It is being reported today that Sam Bradford, the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams, has agreed to a contract, finally. The contract is for 6 years and is worth $78 million with $50 million in guaranteed money. Ladies and gentlemen of the Sin Bin, I have to call shenanigans here. I mean, really. This guy hasn't even played a down in the NFL, yet. Isn't the usual basis of contracts given based off of what you have done and your ability level? These rookie contracts are just out of control! People keep saying it, but no team ever does anything about it. I mean, let's take a quick look at some of the last #1 overall draft picks.
Last year, Matt Stafford. 6 years for $72 million, with $41 million guaranteed.
Year before that, Jake Long, OT, 5 year $57.75 million with $30 million guaranteed.
Jamarcus Russel, who had a $61 million contract with $32 million guaranteed.
Mario Williams 6 years, $54 million with $26.5 million guaranteed.
These rookies, who have done absolutely NOTHING to prove that they are worth it, are demanding these insane sums of guaranteed money, and teams are giving it to them! This is absurd! I think we can all look straight at people like Jamarcus Russel to see why these contracts are such a bad idea! You have no idea what this guy's work ethic is going to be like. I mean, Bradford was holding out!!! YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED A DOWN OF NFL FOOTBALL!!! YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORTH THIS MUCH TROUBLE! Seriously, the NFL needs to do exactly what the NHL did back in 1994-1995, the lockout shortened season. They weren't able to put a full scale salary cap in, but they did put one in for the rookies, and it has been worth it! Instead of spending insane amounts of money on players claiming to be the next great one, they are given an entry level contract with a limit of $925,000 a year with a maximum year length of 3 years. That is so reasonable I almost can't stand it! Obviously, football would most likely be higher, but this is the right idea! This is also probably one of the key points that will almost certainly lead to a lockout in the 2011-2012 NFL season.
Really, the bottom line with this is, again, none of these young men have done anything to prove that they are worth these million and millions of dollars. I mean, if you do end up with a Jamarcus Russel, or a Ryan Leaf, and you basically have to stick with them to hope that they will magically stop sucking. Do the smart thing and make them prove themselves with entry level contracts. That way, you can save your team a whole hell of a lot of money if you do end up with the biggest bust in the history of all time. We'll see how the cards play out, but the NFL would be very smart to put something in place to limit this, because these contracts are just crazy.
And don't forget to check us out on youtube! Thanks guys!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Sin Bin is now on YouTube!
That's right! We're experimenting with the YouTube page to see how it does as far as getting us known a bit more! So check us out, subscribe, and leave us some feedback both on the youtube page, and on the blog!
Here is our page!
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSinBin1
Can't wait to see you guys there!
And here is the direct link to the first post!
Here is our page!
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSinBin1
Can't wait to see you guys there!
And here is the direct link to the first post!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wanting to Experiment
Yes, that's what I said. I'm looking to find ways to make this blog more accessible to more people, and I had thought that there is a possibility of doing some vlogs, but I'm not entirely certain what direction to take with this. Enter all of you guys! I have talked with this in a limited fashion with A-Mac. She doesn't really have access to a camera, so this part would be pretty much entirely me, which I'm fine with. This is definitely something I need and want some feedback on.
Should I bother with youtube, or just keep it on this page?
What should I talk about on video?
Is there a fun format that you think could work?
ANY type of idea would work. So I"m reaching out to you guys, and anybody who comes by and reads this. What is something that you would watch?
HELP!!!
Should I bother with youtube, or just keep it on this page?
What should I talk about on video?
Is there a fun format that you think could work?
ANY type of idea would work. So I"m reaching out to you guys, and anybody who comes by and reads this. What is something that you would watch?
HELP!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
TO and OchoCinco
It has been reported that the Cincinnati Bengals have added controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens to their roster with a 1 year deal, worth $2 million plus some incentives options. For quite a while it was looking like TO might not have a team to play for this season, but the Bengals decided that they couldn't resist.
This can be a good move or a move that makes no difference at all. We are all aware of TO's ability to make huge plays. He's done it during all of his career. But we also know of a few other things that he has done during his career, which is the reason that most teams weren't going after him this time around. Let's just say that his presence in the locker room is not one that has ever been described as peaceful. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was great when he took Tony Romo's back after that big playoff loss, but the following season, he was accusing him and Jason Witten of conspiring against him and making sure that TO wasn't getting the big plays. We all remember the famous fiasco between TO and Donovan McNabb.
So why would the Bengals want to go out and do this? Because of his stabilizing influence? Yeah, that must be it. I mean, Cinci has its own problem child in Chad "I refuse to call him by his current last name" Johnson. How do you keep 2 primma donas happy? You can't throw to both of them on every single play, so I guess you just have to hope that both of those loud mouths, who are both past their prime as far as productivity goes, are able to just work for the betterment of the team. I suppose we will see whether or not that happens. All in all, I do think that it is a pretty good pick up for the Bengals.
This can be a good move or a move that makes no difference at all. We are all aware of TO's ability to make huge plays. He's done it during all of his career. But we also know of a few other things that he has done during his career, which is the reason that most teams weren't going after him this time around. Let's just say that his presence in the locker room is not one that has ever been described as peaceful. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was great when he took Tony Romo's back after that big playoff loss, but the following season, he was accusing him and Jason Witten of conspiring against him and making sure that TO wasn't getting the big plays. We all remember the famous fiasco between TO and Donovan McNabb.
So why would the Bengals want to go out and do this? Because of his stabilizing influence? Yeah, that must be it. I mean, Cinci has its own problem child in Chad "I refuse to call him by his current last name" Johnson. How do you keep 2 primma donas happy? You can't throw to both of them on every single play, so I guess you just have to hope that both of those loud mouths, who are both past their prime as far as productivity goes, are able to just work for the betterment of the team. I suppose we will see whether or not that happens. All in all, I do think that it is a pretty good pick up for the Bengals.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Kovalchuk Files a Grievance
In an act that most people figured was going to come along, the NHLPA has filed a grievance against the NHL after it rejected Ilya Kovalchuk's 17 year, $102 million contract because the NHL said that it violated the CBA. In this Puck Daddy article, from Yahoo Sports, he outlines the process of how this will get to arbitration. The way that this sounds, it doesn't sound like there is going to be a resolution to this any time soon.
The issue that the NHL has with this contract is not the amount of money, or even so much the length of time, it's the way that the contract was structured. I will, again, reference you to CapGeek.com to see how Kovy's contract was to be paid out. What the NHL is saying is a violation essentially comes down to the last 8-10 years of Kovy's contract, when he would move from making $11.5 million a year, going down to the league minimum of $550,000 a year by the time he's 40 and no longer scoring 40 goals every year. The Devils did this to manage their cap hit from Kovy so that, even when he was making the $11.5 million a year, their cap hit would still only be $6 million. Basically, the NHL thinks that it is a dishonest contract because, even though the cap hit would still be at $6 million, they don't believe that he would still be playing by the time he was to be making the $550,000 per year. And that is a somewhat realistic assumption. Who is the last power forward that we have seen play well into their 40s? I honestly don't know.
What is going to be the result of all of this? I really don't know. I feel like the NHL will probably win this one, which would be a very good thing, all around. That would set a precedent for the next CBA, and really wouldn't give the NHLPA a leg to stand on when it comes to these insanely long contracts. The whole concept of front loading the contracts has really hurt some teams because they just don't have enough money, and then they become the Atlanta Thrashers and can't keep any stars because they have too much money tied up in 1 so they never really win, and then that one star leaves because he wants to win. Should the NHLPA win this one, and should Kovy get to keep this contract, and should the NHLPA then hire Donald Fehr to lead them into the next CBA "negotiations", I can almost guarantee you that there will be another lockout, or strike, the next time around.
Rarely will I ever pull for Gary Bettman, especially since I've rated him the worst commissioner in professional sports, but in this case, I have to put myself in Bettman's corner and cheer my guts out, because this is one batter that he can't afford to lose.
The issue that the NHL has with this contract is not the amount of money, or even so much the length of time, it's the way that the contract was structured. I will, again, reference you to CapGeek.com to see how Kovy's contract was to be paid out. What the NHL is saying is a violation essentially comes down to the last 8-10 years of Kovy's contract, when he would move from making $11.5 million a year, going down to the league minimum of $550,000 a year by the time he's 40 and no longer scoring 40 goals every year. The Devils did this to manage their cap hit from Kovy so that, even when he was making the $11.5 million a year, their cap hit would still only be $6 million. Basically, the NHL thinks that it is a dishonest contract because, even though the cap hit would still be at $6 million, they don't believe that he would still be playing by the time he was to be making the $550,000 per year. And that is a somewhat realistic assumption. Who is the last power forward that we have seen play well into their 40s? I honestly don't know.
What is going to be the result of all of this? I really don't know. I feel like the NHL will probably win this one, which would be a very good thing, all around. That would set a precedent for the next CBA, and really wouldn't give the NHLPA a leg to stand on when it comes to these insanely long contracts. The whole concept of front loading the contracts has really hurt some teams because they just don't have enough money, and then they become the Atlanta Thrashers and can't keep any stars because they have too much money tied up in 1 so they never really win, and then that one star leaves because he wants to win. Should the NHLPA win this one, and should Kovy get to keep this contract, and should the NHLPA then hire Donald Fehr to lead them into the next CBA "negotiations", I can almost guarantee you that there will be another lockout, or strike, the next time around.
Rarely will I ever pull for Gary Bettman, especially since I've rated him the worst commissioner in professional sports, but in this case, I have to put myself in Bettman's corner and cheer my guts out, because this is one batter that he can't afford to lose.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
NHL and Donald Fehr??
Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen a couple of stories here and there mentioning that the NHLPA was interested in hiring Donald Fehr as the new head of the union. I didn't think too much about it, at first, I recognized the name but didn't really remember why. That is, until I saw a picture of him. As soon as I saw this photo, my blood instantly went cold. The casual sports fan might not recognize him, but if you are big into sports, especially baseball, you know exactly who this guy is.
Donald Fehr was the head of the MLBPA from 1986 - 2009. He was the acting head starting in 1983. Fehr was always known as a very powerful leader of the MLBPA, which, in and of itself, isn't that big of a deal; however, did his job a little bit too well. He was largely responsible, mostly because the union pretty much told him to do whatever he saw fit, for 2 work stoppages in the majors. One in 1985, and the famous one later in the 1994-95 season that caused the cancellation of all the post season and the World Series. Not a great track record there.
The thing for which he is probably the most notorious, just like the game of baseball itself right now, is his "work" to prevent any type of changes in MLB's fight against steroids. Wherever he could, he threw up road blocks in an effort to keep things from going forward. The players are equally to blame in all of that because they gave Fehr all of their authority. Fehr is possibly best remembered for his testimonies in front of congress, where he did everything possible to not answer questions about things the players were open to in changing steroid testing. Bleacher report also has a great take on Donald Fehr and his potential impact on the NHL.
Now, why is Fehr bad for the NHL? Not because he's a strong union head. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the union having somebody strong and competent to represent them. I don't think that anybody has an issue with that. But I would seriously caution the NHLPA before hiring this guy, mostly because of the statement that it makes. This guy has a serious track record with work stoppages. To me, this is the players trying to send a message to the owners that they are ready to not play again. This says, "You guys got us in the last round, now we're going to get you, even if we have to have another lockout, or strike, to do it." This would be disastrous for the NHL, who is just now really starting to regain its popularity that it lost after its last lockout. They players are showing that their interests lie solely in their contracts and not in the well being of the game or the fans. Are they really willing to ruin the league with another work stoppage? Do they really think that the fans will take this? I suppose it's something that we will all find out in the days to come, but my serious word of advice to the players of the NHL is to NOT hire Donald Fehr. It would be a recipe for absolute disaster.
Donald Fehr was the head of the MLBPA from 1986 - 2009. He was the acting head starting in 1983. Fehr was always known as a very powerful leader of the MLBPA, which, in and of itself, isn't that big of a deal; however, did his job a little bit too well. He was largely responsible, mostly because the union pretty much told him to do whatever he saw fit, for 2 work stoppages in the majors. One in 1985, and the famous one later in the 1994-95 season that caused the cancellation of all the post season and the World Series. Not a great track record there.
The thing for which he is probably the most notorious, just like the game of baseball itself right now, is his "work" to prevent any type of changes in MLB's fight against steroids. Wherever he could, he threw up road blocks in an effort to keep things from going forward. The players are equally to blame in all of that because they gave Fehr all of their authority. Fehr is possibly best remembered for his testimonies in front of congress, where he did everything possible to not answer questions about things the players were open to in changing steroid testing. Bleacher report also has a great take on Donald Fehr and his potential impact on the NHL.
Now, why is Fehr bad for the NHL? Not because he's a strong union head. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the union having somebody strong and competent to represent them. I don't think that anybody has an issue with that. But I would seriously caution the NHLPA before hiring this guy, mostly because of the statement that it makes. This guy has a serious track record with work stoppages. To me, this is the players trying to send a message to the owners that they are ready to not play again. This says, "You guys got us in the last round, now we're going to get you, even if we have to have another lockout, or strike, to do it." This would be disastrous for the NHL, who is just now really starting to regain its popularity that it lost after its last lockout. They players are showing that their interests lie solely in their contracts and not in the well being of the game or the fans. Are they really willing to ruin the league with another work stoppage? Do they really think that the fans will take this? I suppose it's something that we will all find out in the days to come, but my serious word of advice to the players of the NHL is to NOT hire Donald Fehr. It would be a recipe for absolute disaster.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Broncos Pay Elvis Dumervil
Well, after a number of rather confusing moves from the Broncos during this past offseason, I'm looking at you Tim Tebow, the Broncos finally seem to have managed to do something right! After the "Boy King" got here, he pretty much jettisoned every single remaining Bronco that he had inherited from the Mike Shannahan years. Most notably were Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and Tony Sheffler, all of whom were tops at their respective positions. I guess that I wouldn't have been all the surprised to see the Broncos let their best pass rusher go as well. I mean, McD seemed hell bent on keeping people that are "his guys" not Shanny's guys.
Which is why this story made me VERY happy! The Broncos finally agreed to a new contract with Dumervil. The new deal is actually a contract extension that extends him for 5 years, for $58.332 million through the 2015 season.
Now, to be absolutely fair to Dumervil, it is pretty obvious why he managed to get paid while his former Bronco teammates were quickly shown the door. Cutler demanded a trade after it was reported that the Boy King wanted to trade for Matt Cassel, and whined and moaned after Shanny, who spoiled the living daylights out of Cutler, was fired. Marshall, well, we remember his less-than-enthusiastic practice techniques that got him suspended by his team at the beginning of last season, and then his decision to not practice because his "leg hurt" which resulted in him being benched in the last game of the year. And the same thing with Tony Sheffler, who was also benched for the last game of the season last year.
So what is the difference between Elvis and these three guys? Well, just take a look at this quote, and that should tell you everyting.
"Money is not everything, and that's the way I was brought up," said Dumervil, who grew up in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami. "It's nice when you get it, don't get me wrong, but I was always taught that you get what you put into it. And as long as you conduct yourself as such, good things will happen for you." DenverPost.com
What is this? A taste of humility coming from a professional athlete? The Associated Press agrees with this as well. Dumervil did exactly the opposite of what these other guys did, and that's why his services are being retained. He didn't whine and complain about things and make it clear that the team better pony up or else he's out, he just let things play out, continued to show his commitment to working for the team, and the team rewarded him. That is a lesson that all younger players should hold on to. It isn't all about the money, you still have to have respect for your team, and for your organization. This is so refreshing, especially after all the pettiness that has surrounded the Broncos of late.
It's definitely good that the Broncos re-signed him, but how well they will actually do this upcoming season is yet to be determined. Until then!
Which is why this story made me VERY happy! The Broncos finally agreed to a new contract with Dumervil. The new deal is actually a contract extension that extends him for 5 years, for $58.332 million through the 2015 season.
Now, to be absolutely fair to Dumervil, it is pretty obvious why he managed to get paid while his former Bronco teammates were quickly shown the door. Cutler demanded a trade after it was reported that the Boy King wanted to trade for Matt Cassel, and whined and moaned after Shanny, who spoiled the living daylights out of Cutler, was fired. Marshall, well, we remember his less-than-enthusiastic practice techniques that got him suspended by his team at the beginning of last season, and then his decision to not practice because his "leg hurt" which resulted in him being benched in the last game of the year. And the same thing with Tony Sheffler, who was also benched for the last game of the season last year.
So what is the difference between Elvis and these three guys? Well, just take a look at this quote, and that should tell you everyting.
"Money is not everything, and that's the way I was brought up," said Dumervil, who grew up in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami. "It's nice when you get it, don't get me wrong, but I was always taught that you get what you put into it. And as long as you conduct yourself as such, good things will happen for you." DenverPost.com
What is this? A taste of humility coming from a professional athlete? The Associated Press agrees with this as well. Dumervil did exactly the opposite of what these other guys did, and that's why his services are being retained. He didn't whine and complain about things and make it clear that the team better pony up or else he's out, he just let things play out, continued to show his commitment to working for the team, and the team rewarded him. That is a lesson that all younger players should hold on to. It isn't all about the money, you still have to have respect for your team, and for your organization. This is so refreshing, especially after all the pettiness that has surrounded the Broncos of late.
It's definitely good that the Broncos re-signed him, but how well they will actually do this upcoming season is yet to be determined. Until then!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
D-Wade appears in an installment of I can't believe that moron really said that.
I just read this on yahoo sports today and had to comment because I just plain can't stand it when people do this. At a charity event that the superstar D-Wade hosts with former Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, he was making a couple of comments about the upcoming season.
Now, since he now has LeBron James and Chris Bosh with him, the Heat have been everybody's default pick to win the title. So Wade, thinking that he was being realistic about the upcoming year, made the following comment.
“There’s going to be times when we might lose one, two games in a row, maybe two games, three games in a row, you never know. It’s going to seem like the world is crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade has just went down again. But it’s not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games lost and we’ll have to get back on track.”
Now, I understand what he's trying to say here. He's trying to say that people are going to overreact when they lose games because they are "supposed" to win them all. I get that, but give me a freaking break man, don't any of these professional athletes have that little person inside their head that tells them "hey, this is a really stupid thing to say, don't say that"? Anyone? Take it from me D-Wade, nobody is going to confuse you guys losing with this.
This brings up one of my other least favorite things that professional athletes do. I HATE it when any type of professional athlete says that they are going to "go to war" on their specific field of play. I don't mind if they say do battle, or if they say that it's going to be a fight, just don't compare a game to an event where thousand upon thousands of people die, it just bothers me.
So, the bonehead of the day award goes to Dwayne Wade! Hopefully he won't think that this is anything catastrophic.
Now, since he now has LeBron James and Chris Bosh with him, the Heat have been everybody's default pick to win the title. So Wade, thinking that he was being realistic about the upcoming year, made the following comment.
“There’s going to be times when we might lose one, two games in a row, maybe two games, three games in a row, you never know. It’s going to seem like the world is crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade has just went down again. But it’s not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games lost and we’ll have to get back on track.”
