Well here it is folks, one way or another, the NHL season will end this evening, a scant 8 1/2 months after it began. It seems like only yesterday I was watching the Wild open up the season in Finland over my lunch hour, and now here we are, awaiting Game 7 of the Stanley Cup.
Actually that's not true, it doesn't seem like yesterday, but an interminably long time ago. Fall has turned to winter, winter to more winter, more winter into spring, spring back into winter, winter into summer and then summer back into spring, yet the game of hockey continues. Not a complaint, happy to milk as much as possible out of potentially the last intriguing thing on the sports calendar until college football season.
But with that being said, 8 1/2 months is a long damn time.
Think about all that's happened since that first puck dropped. The Twins went meekly against the Yankees, Vikings crashed and burned, Wild gave us a few less-than-compelling months on the playoff bubble, Gopher sports went belly up across the board, the Timberwolves turned in one of their worst campaigns ever and the Sioux hockey team choked. That is a staggering amount of futility to fit into one hockey season. The funny (perhaps masochistic) part? After tonight I'm going to find myself counting the days until we get to do it all over again.
Sure the Twins may get their act together enough to make things interesting, but there's no real chance of a true contender emerging from the current rabble. This team isn't even good enough to be compared with all the teams that weren't good enough previously. It's more than likely the next few weeks will be spent watching a them yo-yo up and down the standings while wondering if football is going to start on time. That won't be so bad, everyone has limits on the amount of futility they can endure, and summers are needed to recharge the batteries. But with that said, 10 weeks with only a bad baseball team to keep me company seems daunting, especially if the clock stays stuck on April, as it's been so far this "summer".
That's enough of that though, because things aren't quite over yet, we still have one game to determine who takes the Cup and who goes home empty handed. Game 7, one fanbase will exit with elation, the other with despair. There's nothing else like it, all we can as spectators is hope the game lives up to the anticipation.
Karma had a good start to the week, with Dallas finishing off Miami and the justice of team play trumpingthe tyranny of mercenary ball. It seems to me that the Bruins bouncing the Canucks, in all their diving/whining/biting glory, would be another victory for truth, justice and the (duh) American way. I called Vancouver in 6, still think it will be Vancouver in 7, and still want Boston to win...I think.
Although I've always detested the Vancouver Canucks due to the dirty hacks they employ, there's something about a long-suffering fanbase finally winning the big one that always gets me. Sure Boston hockey fans have also gond 40 years without winning a title, but can you really say any sportsfan in that town is suffering these days? A Bruins title would officially give the Patriots, who everyone would agree were the NFL franchise of the 2000s, the longest title drought among Boston teams. Now I've never harbored any particular hate for the Beantown squads, and was always a bit of a Bruins fan to be honest. But that is a staggering embarrassment of riches that is making me think twice about my rooting interest.
Salo, Sopel, Burrows, Cooke, the Sedins and of course Todd Bertuzzi, all hateable players who've made me come to loathe Vancouver over the last decade. But should the fact that they employ hacks, punks and dandies be used against the team's fans? I'm not so sure. Sure it's tough to separate one from the other, but I do know there are a lot of dedicated Canucks fans out there who a win would mean the world too, and have been waiting a long time to see it happen. It's doubtful that I can bring myself to root for them, but after reading the stories of Canucks fans and the city's angst, I can certainly identify with their pain. A small part of me will be happy for them if they finally get their reward. After all, if you're concerned about karma, it would be decidedly poor to root against a group of fellow losers.
Tomorrow, we start worry about baseball and figure out if I need to strap dynamite to my chest and make a pilgrimmage to the NFL labor meetings in Chicago, more to come.
Showing posts with label NHL playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NHL playoffs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Finals Countdown
Two great sets of playoffs are each in their final series, and so far the games are proving worthy of what preceeded them.
In no particular order, the Top 5 things I'm enjoying about the NBA and NHL Finals:
1) LeBron, The Invisible Man
Okay, I said in no particular order, but I had to put this number one. The Stanley Cup Finals may matter infinitely more to me than their NBA counterpart, but some things are bigger than the particular sport. Much like the New York Yankees, LeBron is the embodiment of many things I hate about sports. The last year of his life has been one long commercial for the premise of the mercenary athlete, who's only concern is what's best for himself. More are sure to follow his lead, and for that I will forever be rooting against him. No athlete owes anyone anything, that much is true, but when a guy gets this staggeringly self-absorbed, it's fun to watch him fail. Here's hoping it continues.
2) The Nathan Horton Hit
This wasn't great from the perspective that it put one of the Bruins most productive players out for the rest of the series, but it galvanized the Bruins and was nice as a reminder of what a pack of cheapshot b*tches the Vancouver Canucks are. After listening to some of the quotes coming from coaches and players about Aaron Rome's blast to Horton's head, I had a moment of doubt. I've been around enough hockey fans in my life to know that two people can look at the same hit and see two completely different things, usually due to the tint of the glasses they wear while watching the games. So I went back and watched it again. You know what? My opinion hasn't changed one iota. You can throw out all the phrases you want about "finishing your check" and quote rulebook passages making it sound better than it was, but I know what I saw. I saw Horton get rid of the puck, take two strides, then get leveled by Rome, who left his skates while driving up through Horton's head. If he still had the puck, or didn't raise up to contact his head, there's an argument to be made, but frankly I think there's no argument. Henrik Sedin thinks it was a clean hit? Well in that case, I hope he is on the receiving end of one just like it this evening.
3) Amazing Goaltending
Tim Thomas' odd move in the Game 2 OT and Roberto Luongo's sieve out in Game 3 notwithstanding, the goaltending in this year's Cup Finals has been unbelievable. My sincere hope is that Thomas continues his run of great play, and Luongo reverts back to his habit of being a headcase. Monday's third period was comical, one of those shooting boards with the corners cut out would've fared better than Boberto. It looked like he was trying to keep hockey pucks out of a soccer net. Fitting, since he's always looked more like a member of the Italian national team than the Canadian one. I'd say it was so bad, you almost felt sorry for him, but that would be a lie, at no point did I come close to feeling anything but contempt for any Vancouver player. Nor will I.
