I got the conference semis all right (Kevin can’t say the same), even if I missed the number of games. Time to put my good streak on the line with the conference finals.
Flyers vs. Penguins: This is a tough series to call, because brawn usually beats finesse in the playoffs, but I think Pittsburgh (the finesse team) is a much better team than Philadelphia. So I’m going with Penguins in 7
Stars vs. Red Wings: It’s always hard to pick these, especially when I despise both teams involved. 
The Red Wings are looking like the team to beat this year, and with two quality netminders, I don’t think the Stars have quite enough to take them, even though Turco’s playing about as well as he ever has in net for Dallas. Red Wings in 6
P.S. Sorry, Ang. Being a Sharks fan has to be a tough life!
May 8th, 2008
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Sports, NHL |
3 comments
UPDATED 27 April 2008: Add Kansas City Royals.
UPDATED 20 May 2007: Add Philadelphia Phillies.
I’m a sports fan, and I “collect” stadiums (stadia?). Especially major league baseball, NFL football, and NHL hockey. My goal, before I die, is to see a baseball game in the home stadium of every MLB team. It would be an added bonus if I could do the NHL and NFL venues, but right now, I’m focusing primarily on baseball.
Problem is, I keep forgetting where I’ve been, and losing count. Therefore, mostly for my own reference (and because I expect few others to be interested), I’m posting a list of venues attended below the fold. I’ve ordered them in roughly the order in which I first visited them, to the best of my ability to recall.
However, if you have comments concerning favorite (or least favorite) venues, feel free to leave them.
April 27th, 2008
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Sports, I do too have a life, NFL, MLB, NHL |
10 comments
Yes, I know two games are in the books, but I’m not modifying my predictions based on those results, and I didn’t see any of the games.
EAST:
Flyers vs. Canadiens: The Flyers are a physical, ugly team, while the Canadiens are more of a finesse team. In the playoffs, as much as Kevin hates it, brawn wins. Flyers in 7
Rangers vs. Penguins: The Penguins look for all the world like the team to beat in the East. And even though New York has good goaltending, so does Pittsburgh. Penguins in 6
WEST:
Avalanche vs. Red Wings: The Avs are a tempting upset pick, but I don’t think this is the round where Detroit falls. Goaltending will be the difference here. Red Wings in 7
Sharks vs. Stars: I’m sticking with my prediction that the Sharks will repeat their perennial playoff choke in the second round. They should have destroyed Calgary, and barely escaped in seven games. Plus, Turco’s playing as well for the Stars as he’s ever played. Couple that with the fact that a Wings-Stars conference final makes me want to vomit, and it seems pretty much inevitable. Stars in 6
April 25th, 2008
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Sports, NHL |
one comment
I know, the games have started, but I haven’t looked at the scores.
Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
- Flyers vs. Canadians Montreal did not look particularly good against the Bruins, but the Flyers almost gave upa 3-1 series lead, and probably would have if Ovechkin had chosen to take that shot. The Flyers don’t score particularly well and while thier defense is good it is not great. Montreal’s young goalie will probably give away a game, but the Habs offensive will eventually overpower the Flyers. Habs in Six
- Rangers vs. Penguins The Penguins just might be the best tam in the East right now. The big question is how much the long layoff has hurt them, though that is ususally overrated. The Penguins have a lot of firepower, but they also play solid defense and have, at least, above average goal-tending. They wont be pushed around by the Rangers and they will have to many offensive weapons for the Rangers to cope with. The Rangers might have the goalie playing better right now, but even if they do, the difference wont be enough. Penguins in Six
Western Conference Semi-Finals
- Avalanche Vs. Red Wings This should be a great series. These are both tough, veteran teams with a decent amount of firepower. They are both solid on the blue lines and have forwards who will score regardless of how much abuse they have to take to do it. There is a lot of bad blood between the franchises and so the games should be tight and exciting, filled with big hits and big plays. Much has been made of how old the Avs best players are, but I think Foresberg in particular is rounding into mid-season shape. In the end, I think that this comes down to goal-tending. Osgood had a nice last couple f games agaisnt the Predatos, but they played a good chunk of that time without there best offensive weapon. Considering that Osgood is a not-quite great goaltender and that Theodore is playing like a great goalie, and I think the edge has to go to the Avs. Avs in Seven
