I don't know what happened here, but between the Miami Heat, MMA and NASCAR this week, nobody seems to give a hoot about the World Series. Not that I care about TV ratings, in fact it's just the opposite, a Yankees-Phillies series would've barely registered with me, but drawn much bigger audiences than the current matchup.
What irks me about the whole thing is the glee that fans of other "activities" (I can't say sports because some of this stuff doesn't qualify) take in the fact people care less about something else than their thing. Particularly when their thing is the biggest thing going. I get why you want priority when your particular passion is being overruled in a bar by something you hate, but if the NBA, NFL or UFC is on, there's nothing that's going to supplant it. So get over it and stop being such a sore winnner.
Instead we have football fans crowing about the awful Titans-Jags game beating the ALCS and hoops heads crowing that Miami's first game of an 82-game season dwarfs Game One of the Fall Classic. Look, I'll be the first to admit that I'm happy live in one of the few places in this country where hockey gets an equal priority in regard to basketball, as I prefer to watch puck. But I'm equal opportunity, and when we have a decent local squad, I'll tune in. Acting as if disliking something will somehow elevate what you enjoy is stupid, ultimately your thing will be judged on it's own merits. To every Timerberwolves fan who's upset their team gets bumped for a hockey or baseball game around here, get a better team, and that problem will solve itself.
Furthermore, where did the chip on the shoulder of these people come from? Football and basketball are the two most popular games in the country, yet they feel they need to point this out as a part of some insecurity they have. Particularly NBA fans, many of whom claim to be a rare breed, despite the fact they have tripleheaders on major networks 5 days a week, while the NHL fans among us need a roadmap, GPS and spelunking helmet to track down our favorite sport in the cable netherregions, if at all.
Try this, imagine living in a world where you don't give two s**ts about LeBron James, Brock Lesnar or anyone who's notoriety comes from driving something fast. Realize that Sportscenter pretty much became a no-fly zone from October-June about 5 years ago for those of us with that mentality, and this past summer it turned year-round. Also realize that I'm not ripping your thing, and will watch when it provides compelling moments, but you're not the persecuted one here. Every time I have to fight to see the last 5 minutes of a game I've been watching for 3 hours because some meathead in a Tapout shirt is demanding the 5th undercard, I feel a little bit more like I just don't get it. Will we even have baseball in 20 years?
Week 8 picks:
Last week: 7-7
Season: 36-38-2 (Just can't get over the friggin hump here)
NEW ENGLAND -6 over Minnesota
San Francisco -1 over Denver
Jacksonville +6 over DALLAS
Washington +2.5 over DETROIT
NEW YORK JETS -6 over Green Bay
ST LOUIS -3 over Carolina
Miami +2 over CINCINNATI
Buffalo +7.5 over KANSAS CITY
Tennessee +3.5 over SAN DIEGO
Tampa Bay +3 over ARIZONA
OAKLAND -2.5 over Seattle
Pittsburgh +1 over NEW ORLEANS
INDIANAPOLIS -5.5 over Houston
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Well that's it, now we're completely screwed
Decided to wait a day in reacting to the latest Vikings disaster, in order to take a deep breath and calmly assess where the team is and where it appears to be going. 24 hours of reflection have left me in the same place where I began: We're pretty much screwed here.
There's a lot of pissing and moaning going on this week about a lot of topics, with the majority of it being completely justified. The officiating sucked, the pass rush was lousy, the secondary is a sham and Brett Favre absolutely killed the team with unbelievable turnovers. This is all true. Problem is, short of hoping it gets better, what are you really going to do about it? Bad luck is unfortunate, but ultimately out of your control. Bad play on the other hand? Well that's a stickier wicket.
Fans whining about refs is a loser's lament, the last refuge of someone who doesn't want to admit their team got beat. Coaches and players might be a bit different, but only a bit, because their protests are actually heard, and could subconsciously sway an officials call in their favor the next time around. Fans calling for Favre's head do present an actionable argument, but I'd ask them to stop and consider the alternative.
I mean, you people do understand that you're asking for Tarvaris Jackson, right?
If you do, and you are sticking to your guns on that opinion, then more power to you and excuse me if I totally disagree. I mean you do remember watching T-Jack right? The king of the double-clutch, one-hop knuckler? The man who inspired so much apathy that the Vikings needed two extensions to sell out a playoff game two years ago? The man who's first (and amazingly not only) highlight video features more scrambles than passes from the pocket for more than 10 yards? (Incidentally, ignore the terrible quality of that link and just focus on the music, how perfect is that! He will not die! I couldn't have said it better myself!)
Please don't take any of this an an endorsement of Favre, he's been terrible so far and wobbling around on a bad wheel isn't going to make things any better. Just sayin, if T-Jack is the answer and the question is anything other than "Who is the worst Vikings quarterback of your lifetime after Spurgeon Wynn?", then you've lost me. If this is the guy who we're hoping will lead us out of the wilderness, then we are destined to be eaten by bears. As bad as Favre has been, he at least shows the capacity to make plays, whereas Jackson only shows the capacity to occupy capacity on the roster.
Hope I'm wrong here, really do. But after seeing a lot of T-Jack over the years, including an atrocious preseason most recently, there is no evidence to make me think he will ever be a professional quarterback.
And that is why, fellow Vikings fans, short of a miraculous healing and turnabout in Favre's play, we're tremendously screwed here.
I am looking forward to two things:
1. The first getting-dragged-to-the-ground, desperation flip pass into the arms of a linebacker, which makes every Vikings fan who called for Jackson stop and say "Wait a minute, I remember this, he makes all the same dumb plays, but none of the good ones". That will be delicious.
2. The sideline shot of Chilly immediately following, when all those ugly memories he tried to put out of his mind the last few years come flooding back, and his eyes betray the panic racing through his brain.
Other than that, this should go well.
There's a lot of pissing and moaning going on this week about a lot of topics, with the majority of it being completely justified. The officiating sucked, the pass rush was lousy, the secondary is a sham and Brett Favre absolutely killed the team with unbelievable turnovers. This is all true. Problem is, short of hoping it gets better, what are you really going to do about it? Bad luck is unfortunate, but ultimately out of your control. Bad play on the other hand? Well that's a stickier wicket.
Fans whining about refs is a loser's lament, the last refuge of someone who doesn't want to admit their team got beat. Coaches and players might be a bit different, but only a bit, because their protests are actually heard, and could subconsciously sway an officials call in their favor the next time around. Fans calling for Favre's head do present an actionable argument, but I'd ask them to stop and consider the alternative.
I mean, you people do understand that you're asking for Tarvaris Jackson, right?
If you do, and you are sticking to your guns on that opinion, then more power to you and excuse me if I totally disagree. I mean you do remember watching T-Jack right? The king of the double-clutch, one-hop knuckler? The man who inspired so much apathy that the Vikings needed two extensions to sell out a playoff game two years ago? The man who's first (and amazingly not only) highlight video features more scrambles than passes from the pocket for more than 10 yards? (Incidentally, ignore the terrible quality of that link and just focus on the music, how perfect is that! He will not die! I couldn't have said it better myself!)
Please don't take any of this an an endorsement of Favre, he's been terrible so far and wobbling around on a bad wheel isn't going to make things any better. Just sayin, if T-Jack is the answer and the question is anything other than "Who is the worst Vikings quarterback of your lifetime after Spurgeon Wynn?", then you've lost me. If this is the guy who we're hoping will lead us out of the wilderness, then we are destined to be eaten by bears. As bad as Favre has been, he at least shows the capacity to make plays, whereas Jackson only shows the capacity to occupy capacity on the roster.
Hope I'm wrong here, really do. But after seeing a lot of T-Jack over the years, including an atrocious preseason most recently, there is no evidence to make me think he will ever be a professional quarterback.
And that is why, fellow Vikings fans, short of a miraculous healing and turnabout in Favre's play, we're tremendously screwed here.
I am looking forward to two things:
1. The first getting-dragged-to-the-ground, desperation flip pass into the arms of a linebacker, which makes every Vikings fan who called for Jackson stop and say "Wait a minute, I remember this, he makes all the same dumb plays, but none of the good ones". That will be delicious.
2. The sideline shot of Chilly immediately following, when all those ugly memories he tried to put out of his mind the last few years come flooding back, and his eyes betray the panic racing through his brain.
Other than that, this should go well.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Pop quiz hotshot
Just to make sure you're all keeping up on your required reading as the weeks pass, I've devised a little pop quiz for you, loyal reader. No going back and peeking at the answers.
1) When watching football and drinking light beer, I will often grab two cans at once, since the fridge is some distance away and I know the beer will be consumed quickly.
Which of the following does this imply?
a) I'm a forward-thinker
b) I'm lazy
c) I'm an alcoholic
d) I'm seriously in need of a beer fridge closer to the couch
2) In the NFL power poll posted 3 weeks ago, the following need mulligans: Green Bay (#5), Baltimore (#8), Chicago (#9), New England (#10), Philadelphia (#16), New York Giants (#22).