4) Dirk Delivers
He's got a torn hand ligament, the flu, dysentery, typhoid fever, gout, still nothing can stop Dirk Nowitzki. I'm still slightly amazed that the Mavericks were in a position to win last night, after watching them clang 8-10 open jumpers in the last 5 minutes, but once they were, it was once again Dirk who sealed the deal. I liked Charles Barkley, was indifferent on Gary Payton, kind of hated Karl Malone, but I wanted each of them to win a title. It just seems like anyone doing something at such a high level for that long deserves a better fate than walking away empty handed. Dallas has played well, but also been a bit fortunate that Miami has lacked the killer instinct to put them away. Winning two of the next three games is still a tall order, particularly if LeBron remembers he's the best player in the league one of these nights. Until that happens Miami, remember that coffee is for closers.
5) Degree of Difficulty
I'm in Minnesota, it was 103 degrees yesterday, and tonight there's a professional hockey game on.
Just wanted to put that in print, because I'm 100% certain it's the first time anyone has been able to.
In no particular order, the Top 5 things I'm enjoying about the NBA and NHL Finals:
1) LeBron, The Invisible Man
Okay, I said in no particular order, but I had to put this number one. The Stanley Cup Finals may matter infinitely more to me than their NBA counterpart, but some things are bigger than the particular sport. Much like the New York Yankees, LeBron is the embodiment of many things I hate about sports. The last year of his life has been one long commercial for the premise of the mercenary athlete, who's only concern is what's best for himself. More are sure to follow his lead, and for that I will forever be rooting against him. No athlete owes anyone anything, that much is true, but when a guy gets this staggeringly self-absorbed, it's fun to watch him fail. Here's hoping it continues.
2) The Nathan Horton Hit
This wasn't great from the perspective that it put one of the Bruins most productive players out for the rest of the series, but it galvanized the Bruins and was nice as a reminder of what a pack of cheapshot b*tches the Vancouver Canucks are. After listening to some of the quotes coming from coaches and players about Aaron Rome's blast to Horton's head, I had a moment of doubt. I've been around enough hockey fans in my life to know that two people can look at the same hit and see two completely different things, usually due to the tint of the glasses they wear while watching the games. So I went back and watched it again. You know what? My opinion hasn't changed one iota. You can throw out all the phrases you want about "finishing your check" and quote rulebook passages making it sound better than it was, but I know what I saw. I saw Horton get rid of the puck, take two strides, then get leveled by Rome, who left his skates while driving up through Horton's head. If he still had the puck, or didn't raise up to contact his head, there's an argument to be made, but frankly I think there's no argument. Henrik Sedin thinks it was a clean hit? Well in that case, I hope he is on the receiving end of one just like it this evening.
3) Amazing Goaltending
Tim Thomas' odd move in the Game 2 OT and Roberto Luongo's sieve out in Game 3 notwithstanding, the goaltending in this year's Cup Finals has been unbelievable. My sincere hope is that Thomas continues his run of great play, and Luongo reverts back to his habit of being a headcase. Monday's third period was comical, one of those shooting boards with the corners cut out would've fared better than Boberto. It looked like he was trying to keep hockey pucks out of a soccer net. Fitting, since he's always looked more like a member of the Italian national team than the Canadian one. I'd say it was so bad, you almost felt sorry for him, but that would be a lie, at no point did I come close to feeling anything but contempt for any Vancouver player. Nor will I.
4) Dirk Delivers
He's got a torn hand ligament, the flu, dysentery, typhoid fever, gout, still nothing can stop Dirk Nowitzki. I'm still slightly amazed that the Mavericks were in a position to win last night, after watching them clang 8-10 open jumpers in the last 5 minutes, but once they were, it was once again Dirk who sealed the deal. I liked Charles Barkley, was indifferent on Gary Payton, kind of hated Karl Malone, but I wanted each of them to win a title. It just seems like anyone doing something at such a high level for that long deserves a better fate than walking away empty handed. Dallas has played well, but also been a bit fortunate that Miami has lacked the killer instinct to put them away. Winning two of the next three games is still a tall order, particularly if LeBron remembers he's the best player in the league one of these nights. Until that happens Miami, remember that coffee is for closers.
5) Degree of Difficulty
I'm in Minnesota, it was 103 degrees yesterday, and tonight there's a professional hockey game on.
Just wanted to put that in print, because I'm 100% certain it's the first time anyone has been able to.
Friday, June 3, 2011
A Rant and a Rave
I've never considered myself the kind of person likely to go postal. No doubt more than a few people who've watched sporting events with me would disagree, but I swear it's true. It's not because I'm against ending the lives of those who's existence I don't approve, but because gunning down a large number of them would no doubt spell the end of my life as well, at least as a free man. Not to mention it isn't a very creative way to smite one's enemies, or a fun way to go out.
If I ever felt like throwing in the towel on life, I'd opt for something a bit lighter on the vengeance and heavier on the self-destructive behavior, perhaps a smack habit and a lot of unprotected sex with a horde of hookers. Not looking to go that route at the moment, but I could certainly see how it might be liberating. One minute you're worrying about work, school, kids, mortgage, etc., the next you're on permanent sick days with a persistent case of the f*ck-its. Worry would be out of the vocabulary permanently. It's these types of thoughts that make me think I'd be an unreliable parent.
I bring this up because if there's one thing that could push me over the edge and go on a rampage, it's the lack of an NFL season this fall. It's bad enough that we've suffered through the worst sports year in the history of state (planet Earth?), now there isn't even any football chatter to subsist on. Well unless of course you count the legal type, and if that entertains you, I'd like to clock you in the head with the 'S' volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Stopping to think about it, that'd be my first time using a physical encyclopedia volume since high school, nice to know they do have some value.
With the Twins dead and buried before Memorial Day, this is the worst possible time for the NFL to be pulling this crap. I want to ready about trades and free agents, not mediation and decertification. Stealing a full or partial season of my favorite league would be cruel under the best of conditions, tacking it on to the previous twelve months is just plain evil. In April, I could laugh about it. In May, a slight concern began to crop up. Now it's June, and the only remaining distraction is a baseball team that looks better suited for beer league softball. Give it another month, and I cannot be held responsible for my actions.
The ongoing legal mumbo jumbo surrounding the lockout seems to be about figuring out which side has leverage. Can the owners use their TV slush fund? Can the owners lock the players out in the first place? Is there an anti-trust issue? The whole thing just makes you want to donkey punch the first guy you see wearing a three-piece suit. Nobody gives a rats ass about any of this crap, all we want is out football! But since these questions apparently have crucial implications at the bargaining table (Step 2 in the process), they must be decided before an agreement can actually be hashed out. Any sports fan can appreciate the premise that the rules of the game must be set before play can commence, but what we can't tolerate is the amount of d*cking around going on in courtrooms while precious time continues to slip away. The whole thing stinks of lawyers dragging things out to up the hours they can bill, just another party angling for every dime they can squeeze out of the game of football.