Now, I understand what he's trying to say here. He's trying to say that people are going to overreact when they lose games because they are "supposed" to win them all. I get that, but give me a freaking break man, don't any of these professional athletes have that little person inside their head that tells them "hey, this is a really stupid thing to say, don't say that"? Anyone? Take it from me D-Wade, nobody is going to confuse you guys losing with this.
This brings up one of my other least favorite things that professional athletes do. I HATE it when any type of professional athlete says that they are going to "go to war" on their specific field of play. I don't mind if they say do battle, or if they say that it's going to be a fight, just don't compare a game to an event where thousand upon thousands of people die, it just bothers me.
So, the bonehead of the day award goes to Dwayne Wade! Hopefully he won't think that this is anything catastrophic.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk, the Final Chapter!!....or is it?
Well, the drama was played out, the teams made all of their pitches, and we finally know that Ilya Kovalcuk, the prize of this year's NHL Free Agent group, has signed with the New Jersey Devils for a record contract. Now, if you thought that Marian Hossa's deal was crazy, then you'll pretty much go nuts yourself when you hear what Kovy's deal ended up being. Kovy signed a 17, yes 17, year deal, worth $102 million.
Now, in my humble opinion, this is probably the dumbest contract ever offered in the history of contracts. Obviously, the Devils are happy with it because they get their man, and don't really have to go to any lengths to familiarize him with the team as he played there from the trade deadline to the end of the season. So that makes a bit of sense. The big problem with this is two-fold. One, do you honestly expect this guy to play out the entirety of this contract? He's 27 now, which means he'll be well out of his prime by the time that he still has 9 years LEFT on his contract. At that point, you'll be paying a 35 + year old man 11.5 million dollars! Secondly, this sets a very unhealthy precedent for the rest of the upcoming superstar free agents. Professional athletes are a lot like 5 year old boys. They see that Tommy across the street has a super awesome new bike, and they want one, too. So now that Ilya across the street has a ridiculously long and lucrative deal, every single other player is going to want this, too. The players have gone from wanting insane amount of money and being locked out during a CBA year, to wanting still pretty large sums of money, but for an insane time period on a contract. I do not look forward to the next CBA year, because I don't want another lockout canceled season! CapGeek has a great run down of Kovy's salary and how it is broken down. Take a look!
Now, the rest of the problems here lie with the Devils. If you take a look at the Devil's salary for this coming season, you will probably notice a pretty big problem. The Devils are currently 2.52 million dollars over the league salary cap. Which means they need to do something to get under it. So, they have to either trade somebody, or hope that some of their players are able to clear waivers and send them down to the AHL. It seems that most people believe that the Devils are going to try and trade Zach Parise, as he has basically been told that he will never be the teams #1 left wing. That would do it, as his cap hit, this year, is 5 million bucks. The next problem with the Devils is going to lie in the long term. Yeah, sure you, have Kovy now, and let's pretend that, by some miracle, they actually manage to make sure that Parise stays through this year. By the time they have anybody else as a free agent that they want to keep, they pretty much won't be able to, because Kovy's salary is going to jump up to 11.5 million bucks each year after year #2 of his contract. They have, pretty much, mortgaged the team's future. Their future is going to be Ilya Kovalchuk. No, we're not talking a Miami Heat situation, they have 3 superstars that they managed to keep under the cap, not just 1. The Devils will then, essentially, turn into the Atlanta Thrashers who did the exact same thing. Threw a ton of money at Kovy, and then weren't able to keep any of their other stars because Kovy ate up too much money.
But what does Kovy care? He wanted a record contract to beat Ovechkin's, and he got it. What he'll be measured by is pretty simple. Once Ovechkin signed his big deal, he went out and lead the league in goals, scoring 65 by the end of the 2008 season. Will Kovy do something similar, or will he fall into the trap that a lot of players do, and relax? Ahh, the get paid and then take the season off syndrome can strike hard, but I suppose we'll see. Regardless, this is a deal that is bad for all hockey fans but 1, Ilya Kovalchuk. I guess we'll see what types of insane deals come up next offseason as well, because this could get seriously ugly.
Now, I know that A-Mac has some opinions on this as well, and I want to hear them! Post your Kovy stuff A-Mac!!
**Update: Yesterday, the NHL rejected Kovalchuk's deal! Meaning that he is now a free agent again! We will try and keep tabs on what things are happening and where Kovy lands.....again.
Now, in my humble opinion, this is probably the dumbest contract ever offered in the history of contracts. Obviously, the Devils are happy with it because they get their man, and don't really have to go to any lengths to familiarize him with the team as he played there from the trade deadline to the end of the season. So that makes a bit of sense. The big problem with this is two-fold. One, do you honestly expect this guy to play out the entirety of this contract? He's 27 now, which means he'll be well out of his prime by the time that he still has 9 years LEFT on his contract. At that point, you'll be paying a 35 + year old man 11.5 million dollars! Secondly, this sets a very unhealthy precedent for the rest of the upcoming superstar free agents. Professional athletes are a lot like 5 year old boys. They see that Tommy across the street has a super awesome new bike, and they want one, too. So now that Ilya across the street has a ridiculously long and lucrative deal, every single other player is going to want this, too. The players have gone from wanting insane amount of money and being locked out during a CBA year, to wanting still pretty large sums of money, but for an insane time period on a contract. I do not look forward to the next CBA year, because I don't want another lockout canceled season! CapGeek has a great run down of Kovy's salary and how it is broken down. Take a look!
Now, the rest of the problems here lie with the Devils. If you take a look at the Devil's salary for this coming season, you will probably notice a pretty big problem. The Devils are currently 2.52 million dollars over the league salary cap. Which means they need to do something to get under it. So, they have to either trade somebody, or hope that some of their players are able to clear waivers and send them down to the AHL. It seems that most people believe that the Devils are going to try and trade Zach Parise, as he has basically been told that he will never be the teams #1 left wing. That would do it, as his cap hit, this year, is 5 million bucks. The next problem with the Devils is going to lie in the long term. Yeah, sure you, have Kovy now, and let's pretend that, by some miracle, they actually manage to make sure that Parise stays through this year. By the time they have anybody else as a free agent that they want to keep, they pretty much won't be able to, because Kovy's salary is going to jump up to 11.5 million bucks each year after year #2 of his contract. They have, pretty much, mortgaged the team's future. Their future is going to be Ilya Kovalchuk. No, we're not talking a Miami Heat situation, they have 3 superstars that they managed to keep under the cap, not just 1. The Devils will then, essentially, turn into the Atlanta Thrashers who did the exact same thing. Threw a ton of money at Kovy, and then weren't able to keep any of their other stars because Kovy ate up too much money.
But what does Kovy care? He wanted a record contract to beat Ovechkin's, and he got it. What he'll be measured by is pretty simple. Once Ovechkin signed his big deal, he went out and lead the league in goals, scoring 65 by the end of the 2008 season. Will Kovy do something similar, or will he fall into the trap that a lot of players do, and relax? Ahh, the get paid and then take the season off syndrome can strike hard, but I suppose we'll see. Regardless, this is a deal that is bad for all hockey fans but 1, Ilya Kovalchuk. I guess we'll see what types of insane deals come up next offseason as well, because this could get seriously ugly.
Now, I know that A-Mac has some opinions on this as well, and I want to hear them! Post your Kovy stuff A-Mac!!
**Update: Yesterday, the NHL rejected Kovalchuk's deal! Meaning that he is now a free agent again! We will try and keep tabs on what things are happening and where Kovy lands.....again.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Tiger and The British Open
Well, we're 3 majors into the golf season and people are still surprised that Tiger has not won a major. Rumblings have begun that the once foregone conclusion of Tiger demolishing Jack's record of 18 major titles has now become a question of if, and is no longer a question of when. People are beginning to see Tiger as "mortal" now. I suppose it's hard to argue with the whole question of him being beatable now. We're talking about a guy who made a habit out of eating the competition for breakfast.
At the same time, though, can we really be all that surprised at Tiger's regression? I mean, sure, professional athletes of Tiger's caliber have been able to tune out the outside world no matter what, but how much can you tune out when literally everything is going against you. Don't mistake me, in now way am I condoning Tiger's multiple mistresses and the way he handled his family life. I find it repulsive how a man who is given everything, through endorsements and prize money, still manage to screw their life up completely and wonder how it happened. To Tiger's credit, though, he has been very up front and loud about accepting the fact that he screwed up. But I digress. This is a guy who took a significant of time off from golfing. Dealing with family issues, going to the rehab clinics, trying to salvage a once pristine image. Why do so many people seem so shocked that he would come back and not be the dominant force he once was?
Anybody who has played golf will tell you that taking that much time off will affect the way you play. Your body won't be in the same shape, you lose that muscle memory that comes with the constant repetition of swing after swing, your vision slows down and you begin to second guess yourself, and your confidence will take a dive as a result of all of this. If you are wondering if Tiger's confidence is lacking, all you have to do is take a look at his putting. After 13 majors with the same putter, he changed at the British Open this year. You don't change putters unless your confidence is low. I guess the bottom line with all of this is that, as machine-like as Tiger has looked in the past, he's obviously still human, and won't be the same Tiger that goes out and dominates everybody before he even tees off. He probably won't reach that level ever again. But most people would agree that Tiger at 85%, is still better than most of the field at 100%. So now we just have to wait for him to get back up to that 85%.
As for the rest of golf itself, the fact that Tiger is no longer in that dominant mode is great for the game! We still got to see somebody dominate St. Andrew's this year, and it wasn't at all who we thought it would be. I mean, I'm still working on how to pronounce this dude's name! Louis Oosthuizen, if you find out, please tell me! But now we get to see all the other player's playing their best and bringing out the excitement, yes the excitement, that golf has! It is no longer people playing for second. Sure, it's exciting to see Tiger pull of the shots that he's capable of, but it's just as exciting seeing 3 or 4 others go down the back 9 and not knowing who's going to win like with did at the U.S. Open.