From this information, what conclusion can be drawn?
a) The NFL in unpredictable
b) The guy writing this doesn't know a damn thing about football
c) The Bears are who we thought they were
d) Betting on games involving the Giants is a good way to get your thumbs broken
3) As a Vikings fan, which of these would you suffer through in exchange for not having to hear the words "And Jackson is up off then bench and throwing, as Favre heads back to the locker room" this season?
a) "Dancing with the Stars" marathon
b) Minor STD featuring burning sensation
c) Maroon 5 concert
d) Crushing NFC Championship Game defeat
(See what I did there? Trick question!)
4) Why don't chicks dig me?
a) You're honestly asking this question in your blog about sports? Hellllooo!
b) Could have something to do with your "two Coors at a time" approach to life
c) The fat ones seem to like you well enough
d) Maybe if your head wasn't perfectly square
5) Why don't chicks dig you?
a) F**k off dude, I crush the ladies
b) I'm married, these days I try to minimize female interactions
c) Oh really? That's not what your mom said!
d) Probably because I read stuff like this
6) Was that really Brett Favre's wang?
a) Had to be, my buddy from Wisconsin was salivating
b) Not enough stubble
c) Figured it would be bigger
d) You're trying to get me to admit Googling a picture of a man's junk, aren't you?
7) Finish this sentence: In two years, Scott Baker will be...
a) Murdered at the hands of this blog's author
b) Involved in a special ceremony recognizing him for passing NASA on number of items put into orbit
c) Bagging groceries
d) Blowing leads with a befuddled look on his face, same as it ever was
8) Is the NFL overreacting to big hits?
a) Nope, call me crazy, but I actually like to see a few players I've heard of when watching a game
b) Those pansies had better wise up, the fastest growing sport in this country involves men bludgeoning each other with their bare hands, nuff said
c) I'm still pissed they don't have gladiator fights anymore
d) We need more big hits, especially on Joe Buck
9) How's your fantasy team doing?
a) Awesome, I'm a great football mind
b) Terrible, s**t is all luck though anyway
c) I'll be fine once Ryan Grant comes back
d) Which one?
10) Who should be the next Golden Gopher football coach?
a) Glen Mason, just for the irony
b) Goldy, he could pantomime the plays from the sidelines
c) Mark Mangino, endless potential jokes in the "Guess losses are the only thing tough to swallow" vein
d) Revolving weekly "Are you better than Brew?" contest winner
Good luck, I should have them graded by next week.
Week 7 picks
Last week: 7-7 (Actually week 5, I missed last week because I'm absent-minded)
Season: 29-31-2
BALTIMORE -14 over Buffalo - Lotta points, but the Bills are atrocious. Bit concerned about a TD in garbage time pulling them just inside the spread, but whatever.
San Francisco -3 over CAROLINA - Hey, the Niners won a game, weird. Let's make it 2 in a row and get them back in the division contender conversation.
Pittsburgh -3 over MIAMI - Intriguing game, just don't think Henne has the bullets to beat the Steelers.
TAMPA BAY -3 over St. Louis - Could be the biggest "More interesting than it looked when the schedule was released" game so far this season.
Washington +3 over CHICAGO - I like Jay Cutler to keep getting sacked and the Bears to continue collapsing.
Cleveland +14 over NEW ORLEANS - The sleeping giant that was the Saints awoke last week, but the Browns are scrappy and will keep it close before losing.
Philadelphia +3 over TENNESSEE - Chris Johnson explosion potential is concerning.
Cincinnati +3.5 over ATLANTA - Bengals coming out of the bye and the Falcons just aren't impressing me, not sure who wins, but think it's a field goal difference, give me the points.
KANSAS CITY -9 over Jacksonville - Not loving this, but feel strongly about the Jags sucking out loud.
SEATTLE -6 over Arizona - Can't pick against the Seahawks at home, Max Hall (O Fame) should get a rude awakening.
New England +3 over SAN DIEGO - The Chargers suck, who knew?
DENVER -8.5 over Oakland - Two words: Kyle Boller.
GREEN BAY -2.5 over Minnesota - Sorry Vikes, too many holes in the secondary, Packers can't run, but they won't need to.
New York Giants +3 over DALLAS - The flip side to the Tampa/St Louis game, looked like a big Monday Night tilt, now just a question of the Cowboys spoiling something for a division rival. Highly possible we see a Giants turd here, they love messing with people.
1) When watching football and drinking light beer, I will often grab two cans at once, since the fridge is some distance away and I know the beer will be consumed quickly.
Which of the following does this imply?
a) I'm a forward-thinker
b) I'm lazy
c) I'm an alcoholic
d) I'm seriously in need of a beer fridge closer to the couch
2) In the NFL power poll posted 3 weeks ago, the following need mulligans: Green Bay (#5), Baltimore (#8), Chicago (#9), New England (#10), Philadelphia (#16), New York Giants (#22).
From this information, what conclusion can be drawn?
a) The NFL in unpredictable
b) The guy writing this doesn't know a damn thing about football
c) The Bears are who we thought they were
d) Betting on games involving the Giants is a good way to get your thumbs broken
3) As a Vikings fan, which of these would you suffer through in exchange for not having to hear the words "And Jackson is up off then bench and throwing, as Favre heads back to the locker room" this season?
a) "Dancing with the Stars" marathon
b) Minor STD featuring burning sensation
c) Maroon 5 concert
d) Crushing NFC Championship Game defeat
(See what I did there? Trick question!)
4) Why don't chicks dig me?
a) You're honestly asking this question in your blog about sports? Hellllooo!
b) Could have something to do with your "two Coors at a time" approach to life
c) The fat ones seem to like you well enough
d) Maybe if your head wasn't perfectly square
5) Why don't chicks dig you?
a) F**k off dude, I crush the ladies
b) I'm married, these days I try to minimize female interactions
c) Oh really? That's not what your mom said!
d) Probably because I read stuff like this
6) Was that really Brett Favre's wang?
a) Had to be, my buddy from Wisconsin was salivating
b) Not enough stubble
c) Figured it would be bigger
d) You're trying to get me to admit Googling a picture of a man's junk, aren't you?
7) Finish this sentence: In two years, Scott Baker will be...
a) Murdered at the hands of this blog's author
b) Involved in a special ceremony recognizing him for passing NASA on number of items put into orbit
c) Bagging groceries
d) Blowing leads with a befuddled look on his face, same as it ever was
8) Is the NFL overreacting to big hits?
a) Nope, call me crazy, but I actually like to see a few players I've heard of when watching a game
b) Those pansies had better wise up, the fastest growing sport in this country involves men bludgeoning each other with their bare hands, nuff said
c) I'm still pissed they don't have gladiator fights anymore
d) We need more big hits, especially on Joe Buck
9) How's your fantasy team doing?
a) Awesome, I'm a great football mind
b) Terrible, s**t is all luck though anyway
c) I'll be fine once Ryan Grant comes back
d) Which one?
10) Who should be the next Golden Gopher football coach?
a) Glen Mason, just for the irony
b) Goldy, he could pantomime the plays from the sidelines
c) Mark Mangino, endless potential jokes in the "Guess losses are the only thing tough to swallow" vein
d) Revolving weekly "Are you better than Brew?" contest winner
Good luck, I should have them graded by next week.
Week 7 picks
Last week: 7-7 (Actually week 5, I missed last week because I'm absent-minded)
Season: 29-31-2
BALTIMORE -14 over Buffalo - Lotta points, but the Bills are atrocious. Bit concerned about a TD in garbage time pulling them just inside the spread, but whatever.
San Francisco -3 over CAROLINA - Hey, the Niners won a game, weird. Let's make it 2 in a row and get them back in the division contender conversation.
Pittsburgh -3 over MIAMI - Intriguing game, just don't think Henne has the bullets to beat the Steelers.
TAMPA BAY -3 over St. Louis - Could be the biggest "More interesting than it looked when the schedule was released" game so far this season.
Washington +3 over CHICAGO - I like Jay Cutler to keep getting sacked and the Bears to continue collapsing.
Cleveland +14 over NEW ORLEANS - The sleeping giant that was the Saints awoke last week, but the Browns are scrappy and will keep it close before losing.
Philadelphia +3 over TENNESSEE - Chris Johnson explosion potential is concerning.
Cincinnati +3.5 over ATLANTA - Bengals coming out of the bye and the Falcons just aren't impressing me, not sure who wins, but think it's a field goal difference, give me the points.
KANSAS CITY -9 over Jacksonville - Not loving this, but feel strongly about the Jags sucking out loud.
SEATTLE -6 over Arizona - Can't pick against the Seahawks at home, Max Hall (O Fame) should get a rude awakening.
New England +3 over SAN DIEGO - The Chargers suck, who knew?
DENVER -8.5 over Oakland - Two words: Kyle Boller.
GREEN BAY -2.5 over Minnesota - Sorry Vikes, too many holes in the secondary, Packers can't run, but they won't need to.