But I have a solution to this mess, at least temporarily: A one-year extension of the CBA under the terms of last season. You want to keep effing with the collective mind of the American sports fan? Go ahead, you have one more month to do so. But at that point, after all the arguments have been heard and three-judge panels rendered their verdicts, it's time to get back to the business of playing football games. By all means continue to negotiate, in fact you have a full year to hash out an agreement. The rules of the game have been set this offseason, now you need to move forward on that basis. If the prior set of rules were good enough for past seasons, how much harm could it do to play one more on the same terms? Sure I know it's possible that the two sides will be pigheaded enough to let the dispute linger on, and put us right back in the same spot twelve months from now, and if that happens, so be it. You can cancel the season and continue with your staredown, common sense be damned.
Of course I know this will never happen, for myriad reasons. The most prominent being that no side seems willing to compromise in these situations until the clock is about to strike midnight. Still had to bring it up though, both out of my own desparate fear and one example of how simply this thing could be dealt with. The greed that drove the parties to this point probably wouldn't vanish with the passage of time. Instead of accepting the situation as it currently stands, they'd likely re-open the same cans of worms, pressing for a more favorable judge or venue, in hopes of gaining the all-powerful leverage. But hey, you never know, there's a slim chance that both parties would assess the current environment and actually get serious on making a deal. I'm sure there's a bunch of administrative nonsense that isn't being considered here, but that's my plan: One year, same terms. If it doesn't work, cancel all the seasons you want, but for right now, PLAY BALL!
So that's the negative end of things, but to leave things on a positive note, I'd like to give a tip o the cap to the excellent start of the two Finals series currently going on. I predicted Miami and Vancouver to each win in 6, before the Dallas comeback last night, that was looking a bit shaky. Boston should've stolen game one against the Canucks, and their near miss has me concerned that a letdown might be do tomorrow. Nevertheless, both have started well, and the unsung hero of the whole thing (at least for me) is the Vancouver organist.
Not to many cooler jobs than organ player, and the best ones have it down to a tee. On Wednesday night, I heard "Hold The Line" during a Vancouver power play, "Cold As Ice" following a 4-minute major call on the home team and "Ice, Ice, Baby" after an icing call. Well it was either that or "Under Pressure", the two are indistinguishable when played on an organ. That would've fit as well, considering that Canucks were buzzing at the time. You can pull off a two-song double entendre, then you're aces in my book, well done organ guy.
If I ever felt like throwing in the towel on life, I'd opt for something a bit lighter on the vengeance and heavier on the self-destructive behavior, perhaps a smack habit and a lot of unprotected sex with a horde of hookers. Not looking to go that route at the moment, but I could certainly see how it might be liberating. One minute you're worrying about work, school, kids, mortgage, etc., the next you're on permanent sick days with a persistent case of the f*ck-its. Worry would be out of the vocabulary permanently. It's these types of thoughts that make me think I'd be an unreliable parent.
I bring this up because if there's one thing that could push me over the edge and go on a rampage, it's the lack of an NFL season this fall. It's bad enough that we've suffered through the worst sports year in the history of state (planet Earth?), now there isn't even any football chatter to subsist on. Well unless of course you count the legal type, and if that entertains you, I'd like to clock you in the head with the 'S' volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. Stopping to think about it, that'd be my first time using a physical encyclopedia volume since high school, nice to know they do have some value.
With the Twins dead and buried before Memorial Day, this is the worst possible time for the NFL to be pulling this crap. I want to ready about trades and free agents, not mediation and decertification. Stealing a full or partial season of my favorite league would be cruel under the best of conditions, tacking it on to the previous twelve months is just plain evil. In April, I could laugh about it. In May, a slight concern began to crop up. Now it's June, and the only remaining distraction is a baseball team that looks better suited for beer league softball. Give it another month, and I cannot be held responsible for my actions.
The ongoing legal mumbo jumbo surrounding the lockout seems to be about figuring out which side has leverage. Can the owners use their TV slush fund? Can the owners lock the players out in the first place? Is there an anti-trust issue? The whole thing just makes you want to donkey punch the first guy you see wearing a three-piece suit. Nobody gives a rats ass about any of this crap, all we want is out football! But since these questions apparently have crucial implications at the bargaining table (Step 2 in the process), they must be decided before an agreement can actually be hashed out. Any sports fan can appreciate the premise that the rules of the game must be set before play can commence, but what we can't tolerate is the amount of d*cking around going on in courtrooms while precious time continues to slip away. The whole thing stinks of lawyers dragging things out to up the hours they can bill, just another party angling for every dime they can squeeze out of the game of football.
But I have a solution to this mess, at least temporarily: A one-year extension of the CBA under the terms of last season. You want to keep effing with the collective mind of the American sports fan? Go ahead, you have one more month to do so. But at that point, after all the arguments have been heard and three-judge panels rendered their verdicts, it's time to get back to the business of playing football games. By all means continue to negotiate, in fact you have a full year to hash out an agreement. The rules of the game have been set this offseason, now you need to move forward on that basis. If the prior set of rules were good enough for past seasons, how much harm could it do to play one more on the same terms? Sure I know it's possible that the two sides will be pigheaded enough to let the dispute linger on, and put us right back in the same spot twelve months from now, and if that happens, so be it. You can cancel the season and continue with your staredown, common sense be damned.
Of course I know this will never happen, for myriad reasons. The most prominent being that no side seems willing to compromise in these situations until the clock is about to strike midnight. Still had to bring it up though, both out of my own desparate fear and one example of how simply this thing could be dealt with. The greed that drove the parties to this point probably wouldn't vanish with the passage of time. Instead of accepting the situation as it currently stands, they'd likely re-open the same cans of worms, pressing for a more favorable judge or venue, in hopes of gaining the all-powerful leverage. But hey, you never know, there's a slim chance that both parties would assess the current environment and actually get serious on making a deal. I'm sure there's a bunch of administrative nonsense that isn't being considered here, but that's my plan: One year, same terms. If it doesn't work, cancel all the seasons you want, but for right now, PLAY BALL!
