Monday, February 15, 2010

Olympic Kickoff!!!


On My Mind

I was going to write an article this week about the main teams competing in the Olympics this year but I've seen so many columns written about it and so many shows on TV that when I saw Alexandre Bilodeau win Gold last night during the Men's Mogul Final I figured that he deserved this to be dedicated to him. I am fully aware that this is a hockey site, however, watching Bilodeau last night not only showed me how exciting other sports can be but also that there is so much more to life. If watching everything unfold during this event didn't pull at your heart strings and bring tears to your eyes, I'm not sure what will. Bilodeau winning the first Gold ever on Canadian soil during the Olympics was the perfect story. It had the Hero (Bilodeau), the villain (Dale Begg-Smith) and the feel good story (Alexandre's brother Frederic who suffers from cerebral palsy).

There is still a alot of mystery surrounding Begg-Smith who was born in Canada, but left after having a 'falling out' with the Canadian Government. He moved to Australia and now competes for them. He was unwilling to do any interviews with Canadian media making him appear even more ominous. Begg-Smith showed so much disrespect after the fact, that I am ashamed that he was ever associated with Canada. Winning Silver is nothing to be upset about, especially when the Bronze medal winner had a smile on his face nearly as big as Bilodeaus! He could have cared less and it definitely showed his lack of character.

After having 2 Canadians sit in 1st and 2nd place for the majority of the event, Bryon Wilson from the U.S. knocked the Canadians out. He was followed by Begg-Smith performing a nearless flawless run to take over top spot. While watching I was nearly heartbroken to see my least favoured competitor take the lead. However, like any great story the hero came in to save the day. Watching Bilodeau stand at the top of the ski hill (the 2nd last skier to perform) waiting for his run to begin gritting his teeth with his white mouthguard provided an eerie feeling in me that something great was about to happen. In fact, the second he completed the race I knew that he had won and for some strange reason, wasn't even worried about the last skier from France. I knew that this was meant to be.

Finally, the feel good story. I'm not sure how many people saw it played earlier in the day but there was a segment about Bilodeau before his event started. It talked about Bilodeau's heart and determination, but what it discussed, which was even greater, was how his older brother Frederic affected his life in such a positive and profound way. They told a story about how Alexandre, like most Canadian youth, wanted to be a professional hockey player. There was one problem. He wanted to participate in a sport where his brother could as well. Hockey was not a possibility, however, skiing definitely was. It led to him competing at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, where he finished eleventh. His motivation grew when that older brother who got him into skiing told him how proud he was of him for his performance. He never mentioned his position and that led to Alexandre promising Frederic that he would win Gold in Canada in 2010 for him.

This is dedicated to the Mr.Bilodeaus (both Alexandre and Frederic). An inspiration to everyone showing what heart really is, both in sport and in life. Congtatulations!

Thanks for reading...and hey, whatever became of Canada not winning Gold on home soil?..Oh, wait...

Monday, February 8, 2010

A Super Weekend!!


So as a sports fan the weekend was definitely one to behold!! 3 events are on my mind, which I'll discuss briefly. First will be the Leafs game on saturday, followed by UFC 109: Relentless and finally I'll end with Superbowl Sunday.

After watching the Leafs take care of business on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils with great games by newly acquired Leafs Phaneuf and Giguere I was shocked to see them go back with Gustavsson on friday night for the rematch. If Giguere had been the number one goalie with Anaheim for the entire year I would have understood, however, he had barely played this year and obviously wasn't rusty with the shutout Tuesday evening. Gustavsson was unable to make a few key saves late in the game and the Leafs lost after playing nearly 57 minutes of flawless hockey. In addition, Wilson's coaching has come under fire for not playing Giguere, since he has said all season long that he would go with the hot hand. Plus, many have been left to wonder why Wilson didn't call a timeout after the 3rd Devils goal to calm his team down, since the 4th and winning goal (in regulation) came so quickly after and was definitely due in part to the fact the Leaf players were rattled and overwhelmed from the New Jersey late pressure. Finally, we arrive to Saturday night where Giguere was put back between the pipes to face the 2nd hottest team in the league (after Washington) to shut them out 5-0 with great games again by Phaneuf and Giguere. Even Schenn has turned his game around lately and even more so with the arrival of Phaneuf. It is unfortunate (as I believe that Gustavsson appears to have a lot of potential), however, the Leaf team just doesn't appear to have the same motivation or confidence playing in front of Gustavsson as they do with Giguere. Their best bet is to play Giguere until he can't stand anymore before giving him another break.