New York Giants +3 over DALLAS - The flip side to the Tampa/St Louis game, looked like a big Monday Night tilt, now just a question of the Cowboys spoiling something for a division rival. Highly possible we see a Giants turd here, they love messing with people.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Niche to know ya
As I’ve mentioned many times before, being a sportsfan in the state of Minnesota, and Twin Cities in particular, offers more than its share of negatives. Our NFL team has one of the most cursed existences in all of professional sports, and the college version just fired their coach after the latest chapter in a half-century of hopelessness (Well, perhaps it hasn’t all been hopeless, but that has been the default setting). The baseball team is a plucky, overachieving bunch, but becomes increasingly irrelevant with each first-round playoff exit. The NHL and NBA teams have potential to improve, but that’s about it. The college hoops team is an enigma, entertaining to be sure, but offering little hope of any great accomplishments. Fortunately for us, there’s a silver lining in this winter of discontent, known as college hockey.
Now I know that many people would scoff at that notion, given that the college game is a fringe portion of an already fringe sport, but for my money there’s nothing more entertaining than the return of college puck to the sports scene. For full disclosure purposes, I root for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, it is my alma mater and the place where I first got into college hockey. If you can overlook the fact that they will no longer be called ‘Sioux’ in the next few months, it is a good time to be a Fighting Sioux fan. The same cannot be said for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. I won’t belabor the point, as it’s already been addressed in these annals, but the normal enthusiasm greeting a new season of Maroon N Gold hockey had sadly waned to a whisper.
But even if your squad is struggling, there’s still plenty to love about each new season, namely roadtrips! It's an intensely-loved, highly regional game, and one of the beauties of being headquartered here in the MSP is 7 WCHA arenas within 5 hours.
Personal faves:
1) Grand Forks – Yes it’s far away, yes many of you hate the team that plays there, yes it’s a whole new kind of cold when the wind is blowing in January. But until you’ve eaten wings at the Parrot’s Cay and had a grinder from the Red Pepper, you are not qualified to offer an opinion. Plus the Sioux rock and our arena is the s**t, so GFY, hater.
2) Mankato – Surprise pick! Proximity from my south metro base of operations is great, as is the typical comp burger from the Tav on the Ave, courtesy of my good friend John Spillers (be seeing you in December John). Throw in the near certainty of victory by the opposing team (sorry Mavs fans), beers in the arena and the hotel/arena/excellent bar scene all encompassed in a 100-yard radius, and I’m on cloud nine.
3) Madison – More fun than should be allowed by law, and it probably is, but fortunately you’re in Wisconsin. Bit of a trek from here, but unlike any other drinking scene I’ve encountered on Earth. The locals don’t give you too much crap either, they don’t really follow hockey.
4) Duluth – Very similar to Mankato, compact and convenient. Quality fans, quality city, just a good time all-around.
5) St. Cloud – Loses points for an arena that looks like crap and is not near anything. Gains points for shuttles from a bunch of great bars and a drink called the Hairy Buffalo at MC’s Dugout. Don’t have more than one.
6) Bemidji – Made my first trip last weekend and had a lot of fun, only problem is it’s just not that big a town and you have to take a lot of two-lane highway to get there. Ease of return drive after a college hockey weekend is crucial, interstate is your friend.
7) Denver – Gotta get on a plane, and this is much more than just a college hockey trip, but a nice arena (good seats usually available, unless there are Sioux fans sitting in them), fun downtown and hey, my brother lives there. Hit up The Bank Bar & Grill, order the nachos, thank me later.
Haven’t been, but will be going: Houghton, Colorado Springs
Haven’t been, probably won’t be making it: Anchorage, Omaha
I live here, but if I didn’t, I’d go: Minneapolis
So enough with talk of past futilities, because it’s the kickoff to the season, when every team has a chance! (Except the Wolves of course, they’re terrible) This really should’ve been up last week, prior to the start of conference play, but I have a good excuse for why the WCHA conference preview is late: Like I said, I was on the road in Bemidji watching WCHA hockey. Not surprisingly I didn’t find the time to post, given what I didn’t have (computer) and did have (mean hangover) during the day Saturday. As it is, my order of finish was locked down last Thursday, and wasn’t altered based on last weekend’s games. Although there a few things I’m thinking a bit differently on, changing them after a week would probably just be reactionary, so better to roll with initial thoughts.
1.) UND Fighting Sioux
Last Season’s Record - 25-13-5
Can’t tell you how much it pains me to put my favorite college hockey team in this spot, due to my own paranoia about expecting good results and the fact the MacNaughton Cup has proven to be a gigantic hex the past few years. Denver won it last season, then immediately went in the tank during the postseason. Ditto for North Dakota and Colorado College the two years before that. In fact the last team to find the WCHA champ with the last decent postseason run, you need to go back to 2005, when Denver split the title with CC and both made the Frozen Four, with Denver winning it all. Plenty of carnage before that as well, including two of my favorite Sioux teams (1999 & 2004) rampaging through the league, only to be derailed in the playoffs. The 2006 Gophers squad ripping off a 20-game unbeaten streak, then losing to the Team That Shall Not Be Named. Wisconsin’s 2000 team turning in a 23-5 mark with one of the best college players I’ve ever seen (Dany Heatley) leading the way, then totally rolling over. Yeah, it’s not a good history. But with the Sioux loaded and last year’s best teams suffering big losses, I have to put them here.
Returning players – UND
Forwards: Jason Gregoire (20g-17a—37pts) Jr, Danny Kristo (15g-21a—36pts) So, Evan Trupp (8g-26a—34pts) Sr, Brett Hextall (14g-12a—26pts) Jr, Brad Malone (11g-14a—25pts)Sr. Matt Frattin (11g-8a—pts) Sr.
Defense: Chay Genoway (4g-6a—10pts) Sr, Derrick LaPoint (2g-20a—22pts) Sr, Jake Marto (5-13—18) Sr, Ben Blood (5g-9a—14pts) Jr.
Goalie: Brad Eidsness (24-10-4, 2.11, .914).
Key Loss(es): Darcy Zajac, Chris VandeVelde.
2.) UMD Bulldogs
Last Season’s Record - 22-17-1
Maybe I’m getting a bit too enamored with the offense here, and it’s causing me to overlook what could be significant defensive issues. Reiter was solid in net last season, but it’s never exactly certain what will happen when a time share ends, and the defense doesn’t blow me away. But this team might have the best line in college hockey with Fontaine and the two Connollys (The ConTaine line? As in you can’t stop them, you can only hope to ConTaine them?) so they’re getting my respect. One thing you can say for sure, no one will be getting up to head to the bathroom when this squad is on the powerplay, only question is how much opposing fans will be able to say the same.
Returning players - UMD
Forwards: Jack Connolly (18g-31a—49pts) Jr, Mike Connolly (14g-26a—40pts) Jr, Justin Fontaine (21g-25a—46pts) Sr, Travis Oleksuk (10g-14a—24pts) Jr.
Defense: Brady Lamb (11g-13a—24pts) Jr, Mike Montgomery (2g-15a—17pts) Sr, Dylan Olson (1g-11a—12pts) So.
Goalie: G Kenny Reiter (13-10-0, 2.36 GAA, .912 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Fulton, Brady Hjelle, Rob Bordson.
3.) SCSU Huskies
Last season’s Record - 20-11-5
Farewell Ryan Lasch, little pest that you were, you will be missed. A lot of people are pegging this team to do big things, and while I do agree they are good, I’m not sure they’re Top 3 in a stronger WCHA field. Normally it would be ridiculous to have neither Denver, nor Wisconsin represented here, but with the losses those two teams suffered and the players the Huskies return, they’re getting the nod. And there are a lot of things to like here. The forwards are veterans (though it should be said their best scorer is gone), the goaltending should be good-to-dominant. Problem is I just flat-out don’t like they’re defensemen. Lauridsen is big, but not exactly smooth, and most of the rest just don’t just out at you. Losing Raboin, their captain last season, could also create a leadership void, and I’m not sure the best player on the team, Roe, will be a guy to fill it. You want your leaders to stand up for you, and in Roe’s case, he’s got some issues with standing in general.
Returning players - SCSU
Forwards: Garrett Roe (20g-29a—49pts) Sr, Tony Mosey (14g-26a—40pts)Sr, Drew LeBlanc (6g-25a—31pts)Jr, Ben Hanowski (9g-10a—19pts) So, Aaron Marvin (5g-11a—16pts) Sr.
Defense: Oliver Lauridsen (6g-6a—12pts) Jr, Chris Hepp (0g-2a—2pts) Sr.
Goalies: Mike Lee (12-9-3, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) So. Dann Dunn (12-5-2, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Ryan Lasch, Garrett Raboin.
4.) DU Pioneers
Last Season’s Record - 27-10-4
Decimated by departures, but every good team has been there at some point, it’s the price of watching great players. This could be a bit high for the Pios, given a whole lotta question marks up and down the lineup, but George Gwozdecky is a great coach, and I think he’ll get things figured out. If I had to peg one “middle of the pack team you really don’t want to see in the playoffs”, this would be it. Could be that a slow start pushes them into the bottom half, then they show up in March and drill somebody.
Returning players – DU
Forwards: Anthony Maiani (8g-26pts--34) Sr, Sr. F Kyle Ostrow (16gt-10a—26pts) Sr, Jesse Martin (14g-8a—22pts) Sr, Drew Shore (5g-14a—19pts) So.