So that's the negative end of things, but to leave things on a positive note, I'd like to give a tip o the cap to the excellent start of the two Finals series currently going on. I predicted Miami and Vancouver to each win in 6, before the Dallas comeback last night, that was looking a bit shaky. Boston should've stolen game one against the Canucks, and their near miss has me concerned that a letdown might be do tomorrow. Nevertheless, both have started well, and the unsung hero of the whole thing (at least for me) is the Vancouver organist.
Not to many cooler jobs than organ player, and the best ones have it down to a tee. On Wednesday night, I heard "Hold The Line" during a Vancouver power play, "Cold As Ice" following a 4-minute major call on the home team and "Ice, Ice, Baby" after an icing call. Well it was either that or "Under Pressure", the two are indistinguishable when played on an organ. That would've fit as well, considering that Canucks were buzzing at the time. You can pull off a two-song double entendre, then you're aces in my book, well done organ guy.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The NBA Finals: Good (Mavs) vs. Evil (Heat)
Of the major professional and college sports leagues on this planet, I have to say the NBA is my least favorite. This isn't to say I don't appreciate a well played game of basketball, just that I'm a hockey guy first, and in both sports the college game is far more entertaining that it's professional counterpart.
The NHL and NBA regular seasons are too long and drawn out to be entertaining night in and night out. Not surprisingly, regular season interest usually follows the team that's playing better. With the Wolves a joke and the Wild merely incompetent, the pendulum swung hockey's way for most of the season, but that didn't change the fact that things get boring over an 82-game schedule.
You get some great games, but you also get quite a few flat performances delivered by teams on the second night of back-to-backs. Some nights of sharp execution, and others where the guys left their game on the bus The playoffs are what happens when good teams give max effort every game, and both sets have been exceptional. My hockey bias causes me to lean in the NHL's direction, but in looking at the potential Finals matchups for both sports, I have to admit, hoops is creeping up.
Tonight there will be a Game 7 in the NHL, for the 6th time out of this year's 14 playoff series. If Boston advances to meet Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals, it will be one of the more intriguing matchups in recent history. A Bruins franchise vying for it's first Cup in 40 years facing off against the Canucks, who've never won one, and carry the added pressure of bringing it back to Canada for the first time since 1993. There will be storylines aplenty if that happens (f**k off Tampa Bay, nobody wants you here), but as a matchup, it will still pale in comparison to the NBA's final round matchup.
In one corner you have the Mavs, and Dirk Nowitzki, who will likely spend his entire career in a Dallas uniform, for better or for worse. In the other, the Heat, and their newly hired mercenary duo of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. You may like LeBron, I do not. You can explain his actions over the past year as being driven by the desire to win, I will point out that the man could've pursued his current course of action without acting like a douchebag. Frankly I will always consider what he did to the fans of Cleveland as an affront to sports fans everywhere, and will be backing the Mavericks strongly as a result.
Throw in the bad blood simmering from the 2006 Finals, and this matchup could turn into a bona fide rivalry before it's all said and done. Despite my intense dislike for Miami, I'm happy that they're here, if only because it adds a layer of importance to the series that would otherwise be lacking. I may not be the biggest NBA fan, but I am a fan of justice, and karma, and both should have King James directly in their crosshairs.
Go Mavericks.
The NHL and NBA regular seasons are too long and drawn out to be entertaining night in and night out. Not surprisingly, regular season interest usually follows the team that's playing better. With the Wolves a joke and the Wild merely incompetent, the pendulum swung hockey's way for most of the season, but that didn't change the fact that things get boring over an 82-game schedule.
You get some great games, but you also get quite a few flat performances delivered by teams on the second night of back-to-backs. Some nights of sharp execution, and others where the guys left their game on the bus The playoffs are what happens when good teams give max effort every game, and both sets have been exceptional. My hockey bias causes me to lean in the NHL's direction, but in looking at the potential Finals matchups for both sports, I have to admit, hoops is creeping up.
Tonight there will be a Game 7 in the NHL, for the 6th time out of this year's 14 playoff series. If Boston advances to meet Vancouver in the Stanley Cup Finals, it will be one of the more intriguing matchups in recent history. A Bruins franchise vying for it's first Cup in 40 years facing off against the Canucks, who've never won one, and carry the added pressure of bringing it back to Canada for the first time since 1993. There will be storylines aplenty if that happens (f**k off Tampa Bay, nobody wants you here), but as a matchup, it will still pale in comparison to the NBA's final round matchup.
In one corner you have the Mavs, and Dirk Nowitzki, who will likely spend his entire career in a Dallas uniform, for better or for worse. In the other, the Heat, and their newly hired mercenary duo of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. You may like LeBron, I do not. You can explain his actions over the past year as being driven by the desire to win, I will point out that the man could've pursued his current course of action without acting like a douchebag. Frankly I will always consider what he did to the fans of Cleveland as an affront to sports fans everywhere, and will be backing the Mavericks strongly as a result.
Throw in the bad blood simmering from the 2006 Finals, and this matchup could turn into a bona fide rivalry before it's all said and done. Despite my intense dislike for Miami, I'm happy that they're here, if only because it adds a layer of importance to the series that would otherwise be lacking. I may not be the biggest NBA fan, but I am a fan of justice, and karma, and both should have King James directly in their crosshairs.
Go Mavericks.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Great week to be a hockey fan
I like to consider myself a pretty open-minded sports fan. Sure I have strong preferences when it comes to choosing what to watch among competing programs, but for the most part will give anything a chance (except of course any type of racing, just not going to happen). I once sat in a pub in London and watched a 6-hour cricket match, mostly because it was raining, but also because I wanted to figure out the rules. While I may not be dying to repeat that experience, there are many worse ways to spend an afternoon.
Because there's usually some entertainment value to be found in any well-played contest, and I try to go for the most meaningful game being played. We all have our personal pecking order, in mine the hometown teams get preferential treatment and football is the trump card of major sport, because it's regular season is like the playoffs of any other. But third on the list with a bullet, and moving up every day, are the NHL playoffs.
Regular season NHL games just don't register these days if the local franchise isn't having a compelling season. With an 82-game schedule going up college counterparts playing less than half that (not Marty), it's simply tough to get amped up about the majority of contests. Especially during the first three-quarters of the year, when teams seem to alternate stretches of good play with being downright disinterested. College atmospheres are standing room crowds full of diehard fans, professional games are too often populated by disengaged people who can't name you more than a couple players on the team.