At any rate, everybody needs to calm down about all this Tiger stuff. He'll figure it out. The rest of my take on Tiger is to just leave his personal life alone. I know all that I ever wanted to know about his sex life, and then some. Don't get me wrong, he deserves his lumps about what he did, but he's going to get them whether I give him a hard time about it or not. If you've ever been divorced, you know how rough that would have to be; but now imagine that you had to pay half a billion dollars and have every single detail of that divorce advertised and spelled out to every person in the world whether they wanted to hear about it or not. As I said, he'll get his lumps. Plus, throw into it that he's managed to lose this, a smoking hot Swedish Super mode, to come home to, and life is pretty rough.
I look forward to when Tiger regains all of his form, but until then, I will enjoy all of the great drama that will come with each tournament. Golf remains an exciting game, regardless of what Tiger does.
At the same time, though, can we really be all that surprised at Tiger's regression? I mean, sure, professional athletes of Tiger's caliber have been able to tune out the outside world no matter what, but how much can you tune out when literally everything is going against you. Don't mistake me, in now way am I condoning Tiger's multiple mistresses and the way he handled his family life. I find it repulsive how a man who is given everything, through endorsements and prize money, still manage to screw their life up completely and wonder how it happened. To Tiger's credit, though, he has been very up front and loud about accepting the fact that he screwed up. But I digress. This is a guy who took a significant of time off from golfing. Dealing with family issues, going to the rehab clinics, trying to salvage a once pristine image. Why do so many people seem so shocked that he would come back and not be the dominant force he once was?
Anybody who has played golf will tell you that taking that much time off will affect the way you play. Your body won't be in the same shape, you lose that muscle memory that comes with the constant repetition of swing after swing, your vision slows down and you begin to second guess yourself, and your confidence will take a dive as a result of all of this. If you are wondering if Tiger's confidence is lacking, all you have to do is take a look at his putting. After 13 majors with the same putter, he changed at the British Open this year. You don't change putters unless your confidence is low. I guess the bottom line with all of this is that, as machine-like as Tiger has looked in the past, he's obviously still human, and won't be the same Tiger that goes out and dominates everybody before he even tees off. He probably won't reach that level ever again. But most people would agree that Tiger at 85%, is still better than most of the field at 100%. So now we just have to wait for him to get back up to that 85%.
As for the rest of golf itself, the fact that Tiger is no longer in that dominant mode is great for the game! We still got to see somebody dominate St. Andrew's this year, and it wasn't at all who we thought it would be. I mean, I'm still working on how to pronounce this dude's name! Louis Oosthuizen, if you find out, please tell me! But now we get to see all the other player's playing their best and bringing out the excitement, yes the excitement, that golf has! It is no longer people playing for second. Sure, it's exciting to see Tiger pull of the shots that he's capable of, but it's just as exciting seeing 3 or 4 others go down the back 9 and not knowing who's going to win like with did at the U.S. Open.
At any rate, everybody needs to calm down about all this Tiger stuff. He'll figure it out. The rest of my take on Tiger is to just leave his personal life alone. I know all that I ever wanted to know about his sex life, and then some. Don't get me wrong, he deserves his lumps about what he did, but he's going to get them whether I give him a hard time about it or not. If you've ever been divorced, you know how rough that would have to be; but now imagine that you had to pay half a billion dollars and have every single detail of that divorce advertised and spelled out to every person in the world whether they wanted to hear about it or not. As I said, he'll get his lumps. Plus, throw into it that he's managed to lose this, a smoking hot Swedish Super mode, to come home to, and life is pretty rough.
I look forward to when Tiger regains all of his form, but until then, I will enjoy all of the great drama that will come with each tournament. Golf remains an exciting game, regardless of what Tiger does.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Supposed Mid Summer Classic
In honor of the supposed slowest sports day of the year, a post!
Yesterday, the American League and the National League got together and played a little exhibition game to give a lot of players a break. This tradition goes back to 1933, predating I am guessing every reader of this blog. While it started out as a good idea, the All Star Game has grown bloated, over hyped, and irrelevant. The All Star Game is slowly creeping into Pro Bowl territory in relevancy in the American Public and within the sport itself. Bud Selig(the second worst commissioner in pro sports) grew the rosters to 34 a piece this year. Baseball managers are used to dealing with 25 players, usually 12 hitters and 13 pitchers. I understand that Bud wants every team to be represented but I disagree with this assessment. While you might lose some fans, its better in the long run for just the 25 best players in each league to play. The reason I am calling it Pro Bowl irrelevant is the number of stars skipping this year who were voted or picked to be on the team in the first place including the best closer in baseball, Mariano Sandman Rivera. Anyone familiar with the Pro Bowl knows that the starters are rarely who is voted in now with many of them skipping. Tom Brady, I am looking at you!
The voting itself is flawed as is all fan voting. Ichiro will always be the starting OF as long as he plays as he has an entire country behind him, just like Yao in the NBA. There has been problems before the internet with stuffing the ballot box, most notably when the Reds in 1957 with 7 starters and the A's in 1988 when Terry Steinbach was elected starting catcher. Yadier Molina was elected the starting catcher this year, echoing the sentiment of the writers in 88 that decried Steinbach's election. Molina was replaced at C in the 5th inning by Brian McCann, who won MVP this year do to his 3 run double in the 7th. McCann has been having the better year statistically than Molina. To be fair to Terry Steinbach, he won the ASG MVP that year!
The reserves are picked between player and manager votes plus MLB has their Final Vote promotion where fans get to vote on the last player for each league. MLB and the Managers hand picks 5 or 6 snubs for this role.
Last but not least, the real reason its overhyped is that Bud caused a boo boo when he ended the 2002 All Star game at a tie in extra innings. After that, to repair the damage he added the marketing strategy of which league wins the ASG, gets home field advantage in the World Series. Bud basically decreed that an exhibition game counts so much. Shouldn't it be based on who has the best record, that gets home field. It works for every other sport. If its supposed to count, Bud should shrink the rosters and make sure the managers actually play their best players and try to win it. I think though that it should be a welcome break and an exhibition of the best players. I generally like All star competitions and watch all 4 major ones.
For once, the game was actually good. Lets hope the rest of the season is.
Yesterday, the American League and the National League got together and played a little exhibition game to give a lot of players a break. This tradition goes back to 1933, predating I am guessing every reader of this blog. While it started out as a good idea, the All Star Game has grown bloated, over hyped, and irrelevant. The All Star Game is slowly creeping into Pro Bowl territory in relevancy in the American Public and within the sport itself. Bud Selig(the second worst commissioner in pro sports) grew the rosters to 34 a piece this year. Baseball managers are used to dealing with 25 players, usually 12 hitters and 13 pitchers. I understand that Bud wants every team to be represented but I disagree with this assessment. While you might lose some fans, its better in the long run for just the 25 best players in each league to play. The reason I am calling it Pro Bowl irrelevant is the number of stars skipping this year who were voted or picked to be on the team in the first place including the best closer in baseball, Mariano Sandman Rivera. Anyone familiar with the Pro Bowl knows that the starters are rarely who is voted in now with many of them skipping. Tom Brady, I am looking at you!
The voting itself is flawed as is all fan voting. Ichiro will always be the starting OF as long as he plays as he has an entire country behind him, just like Yao in the NBA. There has been problems before the internet with stuffing the ballot box, most notably when the Reds in 1957 with 7 starters and the A's in 1988 when Terry Steinbach was elected starting catcher. Yadier Molina was elected the starting catcher this year, echoing the sentiment of the writers in 88 that decried Steinbach's election. Molina was replaced at C in the 5th inning by Brian McCann, who won MVP this year do to his 3 run double in the 7th. McCann has been having the better year statistically than Molina. To be fair to Terry Steinbach, he won the ASG MVP that year!
The reserves are picked between player and manager votes plus MLB has their Final Vote promotion where fans get to vote on the last player for each league. MLB and the Managers hand picks 5 or 6 snubs for this role.
Last but not least, the real reason its overhyped is that Bud caused a boo boo when he ended the 2002 All Star game at a tie in extra innings. After that, to repair the damage he added the marketing strategy of which league wins the ASG, gets home field advantage in the World Series. Bud basically decreed that an exhibition game counts so much. Shouldn't it be based on who has the best record, that gets home field. It works for every other sport. If its supposed to count, Bud should shrink the rosters and make sure the managers actually play their best players and try to win it. I think though that it should be a welcome break and an exhibition of the best players. I generally like All star competitions and watch all 4 major ones.
For once, the game was actually good. Lets hope the rest of the season is.
Ilya Kovalchuk
Okay, NHL Free Agency has been going on for about 2 weeks now, and the big question going in was where was Ilya Kovalchuk, the prize of this year's free agency class, going to end up. Pretty much everybody (Puck Daddy, ESPN, Barry Melrose, etc...) figured that he was going to end up on the L.A. Kings. People figured that the Devils would definitely make an effort to keep him, but after the first day, with all the moves they made, it seemed like it was going to be impossible for him to stay. But Kovy didn't sign on the first day, or the second day, or the third day. No, he's drawn all of us out for 2 long weeks.
Now, The Kings were out, then back in, then out again, then Kovy went to visit them, but they weren't really back in quite yet, and now they may be out for good. The Devils have said that they would make space to keep Kovy, but it doesn't appear as if there has been any meaningful movement on that front. I had heard that the Devils had made him a 10 million a year offer for 17 years, but I, of course, have no references of that. Still, even if that was there, the Devils don't have anywhere near enough cap space to fit him in there, so, to me, that sort of report is clearly full of it.