Defense: Matt Donovan (7g-14a—21pts) So, John Lee (2g-10a—12pts) Jr, William Wrenn (0g-7a—7pts) So.
Goalie: Adam Murray (3-4-1, 3.79 GAA, .874 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Joe Colborne, Patrick Wiercioch, Marc Cheverie, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Ruegsegger.
5.)UW Badgers
Last Season’s Record - 28-11-4 overall
Ditto to Denver, although I like the Badgers goaltending more, so it’s odd I have them a spot lower. I guess at the end of the day it comes down to coaching, Mike Eaves teams have slipped at times in the past, never for long, just a season every so often. Gwoz rarely seems to have that happen, so I like his chances a tad more.
Returning players – UW
Forwards: Craig Smith (8g-25a—33pts) So, Jordy Murray (12g-9a—21pts) Jr, Derek Lee (1g-8a—9pts) So.
Defense: Jake Gardiner (6g-7a—13pts), John Ramage (2g-10a—12pts), D Justin Schultz (6g16a—22pts)
Goalie: Scott Gudmandson (20-5-4, 2.34, .913) Sr., Brett Bennett (8-6-0, 2.82 GAA, .885 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Cody Goloubef, Brendan Smith, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Davies, Blake Geoffrion.
6.) UMN Golden Gophers
Last season’s Record - 18-19-2
Kind of regretting this after last week’s sweep at the hands of UNO, but I had the Gophers pegged for the top half of the league before, can’t back off now. Another team here undergoing a youth movement, difference being that has seemingly become an annual occurrence in Minneapolis. The good news is they seem to have scoring punch that's been lacking the last couple of seasons, bad news is the young defensemen are worse than expected at this point, and need to get better in a big hurry.
Returning players – UMN
Forwards: Mike Hoeffel (14g-10a—24pts), Jacob Cepis (7g-12a—19pts) F Zach Budish (7-10--17)
Defense: Cade Fairchild (4-17--21), Sr. F), Aaron Ness (2-10--12) So, Seth Helgeson
Goalie(s): Alex Kangas (16-15-1, 2.60 GAA, .911 SV%) Sr., Kent Patterson (2-4-1, 3.10 GAA, .901 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Schroeder, Josh Birkholz, Nick Leddy.
7.) CC Tigers
Last season’s Record – 19-17-3
Gotta give the returning league member the nod over the newbies, like what they’re returning and thinking that thin air in the Springs gets them a couple extra points.
Returning players – CC
Forwards: Rylan Schwartz (6-22--28), Tyler Johnson (14-9--23), Stephen Schultz (5-15--20)
Defense: Gabe Guentzel (3-20--23), Sr. D Ryan Lowery (4-14--18)
Goalie: Joe Howe (17-15-3, 2.80, .907).
Key Loss(es): Bill Sweatt, Mike Testwuide, Nate Prosser.
8.) UNO Mavericks
Last Season’s Record - 20-16-6 (First Year WCHA)
Think I’ve watched this team play twice in my life, so no grounds for thinking they can walk in and finish top half of the league. But if anyone can make it happen, a Dean Blais team can, my new second-favorite WCHA squad.
Returning players – UNO
Forwards: Rich Purslow (14g-13a—27pts) Sr, Joey Martin (10g-16a—26pts) Sr, Alex Hudson (14g-11a—25pts) Jr, Terry Broadhurst (13g-11a—24pts) So, Matt Ambroz (10g-14a—24pts) Sr.
Defense: Eric Olimb (2g-18a—20pts), Jr, ( Kyle Ensign (0g-8a—8pts) Jr.
Goalie: John Faulker (13-10-4, 2.60 GAA, .905 SV%).
Key Loss(es): Eddie Del Grosso, Nick Fanto, Mark Bernier, Jeremie Dupont, Jeric Agosta
9.) BSU Beavers
Last season’s Record - 23-10-4 (First Year WCHA)
Saw a scrappy bunch last weekend in their first games of the season, and if I hadn’t put them 9th before I left town, probably would be bumping them a couple spots higher right now. But as is, I’m giving the WCHA grind a lot of respect, and doubting the new teams ability to handle it week in and week out.
Returning players – BSU
Forwards: Matt Read (19-22—41) Sr, Jordan George (13-21—34) So, Ian Lowe (21-10—31) Sr.
Defense: D Brad Hunt (7-26—33) Jr, Brady Wacker (1g-10a—11) So.
Goalie(s): Dan Bakala (19-8-3, 2.32, .917) Jr, Mathieu Dugas (4-2-1, 1.93 GAA, .918 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Tyler Lehrke, Chris McKelvie.
10.) UAA Seawolves
Last Season’s Record - 11-23-2
A perennially confusing team that pulls upsets when it should get drilled and gets drilled in games it seems in a good spot to win. Week-to-week it’s a mystery, year-to-year not so much, they find their way to the bottom.
Returning players – UAA
Forwards: Tommy Grant (9g-17a—26pts, Sr. F Sean Wiles (9-8--17), So. F Daniel Naslund (3-10--13), Jr. Jade Portwood (3g-2a—5pts)
Defense: Curtis Leinweber (4g-8a—12pts), Kane Lafranchise (3g-12a—15pts), Luka Vidmar (2g-10a—12pts).
Goalie: Dusan Sidor (0-0-0 6.00 GAA .846 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Lee Baldwin, Bryce Christianson, Kevin Clark, Josh Lunden.
11.) MSUM Mavericks
Last Season’s Record - 16-20-3
For the first time in several years, Mankato isn’t a trendy sleeper pick. Since they’ve never really lived up to those expectations, maybe this is the year they finally break out? Doubtful.
Returning players – MSUM
Forwards: Rylan Galiardi (11g-14a—25pts) Sr, Michael Dorr (5g-11a—16pts) Jr, Eriah Hayes (8g-6a—14pts) So, Mike Louwerse (7g-6a—13pts) Jr.
Defense: Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr, Kurt Davis (5g-18a—23pts) Sr, Channing Boe (2g-5a—7 pts) Sr, Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr.
Goalie(s): Phil Cook (8-6-2, 2.59 GAA, .908 SV%) So, Austin Lee (7-11-0, 2.85 GAA, .907 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Zach Harrison, Geoff Irwin, Kael Mouillierat, Tyler Pitlick, Jared Steward, Kevin Murdock.
12.)MTU Huskies
Last Season’s Record - 5-30-1
Only difference is they’re now 12th instead of 10th
Returning players – MTU
Forwards: Brett Olson (18g-12a—30pts), So. F Jordan Baker (9g-9a—18pts), Eric Kattelus (2g-8a—10pts), Bennett Royer (4g-6a—10pts)
Defense: Steven Seigo (4g-15a—19pts), Deron Cousens (1g-7a—8pts)
Goalies: Kevin Genoe (4-18-1, 3.54 GAA, .904 SV%) So, Josh Robinson (1-12-0, 4.68 GAA, .876 SV%) Jr.
Now I know that many people would scoff at that notion, given that the college game is a fringe portion of an already fringe sport, but for my money there’s nothing more entertaining than the return of college puck to the sports scene. For full disclosure purposes, I root for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, it is my alma mater and the place where I first got into college hockey. If you can overlook the fact that they will no longer be called ‘Sioux’ in the next few months, it is a good time to be a Fighting Sioux fan. The same cannot be said for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. I won’t belabor the point, as it’s already been addressed in these annals, but the normal enthusiasm greeting a new season of Maroon N Gold hockey had sadly waned to a whisper.
But even if your squad is struggling, there’s still plenty to love about each new season, namely roadtrips! It's an intensely-loved, highly regional game, and one of the beauties of being headquartered here in the MSP is 7 WCHA arenas within 5 hours.
Personal faves:
1) Grand Forks – Yes it’s far away, yes many of you hate the team that plays there, yes it’s a whole new kind of cold when the wind is blowing in January. But until you’ve eaten wings at the Parrot’s Cay and had a grinder from the Red Pepper, you are not qualified to offer an opinion. Plus the Sioux rock and our arena is the s**t, so GFY, hater.
2) Mankato – Surprise pick! Proximity from my south metro base of operations is great, as is the typical comp burger from the Tav on the Ave, courtesy of my good friend John Spillers (be seeing you in December John). Throw in the near certainty of victory by the opposing team (sorry Mavs fans), beers in the arena and the hotel/arena/excellent bar scene all encompassed in a 100-yard radius, and I’m on cloud nine.
3) Madison – More fun than should be allowed by law, and it probably is, but fortunately you’re in Wisconsin. Bit of a trek from here, but unlike any other drinking scene I’ve encountered on Earth. The locals don’t give you too much crap either, they don’t really follow hockey.
4) Duluth – Very similar to Mankato, compact and convenient. Quality fans, quality city, just a good time all-around.
5) St. Cloud – Loses points for an arena that looks like crap and is not near anything. Gains points for shuttles from a bunch of great bars and a drink called the Hairy Buffalo at MC’s Dugout. Don’t have more than one.
6) Bemidji – Made my first trip last weekend and had a lot of fun, only problem is it’s just not that big a town and you have to take a lot of two-lane highway to get there. Ease of return drive after a college hockey weekend is crucial, interstate is your friend.