At $75 a pop for any ducat in the lower level, pro hockey crowds are increasingly corporate. That's great if you're trying to pay the bills, but lousy if you're looking for great atmosphere and home-ice advantage. It's usually an inverse relationship, the closer to the ice you get, the more likely you are to hear question like "So what does that line mean?" and "What's icing?" Even here in Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "State of Hockey", you'll find at least a few fans wondering why they only play three quarters. That all changes in the playoffs, and the transformation has been especially fun this season.
I don't know where they find playoff hockey crowds, if there's some sort of screening process to ensure only the deserving attend, or what. All I know is, after watching the last week of playoff contests, few things on Earth are more compelling than a tight playoff hockey contest going down to the wire. For six days in a row now, if you cared to watch, there has been a game that's gone to OT. The sight on thousands of people standing, knowing one bounce or deflection could be the difference in victory or defeat, and acting accordingly, reaches through the TV into your living room and pulls you to the edge of your seat. I know many people prefer the NBA, and their playoffs have a measure of enjoyment too, but nothing trumps 20 minutes in which any second could be the last, there is no substitute.
And if you're team is playing? Forget about it, don't bother trying to sit and keep the defribrilator handy. That part has been missing for me this year, and it's absence is noted. But I suppose the silver lining is being spared that lump of nerves parking itself in your chest while watching your squad play sudden death. The absence of the Wild dampened my enthusiasm a bit in the beginning, but that disappointment has been blunted by one of the best opening rounds I can recall. Yesterday featured two riveting Game 6 overtime comebacks that forced Game 7s; tonight's two matchups could do the same. Regardless of which team you root for, or if you just consider yourself a casual fan, this is as compelling as sports ever get. If you aren't watching, we'll then your approach to life saddens and confuses me.
Throw in the fact that the NHL inked a new TV deal last week that will guarantee all playoff games are televised next season, and I'm on cloud nine with my second favorite professional league. Hopefully the confluence of this great playoff action and the improved ratings for it will push hockey back into the public consciousness somewhat, the sport has been wandering in the wilderness too long.
Because there's usually some entertainment value to be found in any well-played contest, and I try to go for the most meaningful game being played. We all have our personal pecking order, in mine the hometown teams get preferential treatment and football is the trump card of major sport, because it's regular season is like the playoffs of any other. But third on the list with a bullet, and moving up every day, are the NHL playoffs.
Regular season NHL games just don't register these days if the local franchise isn't having a compelling season. With an 82-game schedule going up college counterparts playing less than half that (not Marty), it's simply tough to get amped up about the majority of contests. Especially during the first three-quarters of the year, when teams seem to alternate stretches of good play with being downright disinterested. College atmospheres are standing room crowds full of diehard fans, professional games are too often populated by disengaged people who can't name you more than a couple players on the team.
At $75 a pop for any ducat in the lower level, pro hockey crowds are increasingly corporate. That's great if you're trying to pay the bills, but lousy if you're looking for great atmosphere and home-ice advantage. It's usually an inverse relationship, the closer to the ice you get, the more likely you are to hear question like "So what does that line mean?" and "What's icing?" Even here in Minnesota, the self-proclaimed "State of Hockey", you'll find at least a few fans wondering why they only play three quarters. That all changes in the playoffs, and the transformation has been especially fun this season.
I don't know where they find playoff hockey crowds, if there's some sort of screening process to ensure only the deserving attend, or what. All I know is, after watching the last week of playoff contests, few things on Earth are more compelling than a tight playoff hockey contest going down to the wire. For six days in a row now, if you cared to watch, there has been a game that's gone to OT. The sight on thousands of people standing, knowing one bounce or deflection could be the difference in victory or defeat, and acting accordingly, reaches through the TV into your living room and pulls you to the edge of your seat. I know many people prefer the NBA, and their playoffs have a measure of enjoyment too, but nothing trumps 20 minutes in which any second could be the last, there is no substitute.
And if you're team is playing? Forget about it, don't bother trying to sit and keep the defribrilator handy. That part has been missing for me this year, and it's absence is noted. But I suppose the silver lining is being spared that lump of nerves parking itself in your chest while watching your squad play sudden death. The absence of the Wild dampened my enthusiasm a bit in the beginning, but that disappointment has been blunted by one of the best opening rounds I can recall. Yesterday featured two riveting Game 6 overtime comebacks that forced Game 7s; tonight's two matchups could do the same. Regardless of which team you root for, or if you just consider yourself a casual fan, this is as compelling as sports ever get. If you aren't watching, we'll then your approach to life saddens and confuses me.
Throw in the fact that the NHL inked a new TV deal last week that will guarantee all playoff games are televised next season, and I'm on cloud nine with my second favorite professional league. Hopefully the confluence of this great playoff action and the improved ratings for it will push hockey back into the public consciousness somewhat, the sport has been wandering in the wilderness too long.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Revenge is a dish best served on ice
I will always love the NHL playoffs, but this season has been a bit melancholy, given that my mind often drifts to how much more meaningful things are when my favorite team is participating in the tourney. I mean Phoenix got swept out of the first round by Detroit yesterday, and might not have a team come this time next year but even in the dire straits their currently occupying, they found a way to make it. No money to spend, no fans, team in flux, they make the playoffs. Minnesota sells out games, spends to the cap, and can't even get the courtesy of a beating by a superior opponent. Such is life.
But there was a brief respite from all the drudgery last night when I encountered a couple of fellows from Long Island at my favorite watering hole, Joe Senser's. These guys were passionate fans of the New York Rangers, out looking for a spot to watch that night's game. Fortunately for them, they found the best spot in town. I showed them how to use the portable speakers so they could hear the audio of their game, they bought me a beer for my troubles. It was good to once again be around impassioned NHL fans rooting on their favorite team. We bonded, and I rooted for their Rangers to even the series in full throat.
Unfortunately things ended in rough fashion for my new pals, as they watched their team cough up a 3-0 lead in the third period, and eventually the game winner in the second OT. This particular dagger was the result of one of the most boneheaded plays I've ever seen in playoff hockey. Watch the last goal in this video, our old pal, Marian Gaborik, pulls one for the ages in handing the game to the Capitals. On a night where he finally broke a postseason goal drought that had reached double digits, my least favorite NHL player ensured not one Rangers fan would be discussing that this morning.