What this has all boiled down to is money. Kovy wants 10 million a year for 10 years, which, in the salary cap era, basically means that you are blowing any chance of keeping any future talent because you've got all of your money tied up in one guy. Now, Kovy is naturally not concerned about that, he just wants to get paid. He is also the only one in this free agency class that would garner this type of money, but he has absolutely over-played his hand. He really needs to think of this like buying a house, or in his case, selling a house. When you're selling a house, you aren't the one that decides how much it goes for, the market is. If you want to sell your house for 500,000 dollars, but the market says it is only worth 450,000, there isn't any way that you're going to get it, no matter how much you say that it's worth that. Kovy is, unfortunately for him, our 500,000 dollar house. He believes that he is worth this much, yet the market has spoken. As far as we know, 3 teams have told him that he isn't getting what he wants, 4 if you include the KHL. Yet, he keeps saying that he is worth this. Well, I'm sorry Kovy, you are not going to get what you keep demanding, no matter how much you keep saying that you're worth it.
It's strange, I didn't really think there was a guy that could come out looking worse than LeBron in all of this free agency stuff. I mean, LeBron came off looking like a narcissistic primma donna who was more interested in being rich than working hard to make his home town team take the next step. But Kovy comes off as a stubborn narcissistic jerk who doesn't care that you don't believe he hasn't earned the money that he wants, you're going to pay it to him no matter what. Well, he's managed to do it!
At any rate, I don't think that Kovy is going to end up playing in the NHL next year. It is well known that the KHL wants him back in Russia and will do pretty much anything to get him back as he is a super talented player who is actually under 35 and is still pretty much in his prime. They will pay him more and kiss his butt to make sure that he comes there. In my opinion, don't count on Kovy playing in the NHL next year.
Now, The Kings were out, then back in, then out again, then Kovy went to visit them, but they weren't really back in quite yet, and now they may be out for good. The Devils have said that they would make space to keep Kovy, but it doesn't appear as if there has been any meaningful movement on that front. I had heard that the Devils had made him a 10 million a year offer for 17 years, but I, of course, have no references of that. Still, even if that was there, the Devils don't have anywhere near enough cap space to fit him in there, so, to me, that sort of report is clearly full of it.
What this has all boiled down to is money. Kovy wants 10 million a year for 10 years, which, in the salary cap era, basically means that you are blowing any chance of keeping any future talent because you've got all of your money tied up in one guy. Now, Kovy is naturally not concerned about that, he just wants to get paid. He is also the only one in this free agency class that would garner this type of money, but he has absolutely over-played his hand. He really needs to think of this like buying a house, or in his case, selling a house. When you're selling a house, you aren't the one that decides how much it goes for, the market is. If you want to sell your house for 500,000 dollars, but the market says it is only worth 450,000, there isn't any way that you're going to get it, no matter how much you say that it's worth that. Kovy is, unfortunately for him, our 500,000 dollar house. He believes that he is worth this much, yet the market has spoken. As far as we know, 3 teams have told him that he isn't getting what he wants, 4 if you include the KHL. Yet, he keeps saying that he is worth this. Well, I'm sorry Kovy, you are not going to get what you keep demanding, no matter how much you keep saying that you're worth it.
It's strange, I didn't really think there was a guy that could come out looking worse than LeBron in all of this free agency stuff. I mean, LeBron came off looking like a narcissistic primma donna who was more interested in being rich than working hard to make his home town team take the next step. But Kovy comes off as a stubborn narcissistic jerk who doesn't care that you don't believe he hasn't earned the money that he wants, you're going to pay it to him no matter what. Well, he's managed to do it!
At any rate, I don't think that Kovy is going to end up playing in the NHL next year. It is well known that the KHL wants him back in Russia and will do pretty much anything to get him back as he is a super talented player who is actually under 35 and is still pretty much in his prime. They will pay him more and kiss his butt to make sure that he comes there. In my opinion, don't count on Kovy playing in the NHL next year.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Introduction Part 2
Hi loyal readers of the Sin Bin. I am the newest contributor so KG doesn't have to bear the full load of writing all the time. I think too this will make it easier on him and we can get the traffic up by potentially doubling the posts of the Sin Bin.
My name is Alyson as Kevin pointed out in his introduction. I met KG freshman year at GU and we bonded over our love of the Avalanche, pro wrestling and other things. We have watched plenty of games together and imbibed our fair share of adult beverages.
Unlike KG, I do like basketball and baseball which should be fun to post more on those sports for the site. I am an avid fantasy sports fan and play the four major sports which KG does play hockey and football in the leagues I run. My favorite teams are the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Supersonics(the Thunder do not exist in my mind), Boston Red Sox whom I liked before they were trendy, and of course the Colorado Avalanche. I will post witty fair minded assessments of teams and players and the occasional hater post on someone like Kobe Bryant. Looking forward to the fun future ahead.
My name is Alyson as Kevin pointed out in his introduction. I met KG freshman year at GU and we bonded over our love of the Avalanche, pro wrestling and other things. We have watched plenty of games together and imbibed our fair share of adult beverages.
Unlike KG, I do like basketball and baseball which should be fun to post more on those sports for the site. I am an avid fantasy sports fan and play the four major sports which KG does play hockey and football in the leagues I run. My favorite teams are the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Supersonics(the Thunder do not exist in my mind), Boston Red Sox whom I liked before they were trendy, and of course the Colorado Avalanche. I will post witty fair minded assessments of teams and players and the occasional hater post on someone like Kobe Bryant. Looking forward to the fun future ahead.
New Member of The Sin Bin
After almost a year of writing this blog, I've decided that it might be a fun thing to add another point of view to the site. So, I'm adding a friend of mine as a contributor. I've known this person since college, and have always enjoyed some great sports banter with. We've always had a pretty good connection, and share an obsession with the Colorado Avalanche because it is the right thing to do!
I'm sure that the two of us will be commenting on each others blogs as blogs as we go along, and will include some banter and debate between the two of us. I definitely see that happening a lot once football season comes about, and we will compete with our picks.
So, without further ado, I introduce my good friend, A-Mac! She'll be posting as we go along, and will give herself her own intro very shortly. So, I hope you enjoy this addition to The Sin Bin!
I'm sure that the two of us will be commenting on each others blogs as blogs as we go along, and will include some banter and debate between the two of us. I definitely see that happening a lot once football season comes about, and we will compete with our picks.
So, without further ado, I introduce my good friend, A-Mac! She'll be posting as we go along, and will give herself her own intro very shortly. So, I hope you enjoy this addition to The Sin Bin!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Golf Journal: Littleton Golf & Tennis Club
I went out golfing today with my buddy Scott at the Littleton Golf & Tennis Club. It was a very fun day, and quite interesting for me, as I have never played this course before. When I got there, I was kind of surprised to find that this was not your regular old par 72 championship golf course. This was a par 63, executive golf course. Still a full 18 holes though, which was nice.
Now, this was a much better round from my last time out. Best of all, I had my own clubs. Now, I wasn't terribly certain how much of a difference my own clubs would actually make while I was playing, but I felt so much more comfortable today than I did in Alaska that it was crazy, and it showed right away. First hole, which was a mere 283 yard par 4, I nailed my 3 wood straight down the middle of the fairway, and hit my pitching wedge into the green. It landed about 5 - 8 feet from the hole, and had the greens been softer, wouldn't have rolled off. Quick two putt to par the first hole. I was a bit surprised.
The other thing that made me so much happier about playing with my own clubs was hitting MY driver. I don't know what it is about these Taylor Made Burner Drivers, but I hit that thing so straight that I can hardly believe that it is me hitting it. It is so nice to have that kind of confidence off of the tee. Granted, I don't hit things very far, still, but it is nice to feel like I can put it in the fairway every single time.
High point of the day came on the only par 5 on the front 9, yes there was another one on the back. I was laying 2 in a pretty good position, and just didn't quite get all of my 3rd shot and landed about 15 yard from the green. So I pulled out my pitching wedge, chipped it up, thought that I had hit it way too hard until I saw where it was going. My mood changed quite a bit as it fell down for a birdie 4. That was my only birdie of the day, but what a way to get it. I had a few more pars, and shot a 39 on the front. Don't get too excited, remember that this is a par 63 course. Par on the front was 31, but still respectable. I was a bit more inconsistent, especially with my putting, on the back 9, but still finished with a 41 on the back (which was a par 32). Grand total of 80. Again, this would be way more exciting if I was on a par 72 championship course, but 80 is +17 on the par 63 course. So that roughly translates an 89, very roughly, if you were to go 17 over on a par 72 championship course. Either way, I still felt very good about the day.
The only bad thing was my putting today. I had some good holes, but the greens were very tricky and totally owned me. Some of the greens were faster than others, and then there were quite a few that I just plain misread. There were quite a few 3 putts that I could have easily eliminated simply by making a stinking 2 foot putt, but I guess that's why people practice.
This is probably going to be one of my last rounds for a while as my wife and I will be moving down to the Springs pretty soon here and money is definitely tight. Hopefully there will be some folks in the Springs that can help me find a reasonably affordable place to golf. All in all, great day, and hopefully I will be able to get out again soon. Any tips or advice on places to play, in Colorado, or anywhere, would be great! I do love to travel.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The World Cup Finale!!
Well, now that I'm writing pretty consistently again, I figure I should go ahead and actually say something about this one. So, allow me to begin!
First, to all Americans who hear people around the world to refer to the game as football, and then try to correct them, please stop. We are the only country in the world, except for possibly Canada, that refers to this as soccer. Just live with it and accept it as one of life's funny little quirks, or just another self-serving reason that you give yourself as to why America is "better" than everybody else. Settled? Awesome!