The UFC event on Saturday was fairly exciting as the next few appear to have the potential to be very exciting for the viewers. I have to admit that I went 2-3 with my predictions (Main Card). I'll discuss the main fights and advise who I picked and why.
Frank Trigg vs Matt Serra
The winner was Serra and I had picked Trigg (0-1 for me starting off, never good). I think I got caught up in the old 'what have you done for me lately' problem not realizing that Serra's last 2 fights had been against top notch fighters in St.Pierre and Matt Hughes. Obviously Serra isn't on the same level with either of those fighters which led me to think about how badly they had got beat by both of them and not that he was in over his head. In addition, I thought the size difference between Trigg and Serra would help Trigg. Definitely didn't with Serra landing a awesome KO, which also landed him Knockout of the Night honours.

Maia vs. Miller
The winner was Maia and I picked him. A couple of reasons I liked Maia. One was due to the fact I had liked what I had seen from him in his previous fights (except for the KO from Marquardt. Miller had never fought any 'big names' in the Middleweight division yet so it's always tough to gauge a fighter in those cases I find. Lastly, was the fact that Miller had lost to Chael Sonnen who was an opponent Maia had previously defeated. In essence, I took the fighter who I thought was the safest bet.

Swick vs Thiago
Thiago won this one and I had picked Swick (1-2). Not thinking much about this fight I took Swick. Forgetting that Thiago had previously beat Koscheck and gone the distance with Fitch (in a loss) he had definitely faced his share of high end talent. He looked dominant against Swick from start until the finish, which was by submission (Submission of the Night). I thought that Swick, after receiving a contender match, which he lost against Hardy, would be at his best in order to show that he was ready to be considered a contender, however, that definitely was not the case. I am interested in seeing where Swick goes from here. Thiago is obviously moving up the charts, while I see Swick falling down at a rapid rate. I would guess that Swick would now have to win 3 or 4 matches against good talent to even be mentioned in the same breath as a Welterweight contender.

Marquardt vs Sonnen
Sonnen wins (Moving my record to 1-3) by dominating fashion. Execpt for the last couple of minutes in the 3rd round, the blood from a knee and elbow to Sonnen's face made the match look differently than it really was, and one guillotine choke that looked like it might end the fight (I thought the first guillotine put on Sonnen was never in tight). This fight was definitely exciting though winning Fight of the Night honours. I see this fight as an upset after Marquardt huge knockout win over Demian Maia. Marquardt had looked poised to face the Champ. I see this similar to Swick, however, I believe with Marquardt's skills and fighting resume he'll be able to climb up the ranks faster.

Couture vs Coleman
Couture won by submission quite easily (I picked Couture to win). I think after this match Coleman should be ready to announce his retirement. As for Couture, Dana White insists that Couture can be a contender in the Lightheavyweight division but I'm not convinced just yet. Other than this fight (against a weak opponent in Coleman), Couture was lucky to have won against Vera with that fight able to be judged going either way. I'll be more impressed when Couture goes against a big name in the division. Not to say he will but I would be interested in seeing Couture fight an opponent who would push the pace, such as Griffin or Evans. Not to say I don't think Couture can compete but to call him a contender before bettet results against better competition.

*Extra Note I saw the Gracie vs Beltran fight after the Main Card*
I was devastated to see Beltran win this fight. Gracie comes from a proud family who many give credit for putting MMA on the map; however, Beltran who has never fought anyone of merit defeated him quite easily. What made the win even more impressive and surprising was the fact that Beltran took the fight on extreme short notice.

Lastly, the Superbowl matchup between New Orleans and Indianapolis. I honestly wanted the Saints to win, which is why I'm glad they did, however, I thought for sure the Colts would. New Orleans struggled to beat the Jets and didn't beat the Vikings. The Vikings beat themselves. On the other hand, the Colts were impressive all year long with them almost going undefeated during the regular season and Manning winning his 4th MVP award. Unlike the Saints, the Colts looked impressive during their run to the Superbowl. I guess it was destiny for the Saints to win though. After falling behind 10-0 early and the game appearing to be a blowout, as nothing was going their way, they were able to come back with the huge win. After last years Steelers win over the Cardinals I didn't think the NFL would be lucky enough to be able to duplicate that kind of excitement 2 years in a row. This game definitely lived up to the hype with goal line 4th down chances stopped, missed field goals, interceptions taken back for touchdowns, and a sneaky onside kick that worked. Finally, I can't think of another city that deserved this sort of Championship more than New Orleans and it's citizens.