Now you can say "heat of the moment" to explain this one away, but it's another chapter in the story of a man who's playoff resume is shorter than my personal guide to vegan cuisine. I can't think of a single situation where it seems wise to smack the puck away from your goalie when he's falling to cover it. Maybe if the opposition is right on top of him, even then it seems risky to keep the puck in play. Sure it was a crappy bounce, but once again, Gaborik displayed the lack of situational awareness that give one the impression he will never succeed in the postseason. Skill is the price of admission, but winning in the NHL postseason hinges on grit. Mary Ann is to grit what guys built like me are to the Boston Marathon: Search all you want, there's just none to be found.
Marian Gaborik screwed the Minnesota Wild around pretty good during his 8 years in Minnesota. He used his contract status to influence personnel moves, nursed chronic injuries that often seemed to be of questionable severity, disappeared in the postseason, and just generally came off like a little bitch. The man was the highest paid player on the team, but did not lead by voice or example. Declining to talk to the media after last night's calamity is the latest example of a player who seems to think his obligations end at popping in a goal or two.
Now I don't know the man, he might be a great guy, maybe even a great teammate, who knows? It's not in everyone's personality to be a rah-rah leader, firing his teammates up. But when you are the highest paid player on a team, and one of the most well-compensated in the entire league, you are obligated to bring more to the table than some pretty offensive moments. Sports is a business, and if you're going to claim Gaborik screwed the Wild by leaving, then you have to acknowledge how badly team management dropped the ball by not seeing the writing on the wall more clearly. But that doesn't mean he gets one ounce of quarter from this Wild fan, who continues to view his departure as an Eff you to a city and fanbase.
They're killing him in New York today. Good. Eff him. While I'm sorry my new pals had to endure a heartbreaker last night, I couldn't be happier to see who ended up as the goat. Maybe next time they'll stop and think about handing all that money to tin men like Mary Ann Groinorik, because if you're counting on him to lead you, the only place you're going is the golf course. Probably not, but just maybe. Here's hoping for one more Rangers win, so the Garden faithful can get the chance to let Gabby hear what they think of him.
But there was a brief respite from all the drudgery last night when I encountered a couple of fellows from Long Island at my favorite watering hole, Joe Senser's. These guys were passionate fans of the New York Rangers, out looking for a spot to watch that night's game. Fortunately for them, they found the best spot in town. I showed them how to use the portable speakers so they could hear the audio of their game, they bought me a beer for my troubles. It was good to once again be around impassioned NHL fans rooting on their favorite team. We bonded, and I rooted for their Rangers to even the series in full throat.
Unfortunately things ended in rough fashion for my new pals, as they watched their team cough up a 3-0 lead in the third period, and eventually the game winner in the second OT. This particular dagger was the result of one of the most boneheaded plays I've ever seen in playoff hockey. Watch the last goal in this video, our old pal, Marian Gaborik, pulls one for the ages in handing the game to the Capitals. On a night where he finally broke a postseason goal drought that had reached double digits, my least favorite NHL player ensured not one Rangers fan would be discussing that this morning.
Now you can say "heat of the moment" to explain this one away, but it's another chapter in the story of a man who's playoff resume is shorter than my personal guide to vegan cuisine. I can't think of a single situation where it seems wise to smack the puck away from your goalie when he's falling to cover it. Maybe if the opposition is right on top of him, even then it seems risky to keep the puck in play. Sure it was a crappy bounce, but once again, Gaborik displayed the lack of situational awareness that give one the impression he will never succeed in the postseason. Skill is the price of admission, but winning in the NHL postseason hinges on grit. Mary Ann is to grit what guys built like me are to the Boston Marathon: Search all you want, there's just none to be found.
Marian Gaborik screwed the Minnesota Wild around pretty good during his 8 years in Minnesota. He used his contract status to influence personnel moves, nursed chronic injuries that often seemed to be of questionable severity, disappeared in the postseason, and just generally came off like a little bitch. The man was the highest paid player on the team, but did not lead by voice or example. Declining to talk to the media after last night's calamity is the latest example of a player who seems to think his obligations end at popping in a goal or two.
Now I don't know the man, he might be a great guy, maybe even a great teammate, who knows? It's not in everyone's personality to be a rah-rah leader, firing his teammates up. But when you are the highest paid player on a team, and one of the most well-compensated in the entire league, you are obligated to bring more to the table than some pretty offensive moments. Sports is a business, and if you're going to claim Gaborik screwed the Wild by leaving, then you have to acknowledge how badly team management dropped the ball by not seeing the writing on the wall more clearly. But that doesn't mean he gets one ounce of quarter from this Wild fan, who continues to view his departure as an Eff you to a city and fanbase.
They're killing him in New York today. Good. Eff him. While I'm sorry my new pals had to endure a heartbreaker last night, I couldn't be happier to see who ended up as the goat. Maybe next time they'll stop and think about handing all that money to tin men like Mary Ann Groinorik, because if you're counting on him to lead you, the only place you're going is the golf course. Probably not, but just maybe. Here's hoping for one more Rangers win, so the Garden faithful can get the chance to let Gabby hear what they think of him.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Swept away
Is it just me, or are the NHL and NBA playoffs kind of boring this year?
The conference finals in the two sports are playing out pretty much the same as the previous rounds have, with a decided lack of drama. The Chicago Blackhawks swept their way into the Stanley Cup finals on Sunday, a day later the Philadelphia Flyers ousted the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Basketball has gotten a bit better with Phoenix winning last night to pull even with the Lakers, but even though the series is tied, there have been no individual games that were very compelling. Boston took a 3-0 lead over Orlando and will likely finish them off in Game 5 this evening, where exactly is the playoff drama this season?
Now it has to be said that you can't force drama (well, that might depend on your view of NBA officiating conspiracies) and there have been some notable good games in these playoffs (see Canadiens, Montreal), but all in all, it's been kind of a snoozer. Where are my multiple-OT thrillers? Where are my last-second game-winning shots? Perhaps this is all just a hangover from last year's Celtics-Bulls "best playoff series ever" coup de grace, but for the most part, when I've sat down to watch a big game, it hasn't ended up being big. Yahoo's Puck Daddy blog posed an interesting query on this topic, wondering if first-round NHL upsets might've ruined later rounds by taking out the best teams early.(http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/What-We-Learned-Did-the-1st-round-spoil-Stanley?urn=nhl,243153) It's a good question, given that big upsets are always very fun, but the underdog runs often tend to be over quickly, and in grisly fashion.