Next, I have to say that I never really liked soccer all that much until I went on a trip in high school. It was 1998, and I was part of People to People Student Ambassadors. For any of you who don't know about that program, you can check out that link, but it is essentially a way to get youth in the states to get a chance to visit other countries and experience a culture other than their own. Well, part of my experience was a home stay in the Netherlands. This, I hardly need to remind you, was right in the middle of the World Cup that year! As part of my experience, my host sister brought me to one of the local pubs to watch the round of 16 game between the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. Again, I had never watched soccer before in my life, but the intensity of everybody was insane! I loved the game, and have, ever since, been at least a casual fan of soccer, a fan of Dutch soccer, and have stopped bashing it as a boring game. It is not boring in the least. So that's my back story.
Now, this year we have heard a lot of things about the World Cup, mostly revolving around the horrible officiating, and the ridiculous gamesmanship (I mean come on, what a panzy play to just flop like that. Let's introduce that guy to Bob Probert, give him a reason to flop like that) but we have also been treated to some great games. Both Semi-final matches were incredible! The Dutch score fest and Uruguay rally, followed by an amazing nail biter between Spain and Germany. That is what the World Cup should be remembered for, not insanely botched calls that have a long lasting effect on the game. Luckily, the great play has been towards the finale, which will leave a longer lasting memory in our minds, in my opinion.
As for the final itself, I have to stick with my heart. I have loved the Dutch ever since I visited the Netherlands, so I am going to say that the Orange Crush will win the day, and capture their first World Cup Championship ever.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
Had to be done.
First, to all Americans who hear people around the world to refer to the game as football, and then try to correct them, please stop. We are the only country in the world, except for possibly Canada, that refers to this as soccer. Just live with it and accept it as one of life's funny little quirks, or just another self-serving reason that you give yourself as to why America is "better" than everybody else. Settled? Awesome!
Next, I have to say that I never really liked soccer all that much until I went on a trip in high school. It was 1998, and I was part of People to People Student Ambassadors. For any of you who don't know about that program, you can check out that link, but it is essentially a way to get youth in the states to get a chance to visit other countries and experience a culture other than their own. Well, part of my experience was a home stay in the Netherlands. This, I hardly need to remind you, was right in the middle of the World Cup that year! As part of my experience, my host sister brought me to one of the local pubs to watch the round of 16 game between the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. Again, I had never watched soccer before in my life, but the intensity of everybody was insane! I loved the game, and have, ever since, been at least a casual fan of soccer, a fan of Dutch soccer, and have stopped bashing it as a boring game. It is not boring in the least. So that's my back story.
Now, this year we have heard a lot of things about the World Cup, mostly revolving around the horrible officiating, and the ridiculous gamesmanship (I mean come on, what a panzy play to just flop like that. Let's introduce that guy to Bob Probert, give him a reason to flop like that) but we have also been treated to some great games. Both Semi-final matches were incredible! The Dutch score fest and Uruguay rally, followed by an amazing nail biter between Spain and Germany. That is what the World Cup should be remembered for, not insanely botched calls that have a long lasting effect on the game. Luckily, the great play has been towards the finale, which will leave a longer lasting memory in our minds, in my opinion.
As for the final itself, I have to stick with my heart. I have loved the Dutch ever since I visited the Netherlands, so I am going to say that the Orange Crush will win the day, and capture their first World Cup Championship ever.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
Had to be done.
Bob Probert, King of the Rink
About a week ago, there was very sad news in the world of sports. Bob Probert, best known for his time with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks, passed away at the age of 45.
First, let's back up. Bob Probert, outside of the NHL, is not a well known individual. Bob Probert is remembered as possibly, and in my opinion as well, the greatest NHL enforcer in the history of the game. This guy never backed down from anybody, and you knew to watch yourself when he was on the ice. Every other tough guy dreamed of fighting Probert because if you could last against him, I don't say beat him, because nobody really beat Probert, then you knew that you were worth your salt. All you need to do is read this story and listen to the remarks of other enforcers who played with him or against him to see how respected he was. Most fans probably hated him, unless he played for your guys, but every single player seems to speak well of him.
Strangely enough, I have a couple of Bob Probert stories! None from my own point of view, but second hand, from some of my acquaintances and friends. Firstly, I heard about this story when I was playing golf up in Anchorage last week. One of the guys I was playing with, a friend of my father in law, used to play summer league hockey. He once fought Bob Probert in a summer league. Yes, he lived to tell the tale, but he said that he definitely felt silly for going with him once things were all done. The other story I have comes from one of my very good friends in Alaska. He used to be a goalie and played for some of the under 18 US teams. He was quite a sought after prospect, but had a career ending knee injury. He was telling a story of a time they were in Detroit and were practicing right after the Red Wings. Probert was still on the ice when he got out and was warming up. There was some playful banter, that ended with Probert betting him that he couldn't stop his slap shot. My friend agreed. Probert came up, took his shot, and shot the puck directly THROUGH his catching glove. More banter. "I caught it." "No you didn't, it went right through!" In the end, Probert caught up with him after practice, and handed him a couple of hundred dollars, "to get a new mit," according to Probert. In both our opinions, not only just because he ruined his catching glove, but because he respected that an 18 year old kid could catch an NHL slap shot. And that is something that you could never deny about Probert. He respected the game, and the people that play it. Sure, he knocked people's heads off, but he knew when it was and wasn't appropriate to fight. And, as you see in the videos, there are a couple of times when his opponents fall to their knees for a second and he could seriously clobber them, and he doesn't. He lets them get back up.
As a fan, I hated his guts because he always beat up the goon on my team, but as a guy who appreciates hockey and the sheer toughness and determination the game takes, you can't help but respect and appreciate what Bob Probert did for the game.
RIP, Bob Probert
First, let's back up. Bob Probert, outside of the NHL, is not a well known individual. Bob Probert is remembered as possibly, and in my opinion as well, the greatest NHL enforcer in the history of the game. This guy never backed down from anybody, and you knew to watch yourself when he was on the ice. Every other tough guy dreamed of fighting Probert because if you could last against him, I don't say beat him, because nobody really beat Probert, then you knew that you were worth your salt. All you need to do is read this story and listen to the remarks of other enforcers who played with him or against him to see how respected he was. Most fans probably hated him, unless he played for your guys, but every single player seems to speak well of him.
Strangely enough, I have a couple of Bob Probert stories! None from my own point of view, but second hand, from some of my acquaintances and friends. Firstly, I heard about this story when I was playing golf up in Anchorage last week. One of the guys I was playing with, a friend of my father in law, used to play summer league hockey. He once fought Bob Probert in a summer league. Yes, he lived to tell the tale, but he said that he definitely felt silly for going with him once things were all done. The other story I have comes from one of my very good friends in Alaska. He used to be a goalie and played for some of the under 18 US teams. He was quite a sought after prospect, but had a career ending knee injury. He was telling a story of a time they were in Detroit and were practicing right after the Red Wings. Probert was still on the ice when he got out and was warming up. There was some playful banter, that ended with Probert betting him that he couldn't stop his slap shot. My friend agreed. Probert came up, took his shot, and shot the puck directly THROUGH his catching glove. More banter. "I caught it." "No you didn't, it went right through!" In the end, Probert caught up with him after practice, and handed him a couple of hundred dollars, "to get a new mit," according to Probert. In both our opinions, not only just because he ruined his catching glove, but because he respected that an 18 year old kid could catch an NHL slap shot. And that is something that you could never deny about Probert. He respected the game, and the people that play it. Sure, he knocked people's heads off, but he knew when it was and wasn't appropriate to fight. And, as you see in the videos, there are a couple of times when his opponents fall to their knees for a second and he could seriously clobber them, and he doesn't. He lets them get back up.
As a fan, I hated his guts because he always beat up the goon on my team, but as a guy who appreciates hockey and the sheer toughness and determination the game takes, you can't help but respect and appreciate what Bob Probert did for the game.
RIP, Bob Probert
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Miami Bound
So, after a gigantic circus and everybody saying he's going to go here, he's going to go there, we now finally know that LeBron James is heading to Miami. Now, I don't personally care because I'm not really a huge basketball fan, but it is worth talking about.
This season we really began to learn a lot about the real LeBron James. For years, all people could do was talk about how perfectly he has handled everything, but then some things began happening. It all really started when LeBron got dunked on at his own skills camp. Suddenly nobody is allowed to see it, all the tapes are seized, and we have to watch things from way behind the action and can barely tell that it's him anyways. Rumblings of primma donna syndrome begin. But, can we tell that it's actually James, or was it Nike making sure that their golden boy is not publicly shown up, so we kinda let it go.
Then, all they hype about his contract year. We see all this stuff with Jay-Z and LeBron, everybody start talking about how LeBron is totally going to go to New York and be with his boy Jay-Z. But the worst part about things didn't come until the playoffs where LeBron pretty much quit on his team against the Celtics. After he got eliminated, started talking about his "team", refer to a previous blog post I wrote right after the Cavs were eliminated, talking about the offseason. Said he hadn't thought about the offseason, but had already made comments to people about wanting to be the highest paid free agent EVER. Clearly, he's not referring to the Cavs when talking about his team.
Then, all the hoopla. I mean, it makes sense that he didn't decide on the first day of free agency. He knew that he absolutely had the power in all of this. Nobody is disputing that, this whole hour long special on ESPN to announce something that would take a grand total of 20 seconds. I mean, what happened to the kid who accepted his first NBA MVP trophy back at his high school? All of this doesn't project somebody who is playing because he loves to play. This is all showing people a ham who wants to stay in the center of the spotlight for as long as humanly possible, knowing that he has everybody at his beck and call.
At any rate, we FINALLY learned that LeBron is going to Miami, who just signed Chris Bosh and re-signed Dwayne Wade. This is definitely one of the most potent combinations to come into the NBA..well, ever. The last time there was a group this potent, just the group of 3, had to be Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, and Tony Kukoc. Obviously you have to favor the Heat in the Eastern Conference with these three guys leading the way. But again, I don't really care.
