage of a shell shocked Carey Price. That kid is gonna have a year of Toskala proportions in Montreal. Not that I think he is a bad goalie, but the fans and media are gonna eat this kid alive. They are even worse than the scumbag media (and fans) in Toronto.
The Ottawa game was a total bashing. The Sens looked bad from the opening face off, until the final buzzer.
Having Ottawa suck balls, and Montreal's unhealthy relationship with Price, which, if it continues for any length of time can only lead to good things for the Buds in their division . Buffalo is not doing that well either at the moment, and Boston has some cap and injury issues. It is still early I know, but having a 2 pt lead over the second place team in your division is always a good thing.
Pittsburgh is win-less so far in their new arena and have one win on the road. So the odds seem to be in favor of the Leafs in this one. Crosby and Co. will be a way harder test than the first two games. Pittsburgh will want to right the ship before any real damage is done to their season. So I expect a tough game. Who will want it more?
Another nice thing to see today was the Leafs finally put Jeff "the pressbox" Finger on waivers today. I wonder what the press box is like at Ricoh Coliseum? Some think the move was to clear cap space for a deal, possibly with New Jersey, to bail out Crazy Lou and fix the mess he made to his roster to sign Kovy.
Man, what an idiot. 15 skaters? ( I know, there are injuries and suspensions)and you sign Adam Mir to help out today? 0-2-1 shows how much that contract has paid off. They are gonna go with 18-20 skaters most nights for the season unless they dump a lot of payroll. Good thing they don't have many draft picks now, as they wouldn't be able to sign any of them anyway. All that drama in the summer, and the end result, and predictably so, is that you fucked your team for years to come. Good job.
But in reality, there is no trade coming. The leafs cleared some room for Lebda to come back, and perhaps some breathing room. Besides, why make a trade or any roster move for that matter now when the team is on a roll?
If the Leafs do happen to win tomorrow, the rush of band wagon media and fan types will be nutting all over themselves to talk about how great the team is, and how they never doubted Burke's vision. That is until the first loss, and all that flips around, where the Kessel trade gets chewed on again, Wilson needs to be fired, Bring Kadri up so we can photoshop his picture some more, etc.
But I guess that is how it goes in the media world these days, where good journalism is a non factor. Look at the Pat Burns is dead fiasco. Some cock from the Toronto Star (not his real name, but pretty close) over hears Cliff Fletcher say Pat Burns passed away. And instantly pulls out his crackberry to tweet the news to the world (gotta get the scoop). The story goes National, everyone hears the sad news, including a very alive, and pissed off Pat Burns. Of course no one actually checks their facts before running a story these days. Facts are not important anyway.
So when this Cock is found out to be the source of the false story, he says "Well Mr. Fletcher is a public figure, so we didn't need to check out the sources" I am sure that is taught on day one in journalism school.
That is like when Bill Clinton said " I did not have sexual relations with that woman" and the media said. "Oh, well the president is a public figure, so we will take him at his word and just ignore the DNA bomb he left on that blue K-Mart dress (I mean c'mon lady, you are blowing the president, show some respect. At least get a dress from the GAP or something).
Well I got off on a bit of a rant there, but it popped into my head as I was writing this.
Anyway, GO Leafs GO!
Here is a gesture for you!
In my debut post, I want to talk about the incident that happened this week involving Sean Avery of the Rangers, and James Wisniewski of the Islanders.
James Wisniewski got a two game suspension for making a certain obscene gesture to Sean Avery during a game Monday afternoon. I don't see what all the fuss is about really. All day I have seen a bunch of people faking outrage over this. For those of you that missed it, Mr. Wisniewski simply pointed out that he believed Mr. Avery was a cock-sucker. A simple, timeless hand gesture used the world over to indicate that someone is indeed a cock-sucker.
Lets look at the facts here:
Fact: Sean Avery is indeed a Cock-Sucker.
Fact: It was an Islanders game, so there was only like 10 people that seen it.