Then again, maybe I'm just being greedy about things, expecting compelling storylines and non-stop drama may just be too much to ask. On a personal level there is still one great storyline in each sport keeping me tuned in; the Blackhawks first Cup finals in nearly 20 years while being led by my favorite college hockey player of all-time (Jonathan Toews) in the NHL being one, and the potential renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in sport (Lakers vs. Celtics) in the NBA being the other. If you'd asked me what I wanted to see when the playoffs started, these Finals matchups wouldn't have been too far off, so should I really ask for much more?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes, because more is what we've been spoiled with in the past, don't blame me because the bar has been set high. Great teams AND great games are a staple of the playoffs, with this year conspicuously devoid of the latter. Maybe it is greedy, but since I don't get the enjoyment of watching either of my teams play even a single game, I feel I'm entitled. Now let's hope the Finals in both sports make up for the couple of ho-hum weeks leading up to the.
The conference finals in the two sports are playing out pretty much the same as the previous rounds have, with a decided lack of drama. The Chicago Blackhawks swept their way into the Stanley Cup finals on Sunday, a day later the Philadelphia Flyers ousted the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Basketball has gotten a bit better with Phoenix winning last night to pull even with the Lakers, but even though the series is tied, there have been no individual games that were very compelling. Boston took a 3-0 lead over Orlando and will likely finish them off in Game 5 this evening, where exactly is the playoff drama this season?
Now it has to be said that you can't force drama (well, that might depend on your view of NBA officiating conspiracies) and there have been some notable good games in these playoffs (see Canadiens, Montreal), but all in all, it's been kind of a snoozer. Where are my multiple-OT thrillers? Where are my last-second game-winning shots? Perhaps this is all just a hangover from last year's Celtics-Bulls "best playoff series ever" coup de grace, but for the most part, when I've sat down to watch a big game, it hasn't ended up being big. Yahoo's Puck Daddy blog posed an interesting query on this topic, wondering if first-round NHL upsets might've ruined later rounds by taking out the best teams early.(http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/What-We-Learned-Did-the-1st-round-spoil-Stanley?urn=nhl,243153) It's a good question, given that big upsets are always very fun, but the underdog runs often tend to be over quickly, and in grisly fashion.
Then again, maybe I'm just being greedy about things, expecting compelling storylines and non-stop drama may just be too much to ask. On a personal level there is still one great storyline in each sport keeping me tuned in; the Blackhawks first Cup finals in nearly 20 years while being led by my favorite college hockey player of all-time (Jonathan Toews) in the NHL being one, and the potential renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in sport (Lakers vs. Celtics) in the NBA being the other. If you'd asked me what I wanted to see when the playoffs started, these Finals matchups wouldn't have been too far off, so should I really ask for much more?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes, because more is what we've been spoiled with in the past, don't blame me because the bar has been set high. Great teams AND great games are a staple of the playoffs, with this year conspicuously devoid of the latter. Maybe it is greedy, but since I don't get the enjoyment of watching either of my teams play even a single game, I feel I'm entitled. Now let's hope the Finals in both sports make up for the couple of ho-hum weeks leading up to the.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
On the outside looking in
The first of May is typically when it hits me every year that the baseball season is going to have many ups and downs that can kill a guy if he overreacts to every one. Is that going to keep me from flying off the handle on an almost daily basis when things go wrong? Probably not, but I can at least take a break from chronicling every step of the journey here to chew over some other issues.
With that in mind, I've spent a lot of time this week watching something we're not very familiar with here in Loserville: Spring playoffs. The NBA and NHL are both leagues with ridiculously drawn-out seasons that grow tedious toward the end, fortunately they more than make up for it by delivering stellar (albeit also ridiculously drawn-out) playoff action that answers the question "What would it be like if these guys tried hard all the time?" The only thing better than catching a great playoff series this time of year is catching a great playoff series involving one of your teams, and that's where the trouble starts, at least around these parts. Sure our teams show up once in awhile, a few years ago it was actually pretty frequent, but even when it happens, the trips are short lived. My question is, which one of our winter teams will make the return first, and when, for the love of God, is that going to be?
The Timberwolves have made 8 playoff appearances in their 21 years of existence, advancing past the first round only once and compiling an overall record of 17-30. The Wild have batted at a slightly higher clip, managing a postseason appearance in 3 out of their 9 seasons and also one trip out of the first round on their way to a 11-18 overall record. The bad news? That was the good news, it all goes downhill from here.
Compounding this historic futility at the moment is the fact that both teams are coming off seasons of historic ineptitude. The Wolves limped home with a 15-67 record, tying the mark they had in the 1991-92 season (their third in existence), while the Wild finished with 84 points, their lowest total since the rule change that began awarding points for shootouts five years ago. I suppose this means there's nowhere to go but up, unfortunately it also means there's a long climb ahead for both squads.
Consensus opinon seems to be that the Wild are in a much better situation than the Wolves, given both their current level of talent and the league they play in. This is not to say that either is a threat to reach "contender" status any time soon, in fact it would seem ludicrous to aim that high at the moment. This is Remedial Sports 101, if they knew anything they wouldn't be in attendance, we're simply shooting for one notch above abject failure here. First round exits don't sound like much, but when you're face-down in shit, having it washed off with urine doesn't seem so bad...or something like that. Anyway, back to the Wild before I get too far off track.
As stated previously, the NHL is a league where teams can (and do) rise and fall with great speed. Minnesota finished 11 points out of a playoff spot this season, and could've been right in the mix had the team not stumbled out of the gate with a 2-9 record that put them behind the 8-ball for the rest of the year. Only problem is that there were 4 other teams falling within that 11-point gap, meaning the team not only needs to beat more teams, they need to beat the right teams and hope those teams don't start beating better ones.
An overarching theme with both of the puck and hoops squads is that they play in the wrong conference and division if you're a mediocre team, and that's not going to change in the immediate future. The Wild faces a slew of opponents that are either on the rise or well established, most have more depth in their development pipelines, as well as higher ceilings for their current teams. So how, you might ask, is this the better of the two situations? Short answer: Because the NHL is wacky.