Obviously, lots of people in Cleveland are going to be absolutely livid about this. And you just have to feel bad for Cleveland. I mean, if it wasn't for Michael Jordan, the Cavs probably would have had like 3-5 titles in their chest. The Browns get moved, and then come back as pretty much the NFL's whipping boys, LeBron comes and gets the Cavs so close to winning titles, and then up and leaves them. He says that Akron will always be home, but really, I don't think his home will be very welcoming whenever he does decide to come back. But, at least we know, and we can stop making a huge deal about this. I mean, why talk about this when we can all agonize and annoy each other over whether or not Brett Favre will come back?
This season we really began to learn a lot about the real LeBron James. For years, all people could do was talk about how perfectly he has handled everything, but then some things began happening. It all really started when LeBron got dunked on at his own skills camp. Suddenly nobody is allowed to see it, all the tapes are seized, and we have to watch things from way behind the action and can barely tell that it's him anyways. Rumblings of primma donna syndrome begin. But, can we tell that it's actually James, or was it Nike making sure that their golden boy is not publicly shown up, so we kinda let it go.
Then, all they hype about his contract year. We see all this stuff with Jay-Z and LeBron, everybody start talking about how LeBron is totally going to go to New York and be with his boy Jay-Z. But the worst part about things didn't come until the playoffs where LeBron pretty much quit on his team against the Celtics. After he got eliminated, started talking about his "team", refer to a previous blog post I wrote right after the Cavs were eliminated, talking about the offseason. Said he hadn't thought about the offseason, but had already made comments to people about wanting to be the highest paid free agent EVER. Clearly, he's not referring to the Cavs when talking about his team.
Then, all the hoopla. I mean, it makes sense that he didn't decide on the first day of free agency. He knew that he absolutely had the power in all of this. Nobody is disputing that, this whole hour long special on ESPN to announce something that would take a grand total of 20 seconds. I mean, what happened to the kid who accepted his first NBA MVP trophy back at his high school? All of this doesn't project somebody who is playing because he loves to play. This is all showing people a ham who wants to stay in the center of the spotlight for as long as humanly possible, knowing that he has everybody at his beck and call.
At any rate, we FINALLY learned that LeBron is going to Miami, who just signed Chris Bosh and re-signed Dwayne Wade. This is definitely one of the most potent combinations to come into the NBA..well, ever. The last time there was a group this potent, just the group of 3, had to be Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, and Tony Kukoc. Obviously you have to favor the Heat in the Eastern Conference with these three guys leading the way. But again, I don't really care.
Obviously, lots of people in Cleveland are going to be absolutely livid about this. And you just have to feel bad for Cleveland. I mean, if it wasn't for Michael Jordan, the Cavs probably would have had like 3-5 titles in their chest. The Browns get moved, and then come back as pretty much the NFL's whipping boys, LeBron comes and gets the Cavs so close to winning titles, and then up and leaves them. He says that Akron will always be home, but really, I don't think his home will be very welcoming whenever he does decide to come back. But, at least we know, and we can stop making a huge deal about this. I mean, why talk about this when we can all agonize and annoy each other over whether or not Brett Favre will come back?
Monday, July 5, 2010
Golf Journal: Eagle Glen
I played Eagle Glen today, up in Anchorage, Alaska. It was my first round of 18 holes this year, and I didn't really feel that great. I shot a 107 which, by my standards at the moment, isn't all that bad, but I feel I could have done better. A few things were not to my advantage right away.
First, I had never played the course before, and right away I was caught guessing on the first hole, not knowing exactly where the multiple water hazards were. Second, I had to rent clubs. My wife and I traveled up to Alaska from Denver, and I wasn't able to bring my clubs with me. For a great portion of the day I just didn't feel great about how I was lined up, and how the clubs felt. I don't think I would have done a great deal better with my own clubs, but there is definitely something to say for familiarity. Third, right from the get go, the group in front of us was really slow. I'm usually not one that gets fussy about the group in front of you playing a bit slow, but these guys were ridiculous. On pretty much the whole front 9, they let their kids, there were 2 young kids, play a good deal of the holes. Not to anybody teaching their kid the game of golf, good for you, but teaching them how to swing is something you should do on the driving range, not on the 18 hole course. The last thing didn't really happen until hole 14, but on this par 3, I caught my tee shot fat, and it felt like my body was still trying to go through, but the club caught in the ground. My back felt kinda weird the entire rest of the round, and still does.
Other than that, there were some good things. My short game was alright. Most specifically, my putting was quite good. I made a few pretty long distance puts, a few great pars, but the greens were a bit slow and choppy. The balls hopped a lot. At the end, one of the guys I was playing with said his round would have been quite a few strokes better if he had me putting for him. That felt nice. I had some really bad fortune on a couple holes, just plain stunk a few others, and then played a few really well. This is all part of the consistency issue that I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to overcome. I managed to get a par on probably the longest par 5 on the course, where my second shot just managed to get over the creek, took a bit of an extra bound, thanks to the cart path, and sat up for me in the rough. Hit my third shot just off the green, pitched to about 3 feet, and putted it right in. The things that bring ya back!
Perhaps my favorite quote of the day was my father in law cursing the creek on the long par 5. He said that he's never gotten less than a 10 on that hole, and, after putting a couple in the creek from not far away, could probably be heard back in the clubhouse yelling "I HATE THIS HOLE!" I had done not so much better the hole before, knocking two into the creek and getting a 10.
All in all, it was a great day. Gorgeous weather, good company, a bit frustrating. I definitely felt a bit cranky with the really slow group in front of us, and crankiness can affect me. I'll be interested to see how I do the next time I get out for 18. It will be in Colorado, and it will be with my own clubs. Hopefully that will help my confidence and comfort level. But who knows. I'm certain that I will still suck, but will hopefully be able to get out of the 100s. Until next time!
First, I had never played the course before, and right away I was caught guessing on the first hole, not knowing exactly where the multiple water hazards were. Second, I had to rent clubs. My wife and I traveled up to Alaska from Denver, and I wasn't able to bring my clubs with me. For a great portion of the day I just didn't feel great about how I was lined up, and how the clubs felt. I don't think I would have done a great deal better with my own clubs, but there is definitely something to say for familiarity. Third, right from the get go, the group in front of us was really slow. I'm usually not one that gets fussy about the group in front of you playing a bit slow, but these guys were ridiculous. On pretty much the whole front 9, they let their kids, there were 2 young kids, play a good deal of the holes. Not to anybody teaching their kid the game of golf, good for you, but teaching them how to swing is something you should do on the driving range, not on the 18 hole course. The last thing didn't really happen until hole 14, but on this par 3, I caught my tee shot fat, and it felt like my body was still trying to go through, but the club caught in the ground. My back felt kinda weird the entire rest of the round, and still does.
Other than that, there were some good things. My short game was alright. Most specifically, my putting was quite good. I made a few pretty long distance puts, a few great pars, but the greens were a bit slow and choppy. The balls hopped a lot. At the end, one of the guys I was playing with said his round would have been quite a few strokes better if he had me putting for him. That felt nice. I had some really bad fortune on a couple holes, just plain stunk a few others, and then played a few really well. This is all part of the consistency issue that I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to overcome. I managed to get a par on probably the longest par 5 on the course, where my second shot just managed to get over the creek, took a bit of an extra bound, thanks to the cart path, and sat up for me in the rough. Hit my third shot just off the green, pitched to about 3 feet, and putted it right in. The things that bring ya back!
Perhaps my favorite quote of the day was my father in law cursing the creek on the long par 5. He said that he's never gotten less than a 10 on that hole, and, after putting a couple in the creek from not far away, could probably be heard back in the clubhouse yelling "I HATE THIS HOLE!" I had done not so much better the hole before, knocking two into the creek and getting a 10.
All in all, it was a great day. Gorgeous weather, good company, a bit frustrating. I definitely felt a bit cranky with the really slow group in front of us, and crankiness can affect me. I'll be interested to see how I do the next time I get out for 18. It will be in Colorado, and it will be with my own clubs. Hopefully that will help my confidence and comfort level. But who knows. I'm certain that I will still suck, but will hopefully be able to get out of the 100s. Until next time!
Golfing Journal
"Golf is a nice walk spoiled." "When ancient man threw sticks on the ground and screamed unintelligible words, they called it witchcraft; when modren man does it, the call it golf." I think that most people can agree, golf is an acquired taste. A lot of people have a taste for it, a lot of people don't. I happen to have a taste for this game, and I enjoy it quite a lot. Something that I've decided to do as an addition to this blog, is to include my own journal about my experiences golfing.
When I first started golfing, I was a kid. A teenaged who didn't really like it when he wasn't good at something. Naturally, I both liked and hated golfing. I liked the challenge, but hated how bad I was. So naturally, the only thing to do was get better. Around college, I stopped playing. I like to try and pretend that it was because I was focusing on my studies and all that, but I think it was more because I knew how bad I was and didn't care to be reminded of it every time I went out. I did go a few times, saw the clubs in the basement and figured it was better to give them a little bit of use instead of just letting them sit there and collect dust. Let me back up a bit. There was actually a summer, I want to say right after my freshman year of college, where I was actually decent. My best round ever came in that summer, as well as what would have been my best round, had the damn lightning not come in. My best round ever was an 84. Honest to God, 84. Ever since then, I've been fighting to be able to break 90, and sometimes 100.