- Stars vs. Sharks Earlier I said that the Sharks were playing the best hockey in the league. Either the Flames were playing the second-best hockey in the league or the Sharks were exposed a bit. I think the Sharks were exposed a bit, but I also think they found their form in the last couple of games. Dallas is a little bit under rated, I think. The addition of Richardson (who should have been a Blackhawk, damn it) has made their offense more effective and they are a solid defensive team with solid goal-tending. But they are just a solid team; when the Sharsk starting clicking, though, they are just this side of unstoppable. Sharks in Six
April 24th, 2008
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General, Sports, NHL |
2 comments
Yes, I know that the games have started, but I swear I have no idea what their scores are. Hockey predictions with a dash of analyses:
EAST
- Bruins vs. Habs It is tempting, very tempting, to pick Boston. They just seem to have the kind of defense that can pull off this upset. And, frankly, the Habs haven’t impressed me when I have seen them play. Add in the rivalry and this seems lie a good upset special pick. Having said that, the Canadians are the top seed in the East, they have the best offense in the legue and they did demolish the Bruins this year, taking all eight games. Habs in 6
- Penguins vs. Senators Not much to say here: The Penguins can score almost t will and Ottawa has looked terrible the last couple of months. Which, of course, probably means that the Senators will win in four. The Senators did take four from the Penguins this season, but the Penguins are truly dangerous well rounded team. I am sticking with the odds here. Penguins in 6
- Capitals vs. Flyers This will be Ovechkin’s coming out party. He is on fire and the Flyers will try and skate up and down with the Capitals. They wont be able to. Capitals in 5
- Devils vs. RangersThis should be a good series. The rivalry is intense and the talent is pretty evenly matched. In fact, in head to head matches, the Rangers have dominated. The Devils just don’t seem to be able to score and they came into the playoffs reeling. Brodeur could get super hot and carry them, but I don’t think even he is enough to overcome the obvious offenses deficiencies of the Devils.Rangers in 7
WEST
- Red Wings vs. Predators I know the Predators have been an amazing story, and I personally hope they do well and so justify keeping the team in Nashville. And I know that the red Wings are banged up. But the red Wings are still more talented and deep than the Predators. I just don’t see Detroit going out here. Red Wings in 6
- Sharks vs. Flames I want the Flames to win — I have a soft spot for Canadian underdogs in the NHL — but it just won’t happen. The Sharks are probably the best team in the league right now and the Flames, well, let’s just say they aren’t. Sharks in 4
- Wild vs. Avalanche These are two pretty evenly matched teams, with the Wild’s division title the reason for the gap in seeding. However, the Avalanche now have Forsberg and Forsberg in the playoffs will probably be enough to get the Avalanche past a rather average Wild team.Avalanche in 6
- Ducks vs. Stars The Ducks play a style that its fans call gritty and everyone else calls loathsome. The Stars have not finished well, but they got Richardson for the express purpose of being the difference in the playoffs. I think he will be. I think that the Stars will have just enough offense, Turco will be slightly better than the Giguere, and the Stars will be able to contain the secondary players and that means the Ducks wont have enough offense to pull out the series.Stars in 7
There you have it. If you bet based on these predictions you will lose all of your money and I will laugh at you.
UPDATE: I have no idea why I wrote Canucks instead of Flames. See, I told you the analysis would be wrong.
April 9th, 2008
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General, Sports, NHL |
5 comments
What can I say, it’s been busy, and I don’t have a horse in this race:
EAST:
- Canadiens over Bruins in 4
- Penguins over Senators in 5
- Flyers over Capitals in 7
- Devils over Rangers in 6
WEST:
- Red Wings over Predators in 6
- Sharks over Flames in 5 (The Sharks won’t do their perennial choke until round two)
- Avalanche over Wild in 7
- Ducks over Stars in 6
April 9th, 2008
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Sports, NHL |
one comment
That’s right, the NHL regular season has ended, and our loyal readers know what that means: it’s time for me (and probably Kevin) to bitch about the OTL point again. For prior OTL hatred, see here; here; and especially here and here and here.
As I’ve mentioned in those above posts, the NHL should act like a real sports league and have winning percentage be the primary determinant of a team’s record.
Let’s have a look at the before and after, shall we? (Below the fold)
April 8th, 2008
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Sports, NHL |
3 comments
Who has the best record in the NL, and is tied for the best record in the majors? That’s right, it’s my Milwaukee Brewers!
I don’t expect this to last, of course (I remember last year), but I’m going to savor it while I can. Who knows? Maybe they’ll surprise me. In the good way.
April 7th, 2008
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General, Sports, MLB |
10 comments
We have our answer.