Thanks for reading!!!

Kovalchuk Is The Devil...or A Devil...


Before I begin my article I would like to say that my prayers and thoughts are with the Burke family. I'm not married nor do I have any children and have been fortunate in my life to never lose anyone extremely close, however, I would imagine that a parent losing their child would be the absolute worst. It's crazy to that only a few short months ago I was watching Brendan Burke on a TSN telecast talking about how he had openly admitted to his family and teammates that he was gay. The courage it took him to do something of that nature is beyond anything I can imagine. In addition, to think that a college student would “put themselves out there” like that should also be commended. I truly believe that him doing that interview with TSN will go a long way in future years for other gay athletes, both at the professional and amateur level. R.I.P Brendan.

On My Mind

Have to say I am super excited now that more trades are taking place. I've always been a big fan of trades, whether it be in the NHL, my fantasy leagues, or ANYWHERE!! It just makes things more exciting and generates more discussion, which is what I crave. So what a better place to start this week's column than with the Kovalchuk trade.

I honestly think it was a pretty good trade for both teams. If I had to pick a winner I would pick the Devils though. Lots of people have argued that Atlanta could have got more and I agree they could have and in honesty I bet they were offered BETTER players; however, people tend to forget that it is Atlanta who made the trade and financial restraints were a factor. I'm sure Calgary would have traded Phaneuf or Jokinen (both players are better than any received from New Jersey), maybe even both, for Kovalchuk, even just as a rental, but there is no way Atlanta wanted to take on that much salary. I find it hard to believe the contract Waddel even offered Kovalchuk because of the amount. I have also heard people suggest that New Jersey got ripped off. I don't see it that way. New Jersey gave up Oduya, who is a solid defenseman but will never be a 1 or 2 defenseman. I will admit though that New Jersey definitely needs to trade for a defenseman to shore up their back end. It doesn't have to be an All-Star calibre defenseman but they do need more depth with the loss of Oduya. Bergfors is definitely having a good rookie campaign, however, I still don't see him ever as more than a 3rd line player and maybe a 2nd liner at best. When Elias and Clarkson come back (along with Kovalchuk) the depth up front is ridiculous and Bergfors was easily expendable. The 1st round pick was obviously going to be thrown in any trade, however, with the swapping of 2nd rounders the loss of the Devil's 1st rounder is alot easier to take. Not surprised that New Jersey traded away Cormier, Lou is one of the smartest in the league and knows it's always a safe bet to avoid distractions of any sort. They received a top end talent who has barely had solid linemates (Heatley and Hossa for short periods) over his career.

I keep hearing people say that Kovalchuk is a 'jerk', selfish or a 'terrible person'. I have never met him but I don't believe those rumours for a second. Now I'm not going to suggest that Kovalchuk backchecks consistently but thats not his game and the Devils knew this when they traded for him, however, being given the 'Captaincy' in the NHL doesn't get given out easily or lightly and I can assure you that if Kovalchuk was a 'jerk' or a selfish person he would have never been given the opportunity to wear the 'C' for Atlanta. One last thing regarding this trade is whether Kovalchuk will just be a rental and that he's an awful person for not signing that massive extension that Waddel reportedly offered. First regading Kovalchuk being a rental. As I mentioned earlier Lou is a genius! Do people think he became an idiot or sucker overnight? I already thought New Jersey would have a good chance to compete for the Eastern Conference title before this trade and after it they might just become the favourite in the East. They definitely have the depth at forward and goaltending to make a run. It is because of that depth if Kovalchuk decides to walk the loss wouldn't be that great to New Jersey and if they win the Cup and Kovalchuk walks away then the trade will obviously go down as a success either way. The second thing is obviously regarding Kovalchuk not signing the extension. I don't believe that if it is true that he wanted max money that he will get it from any team in the NHL. I don't think he is worth it and I think it would be foolish to spend the max on a player such as Kovalchuk, although I do consider him one of the few game changers in the NHL right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he went to the KHL next year. Would I care? Definitely. I watch the NHL to see the best players in the world. Saying that, I wouldn't be all that surprised either if he returned to Atlanta if he didn't go to the KHL and actually wants to play in the best league in the world. I don't think there is anything wrong with him turning down the offer just to see what else is out there or what other teams are interested. He was in his 8th season with the Thrashers and they never appeared willing to commit to winning and signing those big name free agents.

