Delaying the Inevitable

Why does the league promote and protect Sindey Crosby? Because they really don't want to have to re-align the league to accommodate the Las Vegas (or Kansas City) Penguins.

Let's face it: when the Crosby years are five years done, the Pens "fans" currently filling seats at the Consol Center will be back to doing what they did after Lemieux retired and Jagr shipped out (not buying season tickets).

Don't get me wrong: I know plenty of real Pens fans. They're the ones who have 20 year old jerseys that they've either worn since they were new or were family hand-me-downs (and don't bear Crosby's or Malkin's numbers on them) Unfortunately, it seems like most of them aren't the ones in a geographical position to actually keep the Pens' arena filled. I should probably also cut Pittsburgh some slack: it's not like the city's economically big enough to fully support more than one team. Sadly for the Pens, the team the city's chosen to support is the Steelers.

Morbid Fantasy

Let me start by saying that, in general, I don't frequently wish bodily harm on people. There are some exceptions, though, more frequently, those exceptions fall into the category of "I wouldn't care if something bad happened to person 'X'."

Today, I was watching the NFL playoffs. At one point, a player ran into a pile-up of players and his helmet came rolling out of the pile. Sometimes, when such things happen, I wish the heads were still in them.

TV Listings

Yesterday was not a good day for the Big Ten in their various bowl appearances. And, frankly, I don't understand how we've come to having so many bowl games that all it takes for a team to get there is to have a better than .500 record. And, yeah, I realized it's all about money, but I still don't get how a team with a barely-winning record can even accept a bowl bid. Bowls are supposed to be "the big show" and a reward for a good season. How can you even think to go if you were a mediocre team?

At any rate, I was scanning through the cable guide, looking for something to watch - preferably something less painful than the day's bowl games. Eventually, as I hit the upper channel numbers, I noticed that the Big Ten Network was showing, "Big Ten's Greatest Games". I don't imagine that any of this year's bowl games will end up in future episodes of this show.

Why Bother with a Stadium

The concept of the NHL's Winter Classic is kind of cool: have an NHL game out in the elements like the game was invented in and like most of it's players grew up in. Still, each year I watch the game, the venues they choose seem to be utterly pointless.

The surface of an NHL ice rink is small. The puck is small. Why do they insist on playing the game in a stadium where even the best seats are further away from the ice than the nosebleed seats in an NHL indoor arena? And why the fuck do people spend big money to sit out in winter weather to not be able to actually see the damned game?

Overall, I think the NHL and the teams would be just as well off to have the game played in some open field in Canada and not worry about having a live audience. The game's a showpiece game designed to get TV ratings. Why the farce of having a big, live audience?

Not a great night to be a Philly sports fan...

Flyer played another uninspired, lackluster game and got blown out 6-2. To Vancouver. Yuck.

The Eagles also apparently decided that Tuesday night is not a good night to play a Sunday football game. So, playoff slot already in hand, they didn't bother to try to clinch a bye-round. They lost to the freaking Vikings. Awesome.

Dark Day, Indeed

Never thought I'd actually be happy to see that the Cowpats won. Fuck you, Shanahan.

Dear Redskins

I used to think you didn't deserve the last 11yrs ...until today. Your treatment of McNabb, this year, has been nothing short of disgraceful. You've scapegoated a consummate professional the failings of an inflexible and under-talented coaching staff. And, because he's a professional, he's going to (at least publicly) take it like a professional.

Never thought I'd say these words, but I hope the fucking Cowboys run roughshod, this weekend.

Fuck Snyder. Fuck the Shannahans - who almost make Snyder look like a reasonable man. Fuck the `Skins. And, for you "fans" that continue to enrich these fuckers: fuck you, too.

Decent Sports Weekend

While they didn't win both of their weekend games, the Flyers managed to take three out of four possible points (one win and one overtime-loss)

The Eagles won their game.

The PSU Nittany Lions managed to bring home JoePa's 400th win.

Consummate Hacks

Every year, I get the "joy" of listening to the Pittsburgh Penguins home commentators because of NHL Center Ice. For whatever reason, NHL Center Ice seems to prefer to use their broadcast feed when showing Penguins/Flyers games. I can only guess that the Pittsburgh broadcast has a lower carrying cost than what Comcast-Spectacor charges for their broadcast. This would make a certain sense, given that the Comcast production is a lot more professional: better video quality, better camera operations and commentators that are a lot less extreme on the "blind homer" scale.

On the plus side of the horror that is the Pittsburgh-based broadcast team: having the Pens' home commentators calling the game is extra sweet when the Pens lose.

Bad Sports Day

My Eagles lost. The Deadskinz squeaked one out. The Ravens managed to not embarrass themselves with Buffalo. With the way the day's going, the freaking Cowpats will probably win, tonight.

I think it all really started to go to hell when, what looked to be the second TD scored by the Bears' defense was voided from a dead-ball foul (Deadskinz had let the play clock expire before snapping). Just before that got turned over: it was starting to look like the Bears were getting their shit together and would win; the Eagles were ahead; the Ravens were behind.

Fuck. I was really hoping the Bears' D would have more points than the Deadskinz O. Damned dead-ball foul.

I'm Not a Good Sport

In fact, in many sporting contests, I express my outcome preference in terms of who I'd rather see lose than who I'd rather see win. I mean, when it's not one of my teams (Flyers, Eagles, any PSU team), I generally don't care who wins other than how it best helps my team(s). That said, there are certain teams that I almost always want to see lose (Redwings, Penguins, Senators Cowboys, Redskins and pretty every college team that isn't PSU). There are also certain players that I take great joy from seeing lose, and, by extension, the teams they're on (I'm looking in your direction, T.O.).

I live in the DC Metro region. I don't like any of the teams here. Unfortunately, absent spending several $100s per year to see my teams, I'm stuck watching the local teams on TV. Right now, as I write this, I've the choice of the Deadskinz or Baltimore. I have a hard time caring about Baltimore in any way. So, I'm watching the Deadskinz. Now, I pretty much hate Chicago and its teams, but... Go Bears (beat the Deadskinz).

Jinx?

Sometimes, it feels as though my favorite sports teams do their best when I don't watch them. When I go to see my teams play live, it seems that, more times than not, they don't really put forth a good effort and frequently lose because of it. While winning's always better than losing, I always want to see my teams bust their asses to at least try to win. Unfortunately, it just seems that the best efforts I see from my teams are in rebroadcasts rather than in either watching live or watching a live broadcast. Could never figure out why this was.

An Incongruity

I was, somehow, utterly un-shocked to hear Matt Cooke's name mentioned in the same sentence as the words "cheap shot"

Good Sports Day

Eagles win; Phillies win; Deadskins, Cowpats and Ravens all lose.

Opportunities

On the plus side, I guess Mike Green's stinger will give the Capitals a chance to bring up someone who actually knows how to play defense.

Not How to Play the Blue-line

I wouldn't rag on Mike Green for his D skills if he were a forward, but, C'MON: he's awful as a blue-liner.

Islanders' Gillies is sporting a full-on porno-stache.

Stories like this make me wonder how much more JoePa we have...

http://blog.pennlive.com/davidjones/2010/08/big_ten_media_day_comments.html

I mean, it may just be that he's hitting one of those age jumps (for whatever reason, it seems like we don't so much age linearly as much as, suddenly, several years worth of our age expresses itself, then we go on some more at that level til the next age-batch hits). It may also be that we'll soon be seeing the passing of a legend. I mean, I gotta think that he's one of those people that, regardless of overall health, retirement would quickly put him in the ground.

Ugh.