Frickin’ frackin’ rassin’ frassin’ grumble grumble…
UPDATE: At least the Brewers came back to win that game…
March 31st, 2008
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Sports, MLB |
8 comments
A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing auto racing with a few colleagues. Specifically, we were discussing the IRL/CART merger. It should be no secret that I much prefer open-wheel road racing. But a colleague, who’s a big fan of taxi cabs playing bumper cars while driving around in circles, err, NASCAR, was boasting about how many of the top open wheel drivers like Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti, and Juan Pablo Montoya were all making the switch to NASCAR. My initial response was that I want those open-wheel drivers with foreign names to start dominating the circuit, just to piss off all the rednecks. But I immediately realized that this isn’t what I really want. Quoth me:
No, what I really want is for a black Muslim driver in the #666 ACLU Toyota to start winning all the races.
Heh. That would make some good-ole-boy heads explode powerful quick!
UPDATE: Between comments from readers and friends, there are a few important refinements. The driver should also be openly gay, and instead of a Toyota, the car should be a Renault (French car).
March 14th, 2008
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Sports, Humor, Auto Racing |
13 comments
And the bad guys won:
With America’s two open-wheel series finally unified, the calendar poses the next roadblock: The season-opening race is just five weeks away.
At this point, nobody knows how many teams and cars will move from the now-defunct Champ Car World Series to the Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series in time for the March 29 opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
…snip…
Even before Friday’s announcement that IRL founder Tony George and Champ Car co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe had signed off on the agreement to close down Champ Car and run as a unified series, teams were preparing to make the move.
The open-wheel rivalry lasted 12 years. The peace process began several weeks ago when George, also president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, offered any Champ Car team interested in switching to the IndyCar Series a free Honda engine lease program, free Dallara chassis and $1.2 million in team incentives.
Champ Car team owner Derrick Walker said last week he already put his Champ Car equipment at the back of his Indianapolis garage and was beginning to work on new IRL cars in preparation for the move.
“The path won’t be easy in the beginning, but Walker Racing is ready for the challenge,” Walker said. “It’s going to be a rough old ride because we don’t have the familiarity with the Dallaras and it’s a more experienced formula. But the bottom line is that it’s great news to put this thing together.”
Long-term, it’s in the best interests of open wheel racing to have a single series. The problem is, the inferior series is the one that survives. Gone is the sleek Panoz chassis. Gone is the turbocharged Cosworth engine. Gone is “Power To Pass” (P2P), one of the most interesting innovations in racing in a long time. Gone is the Portland race, which was preparing to host its 25th anniversary. Gone are two of the best road courses in North America: Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI and Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
Instead, we’re left with the bulky Dallara chassis, the naturally-aspirated V-8 Honda, and a series dominated by ovals.
I wish I could be more excited about this, but I really don’t see how this is much different than if Champ Car had simply folded. They’re calling it a “merged” series, but it just looks like the same old IRL to me.
February 24th, 2008
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Sports, Auto Racing |
2 comments
A few thoughts:
- Congrats to the Giants. They were very impressive at the end of the season and the playoffs and deserved this win.
- The Giants receivers were the difference in the game. They made Manning look good, making several spectacular catches. Manning should not have been the MVP, his receiving corps should have been.
- This was not a great game. It was exciting, but it wasn’t what I would call great execution. Each team blew chances (the missed sack on the last drive, the wide open Burress that Manning missed in the fourth after the Giants had taken the 10-7 led and forced the Pats to punt, the under-throw of Moss at the end, the fumble that the Pats recovered but had taken away from them because the refs were slow to realize the play should have been dead and the Giants player took the ball back in the scrum, etc) and the two defenses held, grabbed, pushed and pretty much dared the referees to call penalties, which they generally did not. I really hope this isn’t a trend and the NFL goes back to the boring, clutch and grab nonsense of the late 90s.
- The Pats were really let down by their offensive line. I know the Giants front seven is very good, but the Pats o-line just played miserably. The Pats linebackers were supposed to be the weakness, not the offensive line.
- If God was just, He would have let the Pats win so that we would never have to hear from the 72 Dolphins or their fans ever again.
- Joe Buck can ruin games in two sports. Well done, Joe.
February 3rd, 2008
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General, Sports, NFL |
11 comments
Since the NFL season is over, and the Super Bowl is almost upon us, I’d like to do my usual thing and list the rules changes I’d implement for next season, were I emperor of the league. They are, in no particular order:
- Preseason: Cut back to two preseason games. We don’t need four.
- Instant Replay: Rather than the current system of coaches challenges, and the on-field ref going under the hood, switch to a Big Ten or NHL-style replay system. Reviews would be called for by a reply official in the booth, and the review would happen either upstairs, or at a centralized league office. Reviews would be shortened to 60 seconds, just enough time to view each replay once. If it’s not immediately apparent that the call on the field was bad, that call stands. Coaches would retain one challenge per game. Any play would be reviewable, up to the point where the whistle blows.