I think what first got me back into the game was my father in law. He is an avid golfer, and probably the most honest golfer that you will ever see. What he puts on his score card is absolutely, positively, exactly what he shot. He knows every rule there is, and applies every penalty that happens to a pro, to himself. He kind of sounds like the type that might really annoy people to golf with, and I suppose to some people, he might be, but I, personally, love golfing with him. You'd have to meet him to fully understand, but if you want a truly irreverant good time, then you'll have to play with him. True, he takes it seriously, and gets mad at himself, but both of you can't really help but laugh when he swears like crazy, and then the next hole it's like it never happened. I definitely felt more comfortable, knowing that if I wanted to just let an f-bomb fly when I got mad at myself, I could and it wouldn't matter. It started to help me relax. Since then, I have done my best to make sure that I go golfing with a buddy or a relative, somebody I'm comfortable with, which is really the best way to golf anyways, in good company.
I've been out a couple of times this summer, and am going with my father in law again tomorrow. Played a par 3 course with a friend of mine that I'm trying to teach the game, and a 9 hole executive course with my dad on father's day. Good company, nice and relaxing. I'm actually at a point where I can expect that I can shoot a few pars each time out. I'm excited to get out and play 18 for the first time this summer. My hope is that I can hit it in the 90s. Only issue is that I'm up in Alaska and don't have my own clubs. This is both good and bad. When you rent clubs from a place, you usually get some really nice clubs from the pro-shop, but it's hard to know. I'm quite comfortable with my clubs, especially my driver and my putter. It's hard to change those up. I'll let you know how things go.
To conclude my first entrance of this, I am a big fan of golfing. I think I've developed the right attitude towards approaching it, and just go to enjoy myself. As long as I'm enjoying myself, I'm sure I'll get better. My eventual goal, I want to get my actual handicap figured out, and move towards breaking 80. Long term goal, definitely, but I'm hopeful that it can happen.
See ya on the links!
When I first started golfing, I was a kid. A teenaged who didn't really like it when he wasn't good at something. Naturally, I both liked and hated golfing. I liked the challenge, but hated how bad I was. So naturally, the only thing to do was get better. Around college, I stopped playing. I like to try and pretend that it was because I was focusing on my studies and all that, but I think it was more because I knew how bad I was and didn't care to be reminded of it every time I went out. I did go a few times, saw the clubs in the basement and figured it was better to give them a little bit of use instead of just letting them sit there and collect dust. Let me back up a bit. There was actually a summer, I want to say right after my freshman year of college, where I was actually decent. My best round ever came in that summer, as well as what would have been my best round, had the damn lightning not come in. My best round ever was an 84. Honest to God, 84. Ever since then, I've been fighting to be able to break 90, and sometimes 100.
I think what first got me back into the game was my father in law. He is an avid golfer, and probably the most honest golfer that you will ever see. What he puts on his score card is absolutely, positively, exactly what he shot. He knows every rule there is, and applies every penalty that happens to a pro, to himself. He kind of sounds like the type that might really annoy people to golf with, and I suppose to some people, he might be, but I, personally, love golfing with him. You'd have to meet him to fully understand, but if you want a truly irreverant good time, then you'll have to play with him. True, he takes it seriously, and gets mad at himself, but both of you can't really help but laugh when he swears like crazy, and then the next hole it's like it never happened. I definitely felt more comfortable, knowing that if I wanted to just let an f-bomb fly when I got mad at myself, I could and it wouldn't matter. It started to help me relax. Since then, I have done my best to make sure that I go golfing with a buddy or a relative, somebody I'm comfortable with, which is really the best way to golf anyways, in good company.
I've been out a couple of times this summer, and am going with my father in law again tomorrow. Played a par 3 course with a friend of mine that I'm trying to teach the game, and a 9 hole executive course with my dad on father's day. Good company, nice and relaxing. I'm actually at a point where I can expect that I can shoot a few pars each time out. I'm excited to get out and play 18 for the first time this summer. My hope is that I can hit it in the 90s. Only issue is that I'm up in Alaska and don't have my own clubs. This is both good and bad. When you rent clubs from a place, you usually get some really nice clubs from the pro-shop, but it's hard to know. I'm quite comfortable with my clubs, especially my driver and my putter. It's hard to change those up. I'll let you know how things go.
To conclude my first entrance of this, I am a big fan of golfing. I think I've developed the right attitude towards approaching it, and just go to enjoy myself. As long as I'm enjoying myself, I'm sure I'll get better. My eventual goal, I want to get my actual handicap figured out, and move towards breaking 80. Long term goal, definitely, but I'm hopeful that it can happen.
See ya on the links!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Free Agency: NHL Style
I am definitely well aware of the fact that I am late on starting this, but that is not a problem. I must also apologize for not writing in quite a while. My wife and I have been quite busy moving. I got a new job up in Colorado, HOME STATE BABY!, and we have been quite busy packing and such. So that is why I have taken quite a while in updating this. So again, my apologies.
Now, I'm going to focus my attention on my hometown boys, the Colorado Avalanche, for the vast majority of this. Now, Greg Sherman, Avalanche GM, has made it abundantly clear that they are committed to a "build from within" style of management. Looking to "not take any shortcuts through trades or free agency." In general, I'm a fan of this idea, but there are some negatives. The good about it being that you are going to put your faith in your players, and allow them to prove themselves. You keep a core of guys together that you know work, and that ensures some great chemistry, and a pretty low payroll. We saw that promoting Joe Sacco was a great success for the Avs, as were many of the players that he brought up with him from Lake Eerie, the Avs AHL affiliate. The problem with this being that they are absolutely refusing to even consider making any signings out of free agency.
Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concept of not really wanting to shell out insane amounts of dollars to players that don't really deserve the contract, and I understand that the Avs have been guilty of that before (i.e. Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan), but there were/are 2 players that I desperately wish the Avs had pursued during this time period. First, and most obviously, Ilya Kovalchuk. The Avs have slightly more than 30 million dollars worth of cap space this offseason, and could totally use a legit, all-star, sniper left wing that everybody has to pay attention to. Yes, his contract demands (10 million per year for 10-12 years) are pretty ridiculous, but the Avs are one of the teams out there that could actually afford this and still have some space left. I'd be happier with the whole 8 million a year for 8 years, but Kovy, and apparently the Avs, seem to have different plans. The other guy I really wanted, and is a totally moot point so I won't go too deep into it, was Anton Volchenkov. Just a beast of a shot blocking defensemen who is far more physical than any of the D-men we currently have on our roster. Oh well, I suppose that even though both of these guys are good LONG TERM options who are still quite young, Sherman believes that this is shortcutting, and would hurt the team in the long run. I call BS on that.
So far, 3 days into free agency, I'm most surprised at how crazily busy the Vancouver Cannucks have been. They have signed all kinds of folks, including coveted d-man Dan Hamhuis. This is a team that has won the NW division the last 2 seasons, and 3 out of the last 4 years. The NW is usually one of the most competitive in the NHL, and the Cannucks are showing that they realize this. I honestly think that they are the most likely to win it again, and have shown their fans that they are committed to getting better. What are the Avs showing? I'm not entirely certain yet. I'll let the year play out before I decide that this build from within strategy is bogus or not. But I can't imagine that the exact same guys are going to be THAT much better from one year to the next. Especially since we gave up so many shots last year, and Andy can't be as amazing as he was all the time. Eventually, he'll get tired of being peppered every single night.
So far, I give the Avs a D- for their performance during free agency.
Now, I'm going to focus my attention on my hometown boys, the Colorado Avalanche, for the vast majority of this. Now, Greg Sherman, Avalanche GM, has made it abundantly clear that they are committed to a "build from within" style of management. Looking to "not take any shortcuts through trades or free agency." In general, I'm a fan of this idea, but there are some negatives. The good about it being that you are going to put your faith in your players, and allow them to prove themselves. You keep a core of guys together that you know work, and that ensures some great chemistry, and a pretty low payroll. We saw that promoting Joe Sacco was a great success for the Avs, as were many of the players that he brought up with him from Lake Eerie, the Avs AHL affiliate. The problem with this being that they are absolutely refusing to even consider making any signings out of free agency.
Don't get me wrong here, I understand the concept of not really wanting to shell out insane amounts of dollars to players that don't really deserve the contract, and I understand that the Avs have been guilty of that before (i.e. Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan), but there were/are 2 players that I desperately wish the Avs had pursued during this time period. First, and most obviously, Ilya Kovalchuk. The Avs have slightly more than 30 million dollars worth of cap space this offseason, and could totally use a legit, all-star, sniper left wing that everybody has to pay attention to. Yes, his contract demands (10 million per year for 10-12 years) are pretty ridiculous, but the Avs are one of the teams out there that could actually afford this and still have some space left. I'd be happier with the whole 8 million a year for 8 years, but Kovy, and apparently the Avs, seem to have different plans. The other guy I really wanted, and is a totally moot point so I won't go too deep into it, was Anton Volchenkov. Just a beast of a shot blocking defensemen who is far more physical than any of the D-men we currently have on our roster. Oh well, I suppose that even though both of these guys are good LONG TERM options who are still quite young, Sherman believes that this is shortcutting, and would hurt the team in the long run. I call BS on that.
So far, 3 days into free agency, I'm most surprised at how crazily busy the Vancouver Cannucks have been. They have signed all kinds of folks, including coveted d-man Dan Hamhuis. This is a team that has won the NW division the last 2 seasons, and 3 out of the last 4 years. The NW is usually one of the most competitive in the NHL, and the Cannucks are showing that they realize this. I honestly think that they are the most likely to win it again, and have shown their fans that they are committed to getting better. What are the Avs showing? I'm not entirely certain yet. I'll let the year play out before I decide that this build from within strategy is bogus or not. But I can't imagine that the exact same guys are going to be THAT much better from one year to the next. Especially since we gave up so many shots last year, and Andy can't be as amazing as he was all the time. Eventually, he'll get tired of being peppered every single night.
So far, I give the Avs a D- for their performance during free agency.
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