7) Denver – Gotta get on a plane, and this is much more than just a college hockey trip, but a nice arena (good seats usually available, unless there are Sioux fans sitting in them), fun downtown and hey, my brother lives there. Hit up The Bank Bar & Grill, order the nachos, thank me later.
Haven’t been, but will be going: Houghton, Colorado Springs
Haven’t been, probably won’t be making it: Anchorage, Omaha
I live here, but if I didn’t, I’d go: Minneapolis
So enough with talk of past futilities, because it’s the kickoff to the season, when every team has a chance! (Except the Wolves of course, they’re terrible) This really should’ve been up last week, prior to the start of conference play, but I have a good excuse for why the WCHA conference preview is late: Like I said, I was on the road in Bemidji watching WCHA hockey. Not surprisingly I didn’t find the time to post, given what I didn’t have (computer) and did have (mean hangover) during the day Saturday. As it is, my order of finish was locked down last Thursday, and wasn’t altered based on last weekend’s games. Although there a few things I’m thinking a bit differently on, changing them after a week would probably just be reactionary, so better to roll with initial thoughts.
1.) UND Fighting Sioux
Last Season’s Record - 25-13-5
Can’t tell you how much it pains me to put my favorite college hockey team in this spot, due to my own paranoia about expecting good results and the fact the MacNaughton Cup has proven to be a gigantic hex the past few years. Denver won it last season, then immediately went in the tank during the postseason. Ditto for North Dakota and Colorado College the two years before that. In fact the last team to find the WCHA champ with the last decent postseason run, you need to go back to 2005, when Denver split the title with CC and both made the Frozen Four, with Denver winning it all. Plenty of carnage before that as well, including two of my favorite Sioux teams (1999 & 2004) rampaging through the league, only to be derailed in the playoffs. The 2006 Gophers squad ripping off a 20-game unbeaten streak, then losing to the Team That Shall Not Be Named. Wisconsin’s 2000 team turning in a 23-5 mark with one of the best college players I’ve ever seen (Dany Heatley) leading the way, then totally rolling over. Yeah, it’s not a good history. But with the Sioux loaded and last year’s best teams suffering big losses, I have to put them here.
Returning players – UND
Forwards: Jason Gregoire (20g-17a—37pts) Jr, Danny Kristo (15g-21a—36pts) So, Evan Trupp (8g-26a—34pts) Sr, Brett Hextall (14g-12a—26pts) Jr, Brad Malone (11g-14a—25pts)Sr. Matt Frattin (11g-8a—pts) Sr.
Defense: Chay Genoway (4g-6a—10pts) Sr, Derrick LaPoint (2g-20a—22pts) Sr, Jake Marto (5-13—18) Sr, Ben Blood (5g-9a—14pts) Jr.
Goalie: Brad Eidsness (24-10-4, 2.11, .914).
Key Loss(es): Darcy Zajac, Chris VandeVelde.
2.) UMD Bulldogs
Last Season’s Record - 22-17-1
Maybe I’m getting a bit too enamored with the offense here, and it’s causing me to overlook what could be significant defensive issues. Reiter was solid in net last season, but it’s never exactly certain what will happen when a time share ends, and the defense doesn’t blow me away. But this team might have the best line in college hockey with Fontaine and the two Connollys (The ConTaine line? As in you can’t stop them, you can only hope to ConTaine them?) so they’re getting my respect. One thing you can say for sure, no one will be getting up to head to the bathroom when this squad is on the powerplay, only question is how much opposing fans will be able to say the same.
Returning players - UMD
Forwards: Jack Connolly (18g-31a—49pts) Jr, Mike Connolly (14g-26a—40pts) Jr, Justin Fontaine (21g-25a—46pts) Sr, Travis Oleksuk (10g-14a—24pts) Jr.
Defense: Brady Lamb (11g-13a—24pts) Jr, Mike Montgomery (2g-15a—17pts) Sr, Dylan Olson (1g-11a—12pts) So.
Goalie: G Kenny Reiter (13-10-0, 2.36 GAA, .912 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Fulton, Brady Hjelle, Rob Bordson.
3.) SCSU Huskies
Last season’s Record - 20-11-5
Farewell Ryan Lasch, little pest that you were, you will be missed. A lot of people are pegging this team to do big things, and while I do agree they are good, I’m not sure they’re Top 3 in a stronger WCHA field. Normally it would be ridiculous to have neither Denver, nor Wisconsin represented here, but with the losses those two teams suffered and the players the Huskies return, they’re getting the nod. And there are a lot of things to like here. The forwards are veterans (though it should be said their best scorer is gone), the goaltending should be good-to-dominant. Problem is I just flat-out don’t like they’re defensemen. Lauridsen is big, but not exactly smooth, and most of the rest just don’t just out at you. Losing Raboin, their captain last season, could also create a leadership void, and I’m not sure the best player on the team, Roe, will be a guy to fill it. You want your leaders to stand up for you, and in Roe’s case, he’s got some issues with standing in general.
Returning players - SCSU
Forwards: Garrett Roe (20g-29a—49pts) Sr, Tony Mosey (14g-26a—40pts)Sr, Drew LeBlanc (6g-25a—31pts)Jr, Ben Hanowski (9g-10a—19pts) So, Aaron Marvin (5g-11a—16pts) Sr.
Defense: Oliver Lauridsen (6g-6a—12pts) Jr, Chris Hepp (0g-2a—2pts) Sr.
Goalies: Mike Lee (12-9-3, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) So. Dann Dunn (12-5-2, 2.80 GAA, .917 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Ryan Lasch, Garrett Raboin.
4.) DU Pioneers
Last Season’s Record - 27-10-4
Decimated by departures, but every good team has been there at some point, it’s the price of watching great players. This could be a bit high for the Pios, given a whole lotta question marks up and down the lineup, but George Gwozdecky is a great coach, and I think he’ll get things figured out. If I had to peg one “middle of the pack team you really don’t want to see in the playoffs”, this would be it. Could be that a slow start pushes them into the bottom half, then they show up in March and drill somebody.
Returning players – DU
Forwards: Anthony Maiani (8g-26pts--34) Sr, Sr. F Kyle Ostrow (16gt-10a—26pts) Sr, Jesse Martin (14g-8a—22pts) Sr, Drew Shore (5g-14a—19pts) So.
Defense: Matt Donovan (7g-14a—21pts) So, John Lee (2g-10a—12pts) Jr, William Wrenn (0g-7a—7pts) So.
Goalie: Adam Murray (3-4-1, 3.79 GAA, .874 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Joe Colborne, Patrick Wiercioch, Marc Cheverie, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Ruegsegger.
5.)UW Badgers
Last Season’s Record - 28-11-4 overall
Ditto to Denver, although I like the Badgers goaltending more, so it’s odd I have them a spot lower. I guess at the end of the day it comes down to coaching, Mike Eaves teams have slipped at times in the past, never for long, just a season every so often. Gwoz rarely seems to have that happen, so I like his chances a tad more.
Returning players – UW
Forwards: Craig Smith (8g-25a—33pts) So, Jordy Murray (12g-9a—21pts) Jr, Derek Lee (1g-8a—9pts) So.
Defense: Jake Gardiner (6g-7a—13pts), John Ramage (2g-10a—12pts), D Justin Schultz (6g16a—22pts)
Goalie: Scott Gudmandson (20-5-4, 2.34, .913) Sr., Brett Bennett (8-6-0, 2.82 GAA, .885 SV%) Sr.
Key Loss(es): Cody Goloubef, Brendan Smith, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Davies, Blake Geoffrion.
6.) UMN Golden Gophers
Last season’s Record - 18-19-2
Kind of regretting this after last week’s sweep at the hands of UNO, but I had the Gophers pegged for the top half of the league before, can’t back off now. Another team here undergoing a youth movement, difference being that has seemingly become an annual occurrence in Minneapolis. The good news is they seem to have scoring punch that's been lacking the last couple of seasons, bad news is the young defensemen are worse than expected at this point, and need to get better in a big hurry.
Returning players – UMN
Forwards: Mike Hoeffel (14g-10a—24pts), Jacob Cepis (7g-12a—19pts) F Zach Budish (7-10--17)
Defense: Cade Fairchild (4-17--21), Sr. F), Aaron Ness (2-10--12) So, Seth Helgeson
Goalie(s): Alex Kangas (16-15-1, 2.60 GAA, .911 SV%) Sr., Kent Patterson (2-4-1, 3.10 GAA, .901 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Jordan Schroeder, Josh Birkholz, Nick Leddy.
7.) CC Tigers
Last season’s Record – 19-17-3
Gotta give the returning league member the nod over the newbies, like what they’re returning and thinking that thin air in the Springs gets them a couple extra points.
Returning players – CC
Forwards: Rylan Schwartz (6-22--28), Tyler Johnson (14-9--23), Stephen Schultz (5-15--20)
Defense: Gabe Guentzel (3-20--23), Sr. D Ryan Lowery (4-14--18)
Goalie: Joe Howe (17-15-3, 2.80, .907).
Key Loss(es): Bill Sweatt, Mike Testwuide, Nate Prosser.