- Defensive Pass Interference: Go to a two-tiered system for pass interference penalties, similar to what we have for facemask penalties. The “incidental” variety would be ten yards and an automatic first down, while the “flagrant” variety would be spot-of-the-foul. Pass interference penalties would be reviewable by instant replay.
- Offensive Pass Interference: Start calling it! Too many receivers are gaining an advantage by pushing off, and too many offenses are running picks.
- Roughing The Passer: I understand the importance of protecting quarterbacks, but this has gone too far. Keep calling blows to the head, inadvertent or not, but if a blitzer only takes one step between the release of the ball and the hit, it ought to be a clean hit.
- Icing The Kicker: On game-tying or game-winning field goal tries in the final minute of regulation or overtime, if the defensive team wishes to call a timeout to ice the kicker, they must announce their intention to do so to the officials before the play, and call the timeout as soon as the kicking team sets, or before the play clock goes below 5 seconds (whichever comes first). Waiting until just before the snap and then calling timeout would be a five yard delay of game penalty.
- Playoff Seeding: Seeding is determined based solely on your record. Winning your division guarantees you a playoff spot, but does not guarantee you a top four seed.
- Super Bowl: No more two-week delays between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl. One week only. And let’s finally schedule an outdoor northern/bad weather Super Bowl. You could easily fill Soldier Field or Giants Stadium for that game, irrespective of the conditions.
- Pro Bowl: Just replace it with a skills competition. Nobody cares about the game, anyway.
- Kickoffs: No more taking a knee in the end zone on a kickoff. You’ve got to run it out. Also, if a kicker kicks the ball through the end zone on a kickoff, where the ball never hits in the field of play, it’s treated the same way as a kickoff out of bounds.
I’m sure I’ll think of more, but this is my initial list. Thoughts?
UPDATE: Added the kickoffs section. Also, some have suggested eliminating fair catches on punts, but I think that would invite too many injuries. I like hard hits as much as the next guy, but I don’t want people getting killed.
January 29th, 2008
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Sports, NFL |
17 comments
…but the Giants kicked the crap out of the Packers. It was only through luck and stupid mistakes that it wasn’t a blowout.
Anyway, congrats to the Giants, and here’s hoping you make the most of your rematch with the Pats.
January 20th, 2008
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Sports, NFL |
no comments
My pleasure is Kevin’s pain. And as an added bonus, I even got to watch Peyton Manning remember that he’s Peyton Manning.
All in all, a great weekend, even though the Patriots won.
I’ll say this, though: the Cowboys would have won that game if Dallas’ receivers hadn’t forgotten how to catch.
January 13th, 2008
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Sports, NFL |
20 comments
Because our teams suck, that’s why. Kevin’s Blackhawks have just 42 points in 43 games played, putting them 13th out of 15 teams in the West. My Maple Leafs have just 40 points in 43 games played, putting them 14th out of 15 teams in the East. The only thing they’re competing for at this point are draft picks.
I can’t speak to the Blackhawks, but the Leafs are bad in pretty much every aspect of the game. Mats Sundin remains the lone true bright spot, averaging over a point a game (and +11, if you care about that sort of thing), and they’re finally getting some production out of Nik Antropov (35 pts, +6), but their defense and special teams suck. (Note to John Ferguson: It doesn’t matter how many goalies you try; if the team in front of him hangs him out to dry, he’s going to look like a sieve.) Toronto’s power play is 28th in the league, and their penalty kill is 24th. Not a recipe for success.
There’s talk (as there always seems to be) of trading Sundin, but for what? Is anyone really going to give up a couple of quality blue-liners — which the Leafs desperately need — to rent an aging-but-still-pretty-good veteran? I doubt it. And in any case, Sundin has a no-trade clause and has made it clear that he wants to stay in Toronto, even if the team isn’t playoff-bound. Ideal scenario: Rent Sundin out to the Canucks for the rest of the season for some prospects, let him get some playoff time and maybe a cup, then re-sign him as a Leaf next year, Doug Weight style (H/T).
January 10th, 2008
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Sports, NHL |
25 comments
Seattle’s going to play at Green Bay, and somebody (doesn’t matter who) is going to lose at New England.
January 7th, 2008
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Sports, NFL, Humor |
no comments
Per reader request. Knock yourselves out.
UPDATE: A list of players implicated is here, via the NYT.
December 13th, 2007
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Sports, MLB |
12 comments
I don’t even pretend to understand this. I mean, we already have an inconsistent fireballer.
Maybe Melvin thinks Boston was an aberration?
December 12th, 2007
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Sports, MLB |
2 comments
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