Thanks for reading....And whatever became of Pat Falloon?

Monday, February 1, 2010

Make-Me-Laughs Make Major Moves


*Heard an interesting fact the other night...3 defensemen OVER the past 8 years have a postive +/- rating...2 aren't surprising (Rafalski and Lidstrom), I'll provide the third defenseman later on...*

On My Mind
It's hard not to think about the two fairly big trades that occurred yesterday. I have been thinking about them all day. It's rare that I can honestly say I think both teams did fairly well. I think the Leafs did good in terms of gettting a good young player with quite a bit of upside (especially if he can put up the points like he has shown in the past), as well as what this does in terms of marketing for the team. I think people are forgetting that Dion Phaneuf is still only 24 years old and because of some early career success he has set lofty yearly goals for his critics to use as ammunition. I know alot of Leaf fans were growing restless with the team sinking in the standings and no changes happening with the team. This trade definitely shows hard work and that the front office was not willing to sit idle and let this season go by without any changes. In addition, the Leafs get Keith Aulie who appears to have some potential as a possible future shutdown defenseman. As for Calgary, although I think they could have got a better package in terms of draft picks and prospects, this will help them with their push for the playoffs in two ways. The first is the depth that they acquired. I have never been a fan of Matt Stajan, however, I think as a 3rd centre option he should fit in alright. He was given way too much responsibility with the Leafs for his skill level, however, if the Flames do need a 2nd line centre due to injuries Stajan could be a short term solution. I am a big fan of Hagman and believe that he should definitely help with their secondary scoring or even playing with Iginla if required (again due to injury as I personally like Hagman as a 2nd line player and sometimes even a 3rd. Lastly, because I'm not even going to discuss Mayers, is Ian White. Definitely a solid all around player who will ease the loss of Phaneuf and will be alot cheaper if they decided to resign him or trade his rights in the offseason. The second way that this trade helps is because of the small contracts they have obtained it should give Calgary easier ways of trading for more help before or at the trade deadline if they choose. With 4 players coming close to Phaneuf's salary its alot easier to deal players and allows alot more flexibility to get yourself and/or trading partners below the salary cap.

The 2nd trade works out for both teams more so in terms of money and cap flexibility. I do believe that Giguere is an upgrade over Toskala, however, because the Maple Leafs got rid of the Blake contract this greatly helps them out as they would have had him for another 2 years at a cap hit of 4 million. Now they only have Giguere at one more year at a cap hit of 6 million. If they choose to re-sign him, then it will definitely be at a reduced salary. Now alot of people will say how did Anaheim win if Blake's contract was so bad. It has more to do with the fact that nobody wants to pay their backup goaltender 7 million dollars (6 million cap hit), as the re-signing of Hiller shows he is the number one keeper. They take Toskala as well in the deal, however, his contract expires at the end of the season providing 2 million in cap savings and 3 million in salary savings and also serving as a decent backup who appears to have a good attitude. In addition, an escape from the constant media scrutiny of Toronto might do Blake some good. I don't believe that should ever be an excuse for a professional athlete but let's face it, some athletes just can't deal with the pressure.
Both of these trades leave the Leafs thin up front, although it will give them a chance to provide adequate playing time to youngsters Stahlberg and Hanson. I would imagine now that the Leafs will move a defenseman to fill tihs need. My guess would be Kaberle if they can get around that NTC. I didn't think they would trade him, but with the acquisition of Phaneuf I definitely see Luke Schenn as a possibility. I surely hope those rumours of Tampa offering their 1st round draft pick last year (turned out to be the 2nd overall) for Luke Schenn were only rmours as Leaf fans could have had Duchene (I'm fully aware he went 3rd).


One Last Thing...

Have to say I really like the make up of the LA Kings. The trade for Smyth is paying huge dividends as well as the signing of Scuderi, providing some solid defensive work. Everyone talks about the offensive firepower of the Kings, however, the top four defensemen on the team aren't too shabby themselves. Doughty, Scuderi, Greene and O'Donnel (The 3rd defenseman from the question above) are all doing a mighty fine job and are definitely overlooked. I think with the emergence of Doughty as an offensive force and being great on the powerplay, you will see Jack Johnson traded by the deadline as he has fallen down the depth chart. He could definitely offer a good return in a trade as well.


Thanks for reading...and whatever became of Alexander Perezhogin?