8.) UNO Mavericks
Last Season’s Record - 20-16-6 (First Year WCHA)
Think I’ve watched this team play twice in my life, so no grounds for thinking they can walk in and finish top half of the league. But if anyone can make it happen, a Dean Blais team can, my new second-favorite WCHA squad.
Returning players – UNO
Forwards: Rich Purslow (14g-13a—27pts) Sr, Joey Martin (10g-16a—26pts) Sr, Alex Hudson (14g-11a—25pts) Jr, Terry Broadhurst (13g-11a—24pts) So, Matt Ambroz (10g-14a—24pts) Sr.
Defense: Eric Olimb (2g-18a—20pts), Jr, ( Kyle Ensign (0g-8a—8pts) Jr.
Goalie: John Faulker (13-10-4, 2.60 GAA, .905 SV%).
Key Loss(es): Eddie Del Grosso, Nick Fanto, Mark Bernier, Jeremie Dupont, Jeric Agosta
9.) BSU Beavers
Last season’s Record - 23-10-4 (First Year WCHA)
Saw a scrappy bunch last weekend in their first games of the season, and if I hadn’t put them 9th before I left town, probably would be bumping them a couple spots higher right now. But as is, I’m giving the WCHA grind a lot of respect, and doubting the new teams ability to handle it week in and week out.
Returning players – BSU
Forwards: Matt Read (19-22—41) Sr, Jordan George (13-21—34) So, Ian Lowe (21-10—31) Sr.
Defense: D Brad Hunt (7-26—33) Jr, Brady Wacker (1g-10a—11) So.
Goalie(s): Dan Bakala (19-8-3, 2.32, .917) Jr, Mathieu Dugas (4-2-1, 1.93 GAA, .918 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Tyler Lehrke, Chris McKelvie.
10.) UAA Seawolves
Last Season’s Record - 11-23-2
A perennially confusing team that pulls upsets when it should get drilled and gets drilled in games it seems in a good spot to win. Week-to-week it’s a mystery, year-to-year not so much, they find their way to the bottom.
Returning players – UAA
Forwards: Tommy Grant (9g-17a—26pts, Sr. F Sean Wiles (9-8--17), So. F Daniel Naslund (3-10--13), Jr. Jade Portwood (3g-2a—5pts)
Defense: Curtis Leinweber (4g-8a—12pts), Kane Lafranchise (3g-12a—15pts), Luka Vidmar (2g-10a—12pts).
Goalie: Dusan Sidor (0-0-0 6.00 GAA .846 SV%) So.
Key Loss(es): Lee Baldwin, Bryce Christianson, Kevin Clark, Josh Lunden.
11.) MSUM Mavericks
Last Season’s Record - 16-20-3
For the first time in several years, Mankato isn’t a trendy sleeper pick. Since they’ve never really lived up to those expectations, maybe this is the year they finally break out? Doubtful.
Returning players – MSUM
Forwards: Rylan Galiardi (11g-14a—25pts) Sr, Michael Dorr (5g-11a—16pts) Jr, Eriah Hayes (8g-6a—14pts) So, Mike Louwerse (7g-6a—13pts) Jr.
Defense: Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr, Kurt Davis (5g-18a—23pts) Sr, Channing Boe (2g-5a—7 pts) Sr, Ben Youds (3g-23a—26pts) Sr.
Goalie(s): Phil Cook (8-6-2, 2.59 GAA, .908 SV%) So, Austin Lee (7-11-0, 2.85 GAA, .907 SV%) Jr.
Key Loss(es): Zach Harrison, Geoff Irwin, Kael Mouillierat, Tyler Pitlick, Jared Steward, Kevin Murdock.
12.)MTU Huskies
Last Season’s Record - 5-30-1
Only difference is they’re now 12th instead of 10th
Returning players – MTU
Forwards: Brett Olson (18g-12a—30pts), So. F Jordan Baker (9g-9a—18pts), Eric Kattelus (2g-8a—10pts), Bennett Royer (4g-6a—10pts)
Defense: Steven Seigo (4g-15a—19pts), Deron Cousens (1g-7a—8pts)
Goalies: Kevin Genoe (4-18-1, 3.54 GAA, .904 SV%) So, Josh Robinson (1-12-0, 4.68 GAA, .876 SV%) Jr.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Good Grief
A lot of iconic sayings ran through my head last night while watching football. The first was "When it rains, it pours", in reference to both the inclement weather and the never-ending avalanche of bad luck/news that's following this Vikings season around like Charlie Brown on a bad day. The second, via a text from my brother during the second half, was the iconic Godfather III line "Everytime I think I'm out, they pull me back in" (with accompanying hand gesture, of course). Finally, after the final collapse, I was channeling George Jetson, "Get me off this crazy thing."
I wanted to be in Walter Sobchak mode ("Nothing is f**ked here dude, nothing is f**cked") based on the glimmers of hope that were offered last night from a solid defense and improving offense. But I just can't get past my inner Herb Brooks here ("You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month"). Glass half-full guy says the NFC is terrible, competition is falling apart and the Vikes will get better with time to gel; half-empty view still sees three make-or-break games closing out October and doesn't like the odds.
While it should be said that Brett Favre dusted off some of the old magic in the second half last night, and made some impressive plays, watching him gimp around hardly inspired confidence. Grasping his arm after every throw like it was about to snap off at the elbow was not very helpful either. It's become clear that the guy is either A) Seriously hurting or B) Setting himself up with a convenient excuse when things go in the tank. I'm not sure which I consider more likely, as I think winning is important to him, but only slight more so than maintaining the Legend of Brett Favre.
Anyhoo, Packer fans, and to a lesser extent Jet fans, had to be laughing their asses off last night, and who can blame them? For all the hoopla about Favre's history, the game always seems to end with him winging a pass into the arms of a defensive player. Perhaps that's just the nature of the beast when you're being asked to pull off comebacks in tough spots, but anyone who's watched him can recall at least 2 or 3 off the top of their head that were unforced errors totally on him. Maybe ending things with a pick in two NFC Championship games are the reason he's still here at all? Could walk away with a loss, but not with an INT as the last pass on his record? Whatever the reason, it's clear that this is it, too many miles, too much accompanying nonsense, we're seeing the end of Brett Favre.
Not that last night is all, or even mostly, on him. What has happened to the Vikings offensive line the past two years is a crime, apparently Matt Birk really was the glue that held things together. Since his departure, this has gone from a unit that could open holes against stacked defenses with no fear of our inept passing game, to a disturbingly dismal set of widebodies who just sort of mill around the line of scrimmage, with no real plan of attack. Steve Hutchinson is a shell of his former self, the fact that Bryant McKinnie was ever a Pro Bowler is baffling, and Phil Loadholt, although decent in pass protection, remains perplexingly inefficient in the run game. I'm a big Loadholt guy, love the name, love the size, want to see him do well. But if a 6'8" 330-punder can't get a push up front, well just what the hell is going on here? (And yes, I know AP is still churning out yards, but that's because he's running harder than ever, go back and look at him in '07/'08, then tell me there's not a serious problem here)
Toss in dumb penalties and cornerback depth thinner than my patience with political ads, you get what we got last night. The Jets are a good team. The Vikings will be better. The problem is it must happen very quickly, time is not on our side here, and the road gets no easier.
See what a great job I'm doing not wasting too much thought on the struggles of this team? :)
I wanted to be in Walter Sobchak mode ("Nothing is f**ked here dude, nothing is f**cked") based on the glimmers of hope that were offered last night from a solid defense and improving offense. But I just can't get past my inner Herb Brooks here ("You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month"). Glass half-full guy says the NFC is terrible, competition is falling apart and the Vikes will get better with time to gel; half-empty view still sees three make-or-break games closing out October and doesn't like the odds.
While it should be said that Brett Favre dusted off some of the old magic in the second half last night, and made some impressive plays, watching him gimp around hardly inspired confidence. Grasping his arm after every throw like it was about to snap off at the elbow was not very helpful either. It's become clear that the guy is either A) Seriously hurting or B) Setting himself up with a convenient excuse when things go in the tank. I'm not sure which I consider more likely, as I think winning is important to him, but only slight more so than maintaining the Legend of Brett Favre.
Anyhoo, Packer fans, and to a lesser extent Jet fans, had to be laughing their asses off last night, and who can blame them? For all the hoopla about Favre's history, the game always seems to end with him winging a pass into the arms of a defensive player. Perhaps that's just the nature of the beast when you're being asked to pull off comebacks in tough spots, but anyone who's watched him can recall at least 2 or 3 off the top of their head that were unforced errors totally on him. Maybe ending things with a pick in two NFC Championship games are the reason he's still here at all? Could walk away with a loss, but not with an INT as the last pass on his record? Whatever the reason, it's clear that this is it, too many miles, too much accompanying nonsense, we're seeing the end of Brett Favre.