Fact: Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced. (that has nothing to do with this, but it is true none the less)
People are crying about the children seeing it. Are you serious? I am willing to bet that most kids these days have seen way worse than that, and probably even under their parents supervision. For those of you that like to play video games online, how many times have you bought an M rated game, went online, only to discover that half the people on there are 8 years old? Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, etc. Not to mention what kids are allowed to watch on TV or in movies. And god only knows what they are seeing on the old internet.
And If your kids are pure enough to not know what that gesture was, then for fuck sakes, lie to them. Every good parent should be well versed in lying to their children. You do it all the time, like Santa Clause, The Easter bunny, and that time the family pet "ran" away. (took me a while to realize that fish can't just up and run away)
When Junior asks what the man was doing, all you gotta say is "Well son, he sees that the other player looks a bit tired, so he is reminding him to breath through his mouth." Or "He is asking his friend if he wants to go for a hot dog after the game" Simple.
Avery has a long history of being an asshole on and off the ice. He gets under Wisniewski's skin, he loses his cool, gives Avery a taste of his own medicine, and he gets suspended. Avery wins. He gets to go to the next game and continue to be an asshole with even more confidence. I have heard that the NHL is looking into Avery as well in this incident, but I am sure nothing will happen. I think players should not get suspended when doing anything to Avery, in fact they should get a cash bonus. Late hits, head shot, groin kick, etc. karma is a bitch when she is 200lbs and has a stick in her hand.
This to me is just another attempt by the NHL to sap the game of all emotion and passion. Napoleon Bettman wont be happy till the NHL is as bland and lifeless and baseball. It is an emotional game, and players will react poorly from time to time. Also pandering to a few overly sensitive people out there, to make themselves look better, well that is just wrong too, I mean if your child is gonna go out and start sucking cocks because of gesture made in a Monday afternoon hockey game, then you may have bigger problems.
James Wisniewski got a two game suspension for making a certain obscene gesture to Sean Avery during a game Monday afternoon. I don't see what all the fuss is about really. All day I have seen a bunch of people faking outrage over this. For those of you that missed it, Mr. Wisniewski simply pointed out that he believed Mr. Avery was a cock-sucker. A simple, timeless hand gesture used the world over to indicate that someone is indeed a cock-sucker.
Lets look at the facts here:
Fact: Sean Avery is indeed a Cock-Sucker.
Fact: It was an Islanders game, so there was only like 10 people that seen it.
Fact: Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced. (that has nothing to do with this, but it is true none the less)
People are crying about the children seeing it. Are you serious? I am willing to bet that most kids these days have seen way worse than that, and probably even under their parents supervision. For those of you that like to play video games online, how many times have you bought an M rated game, went online, only to discover that half the people on there are 8 years old? Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, etc. Not to mention what kids are allowed to watch on TV or in movies. And god only knows what they are seeing on the old internet.
And If your kids are pure enough to not know what that gesture was, then for fuck sakes, lie to them. Every good parent should be well versed in lying to their children. You do it all the time, like Santa Clause, The Easter bunny, and that time the family pet "ran" away. (took me a while to realize that fish can't just up and run away)
When Junior asks what the man was doing, all you gotta say is "Well son, he sees that the other player looks a bit tired, so he is reminding him to breath through his mouth." Or "He is asking his friend if he wants to go for a hot dog after the game" Simple.
Avery has a long history of being an asshole on and off the ice. He gets under Wisniewski's skin, he loses his cool, gives Avery a taste of his own medicine, and he gets suspended. Avery wins. He gets to go to the next game and continue to be an asshole with even more confidence. I have heard that the NHL is looking into Avery as well in this incident, but I am sure nothing will happen. I think players should not get suspended when doing anything to Avery, in fact they should get a cash bonus. Late hits, head shot, groin kick, etc. karma is a bitch when she is 200lbs and has a stick in her hand.
This to me is just another attempt by the NHL to sap the game of all emotion and passion. Napoleon Bettman wont be happy till the NHL is as bland and lifeless and baseball. It is an emotional game, and players will react poorly from time to time. Also pandering to a few overly sensitive people out there, to make themselves look better, well that is just wrong too, I mean if your child is gonna go out and start sucking cocks because of gesture made in a Monday afternoon hockey game, then you may have bigger problems.
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