Not that last night is all, or even mostly, on him. What has happened to the Vikings offensive line the past two years is a crime, apparently Matt Birk really was the glue that held things together. Since his departure, this has gone from a unit that could open holes against stacked defenses with no fear of our inept passing game, to a disturbingly dismal set of widebodies who just sort of mill around the line of scrimmage, with no real plan of attack. Steve Hutchinson is a shell of his former self, the fact that Bryant McKinnie was ever a Pro Bowler is baffling, and Phil Loadholt, although decent in pass protection, remains perplexingly inefficient in the run game. I'm a big Loadholt guy, love the name, love the size, want to see him do well. But if a 6'8" 330-punder can't get a push up front, well just what the hell is going on here? (And yes, I know AP is still churning out yards, but that's because he's running harder than ever, go back and look at him in '07/'08, then tell me there's not a serious problem here)
Toss in dumb penalties and cornerback depth thinner than my patience with political ads, you get what we got last night. The Jets are a good team. The Vikings will be better. The problem is it must happen very quickly, time is not on our side here, and the road gets no easier.
See what a great job I'm doing not wasting too much thought on the struggles of this team? :)
Friday, October 8, 2010
Expanding on Randy
To get this out of the way, thanks to the Minnesota Twins for another fun season. As tough as it is to once again watch the team fall again in the postseason against the Yankees (flailing away in pathetic fashion while doing so) it can't be denied that this was a very special baseball season for many reasons. It's just that most of them had nothing to do with the team on the field.
The impact that Target Field has had on this city, and the whole summer in general, can't be emphasized enough. Ballgames are an event, rather than something we feel obligated to do only when given free tickets for a big game. Downtown Minneapolis is now a regular destination, rather than a rare stopover for the odd concert or random night out. The whole thing has just been a very cool addition to a part of town that needed a shot in the arm.
As I sat outside yesterday, having a pregame beer on a patio and enjoying the indian summer sun, I kept thinking over and over just how great it was I'd never again have to walk inside the teflon monstrosity that was the Dome on another beautiful day. While us Twins fans are far from content with how things played out, and not ready to resign ourselves completely to the "at least the park is fun" existence of Royals or Cubs fans, it has to be admitted that even another playoff choke is easier to take in those new surroundings. If they can pair up a great team with that great venue, well then that will truly be something. See you next April Twinkies (yup, you get the Twinkies, you've earned it this week).
Elsewhere in the world of loser teams, the Vikings acquisition of Randy Moss is now front and center on the local sports scene. When I addressed it Wednesday, details were still being hammered out, since then things have become much clearer and the principal players have spoken publicly about how things went down. At first I was a bit gun shy on things, worried that some ungodly amount of money was going to be handed over to a notoriously fickle player. But I have to say, the more I hear about it, the more I like the move.
Other than agreeing not to put on a franchise or transition tag that would limit Moss' free agent options, the team doesn't seem to be giving up much at all here. While it does strike me as odd that the guy would view his situation in Minnesota any different than the one in New England, Randy Moss is just a pretty odd guy in general, so I'm not sure how much to infer about his motivations. As a pending free agent, you'd think it would be in his best interests to tear up the league in a Patriots offense he knows, rather than try and do so while stepping into a Vikings uniform at the season's quarter pole. Instead he once again has appeared to sulk his way off a team, just like he did in his first go-around here.
Perhaps the comments from yesterday's news conference ring true, and he really is just "glad to be back home"; but given his past history here, that seems a bit dubious. Randy Moss is a frontrunner who's great to have when you're storming the trenches, but not the guy you want beside you in a foxhole. As far as I can recollect, he's been that way his entire career. Did I miss the part where he showed some great affinity for the state of Minnesota?
At any rate, it's a very exciting development from an organization that never seems to be in short supply of those lately. Just sitting around and hearkening back to the glory days of the Moss Show is enough to get someone excited for the prospects that this acqusition provides, and without leveraging the future through a big money contract, there really is no downside. It's extremely unlikely, but possible we just caught one of the all-time lucky breaks here. From Moss Part I, to Stephon Marbury, to Insert NBA Free Agent Name Here, Minnesota is very rarely a place where players WANT to play. Turning back the clock to the golden age of the Metrodome long-ball era would go a long way in making up for those slights.
Still need a split in the next 4 though, this might be too little, too late, we'll see.
Helluva interesting turn, thought I was off the hook here, damn them for sucking me back in :)
Week 5 picks:
Last week: 8-6
Season: 22-24-2 (Quest for .500 is on!)
BALTIMORE (no line) over Denver - Denver's better than I gave them credit for, but a TD or less and I'm going Ravens here
Kansas City +7.5 over INDIANAPOLIS - While I did pick the Jaguars to cover against the Colts last week, no part of me thought they would actually win. I like a methodical Colts victory here, something in the 4-6 range, so taking the points. Not a huge fan of this pick, but the Chiefs coming off a bye against an Indy team who's D looks shaky is just enough to convince me it will be close. Then again, the last time the Colts played at home in a bounce-back game, they TKO'd the Giants in the first half. Screw it, KC covers are treating me good this season, ride her til she bucks ya.
Tampa Bay +7 over CINNCINATTI - And now I'm about to take two 7+ road underdogs? No guts, no glory...and no busted kneecaps, but hey...
CAROLINA +3 OVER Chicago - Picked the Bears last week in a knee-jerk reaction to the win over Green Bay, after spending 4 paragraphs talking about how the Packers should've routed them. Dumb. Always great when you get a Week 4 matchup of QBs who didn't open the season as the starter.
Atlanta -3 over CLEVELAND - Browns were cagey and underrated, but when your rating is 'Crap', that just means you beat other crap teams. Atlanta isn't crap, despite the fact they sometimes give off that vibe.
HOUSTON -3 over New York Giants - Tough road game for a Giants team that's looked brutal away from home so far.
DETROIT -3 over St. Louis - Could be one of the Top 5 "Better than it looked when the schedule came out" games of the season. Both of these teams are at least making plays, St Louis is actually even winning some games. Probably the starkest QB contrast even, Golden Boy vs. Journeyman, bet San Fran would take Shaun Hill back right about now.
BUFFALO +1 over Jacksonville - I'm thinking letdown game for the Jags, but there's also a lot of potential for 4 TDs out of MoJo. Would stay far, far away with actual dollars.
Green Bay -3 over Washington - Loving the chinks appearing in the Packers armor these days, hating the fact the my fantasy football season is depending on Aaron Rodgers. Any way the Pack can just lose 42-39 every week? The way their D has looked lately, it might be possible.
New Orleans -7 over Arizona - Spread would have to crack 20 before I'd bat an eye
Tennessee +7 over DALLAS - Titans lose a tight one. Say that 5 times fast.
San Diego -6.5 over OAKLAND - Two massive road eggs laid by the Chargers so far, but they looked like a team who had things clicking pretty well last week.
Philadelphia +3.5 over SAN FRANCISCO - Last week was my "Niners play for their lives!" week, and it almost worked. Now I've moved onto "Niners fold the tents". Kevin Kolb has been abysmal, is it time for someone to tell him he's one more bad game away from having to fear for his life on the streets of Philly? Motivation or just added pressure there?
NEW YORK JETS -4 over Minnesota - Lotta sizzle, not enough steak, unless the Vikings defense can pull off a massive effort here, I don't see them hanging with the Jets. Possible that the Sanchize has a 3 INT game lurking beneath the surface there? Sure, but probably not against a team with no DBs who can catch.
The impact that Target Field has had on this city, and the whole summer in general, can't be emphasized enough. Ballgames are an event, rather than something we feel obligated to do only when given free tickets for a big game. Downtown Minneapolis is now a regular destination, rather than a rare stopover for the odd concert or random night out. The whole thing has just been a very cool addition to a part of town that needed a shot in the arm.
As I sat outside yesterday, having a pregame beer on a patio and enjoying the indian summer sun, I kept thinking over and over just how great it was I'd never again have to walk inside the teflon monstrosity that was the Dome on another beautiful day. While us Twins fans are far from content with how things played out, and not ready to resign ourselves completely to the "at least the park is fun" existence of Royals or Cubs fans, it has to be admitted that even another playoff choke is easier to take in those new surroundings. If they can pair up a great team with that great venue, well then that will truly be something. See you next April Twinkies (yup, you get the Twinkies, you've earned it this week).
Elsewhere in the world of loser teams, the Vikings acquisition of Randy Moss is now front and center on the local sports scene. When I addressed it Wednesday, details were still being hammered out, since then things have become much clearer and the principal players have spoken publicly about how things went down. At first I was a bit gun shy on things, worried that some ungodly amount of money was going to be handed over to a notoriously fickle player. But I have to say, the more I hear about it, the more I like the move.
Other than agreeing not to put on a franchise or transition tag that would limit Moss' free agent options, the team doesn't seem to be giving up much at all here. While it does strike me as odd that the guy would view his situation in Minnesota any different than the one in New England, Randy Moss is just a pretty odd guy in general, so I'm not sure how much to infer about his motivations. As a pending free agent, you'd think it would be in his best interests to tear up the league in a Patriots offense he knows, rather than try and do so while stepping into a Vikings uniform at the season's quarter pole. Instead he once again has appeared to sulk his way off a team, just like he did in his first go-around here.
Perhaps the comments from yesterday's news conference ring true, and he really is just "glad to be back home"; but given his past history here, that seems a bit dubious. Randy Moss is a frontrunner who's great to have when you're storming the trenches, but not the guy you want beside you in a foxhole. As far as I can recollect, he's been that way his entire career. Did I miss the part where he showed some great affinity for the state of Minnesota?
At any rate, it's a very exciting development from an organization that never seems to be in short supply of those lately. Just sitting around and hearkening back to the glory days of the Moss Show is enough to get someone excited for the prospects that this acqusition provides, and without leveraging the future through a big money contract, there really is no downside. It's extremely unlikely, but possible we just caught one of the all-time lucky breaks here. From Moss Part I, to Stephon Marbury, to Insert NBA Free Agent Name Here, Minnesota is very rarely a place where players WANT to play. Turning back the clock to the golden age of the Metrodome long-ball era would go a long way in making up for those slights.
Still need a split in the next 4 though, this might be too little, too late, we'll see.
Helluva interesting turn, thought I was off the hook here, damn them for sucking me back in :)
Week 5 picks:
Last week: 8-6
Season: 22-24-2 (Quest for .500 is on!)
BALTIMORE (no line) over Denver - Denver's better than I gave them credit for, but a TD or less and I'm going Ravens here
Kansas City +7.5 over INDIANAPOLIS - While I did pick the Jaguars to cover against the Colts last week, no part of me thought they would actually win. I like a methodical Colts victory here, something in the 4-6 range, so taking the points. Not a huge fan of this pick, but the Chiefs coming off a bye against an Indy team who's D looks shaky is just enough to convince me it will be close. Then again, the last time the Colts played at home in a bounce-back game, they TKO'd the Giants in the first half. Screw it, KC covers are treating me good this season, ride her til she bucks ya.
Tampa Bay +7 over CINNCINATTI - And now I'm about to take two 7+ road underdogs? No guts, no glory...and no busted kneecaps, but hey...
CAROLINA +3 OVER Chicago - Picked the Bears last week in a knee-jerk reaction to the win over Green Bay, after spending 4 paragraphs talking about how the Packers should've routed them. Dumb. Always great when you get a Week 4 matchup of QBs who didn't open the season as the starter.
Atlanta -3 over CLEVELAND - Browns were cagey and underrated, but when your rating is 'Crap', that just means you beat other crap teams. Atlanta isn't crap, despite the fact they sometimes give off that vibe.
HOUSTON -3 over New York Giants - Tough road game for a Giants team that's looked brutal away from home so far.
DETROIT -3 over St. Louis - Could be one of the Top 5 "Better than it looked when the schedule came out" games of the season. Both of these teams are at least making plays, St Louis is actually even winning some games. Probably the starkest QB contrast even, Golden Boy vs. Journeyman, bet San Fran would take Shaun Hill back right about now.
BUFFALO +1 over Jacksonville - I'm thinking letdown game for the Jags, but there's also a lot of potential for 4 TDs out of MoJo. Would stay far, far away with actual dollars.
Green Bay -3 over Washington - Loving the chinks appearing in the Packers armor these days, hating the fact the my fantasy football season is depending on Aaron Rodgers. Any way the Pack can just lose 42-39 every week? The way their D has looked lately, it might be possible.
New Orleans -7 over Arizona - Spread would have to crack 20 before I'd bat an eye
Tennessee +7 over DALLAS - Titans lose a tight one. Say that 5 times fast.
San Diego -6.5 over OAKLAND - Two massive road eggs laid by the Chargers so far, but they looked like a team who had things clicking pretty well last week.
Philadelphia +3.5 over SAN FRANCISCO - Last week was my "Niners play for their lives!" week, and it almost worked. Now I've moved onto "Niners fold the tents". Kevin Kolb has been abysmal, is it time for someone to tell him he's one more bad game away from having to fear for his life on the streets of Philly? Motivation or just added pressure there?
NEW YORK JETS -4 over Minnesota - Lotta sizzle, not enough steak, unless the Vikings defense can pull off a massive effort here, I don't see them hanging with the Jets. Possible that the Sanchize has a 3 INT game lurking beneath the surface there? Sure, but probably not against a team with no DBs who can catch.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Something wicked this way comes
Of course it had to be the Yankees.
Today is the day we've been waiting for since the baseball season kicked off in April, and on the other side will be the Twins familiar playoff nemesis. Wish I could call them a rival, but rivalries are two-sided, this is more of a rout so far.
There have been many opinions offered about why this might be the most vulnerable Yankees team to enter the playoffs in some time, and I'd like to get on board with that kind of thinking. But looking no further than tonight's pitching matchup, with our own loveable headcase Frank Liriano opposing playoff veteran CC Sabathia (aka The Fat Man), it's clear that the Twins are once again a significant underdog. I could blow sunshine up your @ss here about how it's a funny game, and you never know what will happen, but the bottom line is the boys will need to beat The Fat Man at some point if they hope to win this thing. Sweeping the 3 games he won't pitch is too long a shot.
So the verdict here? Yankees in 5. The hometown nine will represent better than they have in opposing years, but in the end the power of the Evil Empire will be too much for them.
Another wicked development (wicked sweet in this case, as our Boston friends would say) is the news that the Vikings are on the verge of acquiring Randy Moss for a 3rd-round draft pick. At that price it's tough to argue with the move, given the team seems to be on the verge of a season going down the tubes. But as any long-time fan will recall, the Moss Roller Coaster is not always the most pleasant ride. When he left town the first time, I have to say I was ready for him to leave. Seems dumb in retrospect, given what the team suffered through offensively for a few years there, but his "play when I want to play" act wore incredibly thin toward the end of his stint in purple.
It seems the nature of the big-time NFL wide receiver is a diva-like one, and the better many of them get, the more petulant they become. This has certainly been the case with Moss, one of the most spectacular and unapologetic team killers professional sports has ever seen. It seems unlikely an unhappy New England Randy will turn into a happy Minnesota Randy overnight, at least not without a large financial guarantee coming his way. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of the move, it's a steal of a deal and allows me to use one of my favorite words in description: Chutzpah. But if the team wants to maximize the opportunity here and get what they intended, then they need to do two things, give the man a chunk of cash and never (I mean NEVER) assume that he will play hard for a quarterback that doesn't command his respect. If you need it spelled out, don't put T-Jack on the field with Randy unless you want him to permanently check out.
Once again my favorite football team finds itself wandering in the desert, dying of thirst, and is reaching out for what looks like a cool glass of water. Only problem is, extreme circumstances cause people's minds to do crazy things, and that glass could be a mirage. Here's hoping we're not about to gulp down a pint of sand.
Love the moxie Zygi, but actually building a team might've been the cheaper, and more effective, way to go here. Good luck, lord knows I hope it works.
Today is the day we've been waiting for since the baseball season kicked off in April, and on the other side will be the Twins familiar playoff nemesis. Wish I could call them a rival, but rivalries are two-sided, this is more of a rout so far.
There have been many opinions offered about why this might be the most vulnerable Yankees team to enter the playoffs in some time, and I'd like to get on board with that kind of thinking. But looking no further than tonight's pitching matchup, with our own loveable headcase Frank Liriano opposing playoff veteran CC Sabathia (aka The Fat Man), it's clear that the Twins are once again a significant underdog. I could blow sunshine up your @ss here about how it's a funny game, and you never know what will happen, but the bottom line is the boys will need to beat The Fat Man at some point if they hope to win this thing. Sweeping the 3 games he won't pitch is too long a shot.
So the verdict here? Yankees in 5. The hometown nine will represent better than they have in opposing years, but in the end the power of the Evil Empire will be too much for them.
Another wicked development (wicked sweet in this case, as our Boston friends would say) is the news that the Vikings are on the verge of acquiring Randy Moss for a 3rd-round draft pick. At that price it's tough to argue with the move, given the team seems to be on the verge of a season going down the tubes. But as any long-time fan will recall, the Moss Roller Coaster is not always the most pleasant ride. When he left town the first time, I have to say I was ready for him to leave. Seems dumb in retrospect, given what the team suffered through offensively for a few years there, but his "play when I want to play" act wore incredibly thin toward the end of his stint in purple.
It seems the nature of the big-time NFL wide receiver is a diva-like one, and the better many of them get, the more petulant they become. This has certainly been the case with Moss, one of the most spectacular and unapologetic team killers professional sports has ever seen. It seems unlikely an unhappy New England Randy will turn into a happy Minnesota Randy overnight, at least not without a large financial guarantee coming his way. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of the move, it's a steal of a deal and allows me to use one of my favorite words in description: Chutzpah. But if the team wants to maximize the opportunity here and get what they intended, then they need to do two things, give the man a chunk of cash and never (I mean NEVER) assume that he will play hard for a quarterback that doesn't command his respect. If you need it spelled out, don't put T-Jack on the field with Randy unless you want him to permanently check out.
Once again my favorite football team finds itself wandering in the desert, dying of thirst, and is reaching out for what looks like a cool glass of water. Only problem is, extreme circumstances cause people's minds to do crazy things, and that glass could be a mirage. Here's hoping we're not about to gulp down a pint of sand.
Love the moxie Zygi, but actually building a team might've been the cheaper, and more effective, way to go here. Good luck, lord knows I hope it works.
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