This season the NHL saw 4 playoff teams from the Western Conference who weren't participants in last year's tourney, including the bottom 3 in the conference standings. Goaltenders get hot, lines begin to click, good scheduling, good energy, staying healthy, any number of things can be enough to tilt the scale. While the Wild may lack big time impact players who are ready to make the leap, they do have a solid (if unspectacular) squad that will not have the burden of adjusting to a new coach and system, as they did last year. Unfortunately they have a huge amount of their payroll tied up in an 18-goal scorer, a goaltender who got increasingly shaky as the year wore on and a bunch of good-not-great defensemen. On top of this is the fact that little help is available in the minors, with the small amount that is there being redundant to the spots that are already well-manned in the pros. All of this adds up to the fact that, barring some moves to shed salary, the guys we've got are the guys we're going to have for quite some time.
In my opinion, it may be a bit much to expect a playoff appearance in the coming season, but seeing the team grab a 7 or 8 seed would certainly not be surprising. Maybe Latandresse isn't a flash in the pan (likely), Backstrom stands on his head (possible), Havlat finds his scoring touch (plausible)and the defensive corps finds a way to contribute more offense (cough, Schultz, cough), but betting on ALL that stuff to happen? Those are some long odds. Official prediction is a return to relevance during 2010-11 and a fight down to the wire, falling just short of a playoff spot. At least we'll have some intrigue, and a return to the best tourney in sports should be on the horizon for two seasons from now...then we can lament how long it will take to actually contend for a championship.
The Wolves are in a wholly different situation on a lot of levels, I'd rank their problems as follows:
1) It's a players league, and we have no players - In the NBA, systems can't save you, talent can't be masked and your team is as good as your 2-3 star players make it. By my count, we have exactly zero guys who could be one of the top 2 guys on a playoff team, and one (Jefferson) who could be a capable 3rd, as long as you have the personnel to hide him defensively. At the risk of beating a dead horse, the failure of the 2009 Draft grows by the day, and unless Ricky Rubio shows up with all the game he was credited with having in the Olympics, that's not going to change any time soon.
2) Nobody wants to play here - I love my hometown teams first and foremost, and a big part of why I have trouble getting into the NBA is because the Wolves can't seem to convincing players to play here. Whether it's the cold, the nightlife, or just the fact the team is crap, no help is coming from free agency and even draft picks need to be regarded with skepticism. The aforementioned Rubio situation is the latest example, as I believe he would be an NBAer currently had he went to New York or Miami, but there are others as well.
OJ Mayo should be knocking down threes and playing lockdown D (think we could use some of that?), which would solve our perimeter problems and the Love/Jefferson redundancy. Heck, Stephon Marbury might've had a productive career alongside KG if we'd been a more cosmoplitan destination...on second thought, scratch that, I don't want to speculate on the motives of the insane. But however you spin it, it's obvious this franchise is operating with a degree of difficulty, which is understandable for free agents, but really a drag when you consider having to pass on the most talented players in the draft because they don't like your city. The GM made a serious blunder by thinking he could overcome this with the Rubio pick, he should've taken a cue from other NBA wastelands like Memphis, Oklahoma City and Sacramento, who passed on a guy they knew wouldn't suit up for them, maybe the first clue was when he wouldn;t come here for a workout? Oops.
3) Lousy draft/Lotto hex - First off, I don't want to get into a lot of jinx talk, as that is the Vikings exclusive domain, but just once can we get some luck in the damn lottery? By all accounts there are two players in this year's draft, John Wall and Evan Turner; the Wolves can select no lower than 5th and statistically are most likely to select 4th. You know where we're picking? 3rd, bank on it. Not only will this allow us to miss out on the two "can't miss" guys, but it will put our GM, Mr. Kahn, staring smack dab into the unplesant possibility of DeMarcus Cousins, who is not only a bit crazy and a terrible fit for a team with two undersized power forward/center types, he also seems like he would take a season or two on Team Rubio before he ever showed up here. We're not tops on his list, just a hunch, and this draft isn't deep either, so the 4 picks = 4 starters scenario some people seem to have in their minds is a pipe dream.
It's very depressing when you lay it all out, all things considered, I don't see the Timberwolves knocking on the playoff door for at least a couple of seasons and it's probably a couple more before they actually kick it in. As with the Wild, a lot can change, but for that to happen, this franchise would need something that has been in short supply throughout it's history: Good luck.
All in all, we'll probably be right back here next spring having this same conversation, which would truly be a shame. Playoffs are fun in general, but become exponentially more so when you add in a rooting interest, and it does not look like that is on the horizon. For the moment I will pick surrogate teams to live through vicariously, celebrating when they win, bumming when they lose, but not truly internalizing as I would if it were "my" team. A lot of teams make the postseason in both leagues, so playoff droughts should theoretically be short lived. Unfortunately when a franchise is run as far into the ground as these two have been, just getting back to the surface is quite a climb, nevermind soaring to new heights.
What time does the Twins game start again?
With that in mind, I've spent a lot of time this week watching something we're not very familiar with here in Loserville: Spring playoffs. The NBA and NHL are both leagues with ridiculously drawn-out seasons that grow tedious toward the end, fortunately they more than make up for it by delivering stellar (albeit also ridiculously drawn-out) playoff action that answers the question "What would it be like if these guys tried hard all the time?" The only thing better than catching a great playoff series this time of year is catching a great playoff series involving one of your teams, and that's where the trouble starts, at least around these parts. Sure our teams show up once in awhile, a few years ago it was actually pretty frequent, but even when it happens, the trips are short lived. My question is, which one of our winter teams will make the return first, and when, for the love of God, is that going to be?
The Timberwolves have made 8 playoff appearances in their 21 years of existence, advancing past the first round only once and compiling an overall record of 17-30. The Wild have batted at a slightly higher clip, managing a postseason appearance in 3 out of their 9 seasons and also one trip out of the first round on their way to a 11-18 overall record. The bad news? That was the good news, it all goes downhill from here.
Compounding this historic futility at the moment is the fact that both teams are coming off seasons of historic ineptitude. The Wolves limped home with a 15-67 record, tying the mark they had in the 1991-92 season (their third in existence), while the Wild finished with 84 points, their lowest total since the rule change that began awarding points for shootouts five years ago. I suppose this means there's nowhere to go but up, unfortunately it also means there's a long climb ahead for both squads.
Consensus opinon seems to be that the Wild are in a much better situation than the Wolves, given both their current level of talent and the league they play in. This is not to say that either is a threat to reach "contender" status any time soon, in fact it would seem ludicrous to aim that high at the moment. This is Remedial Sports 101, if they knew anything they wouldn't be in attendance, we're simply shooting for one notch above abject failure here. First round exits don't sound like much, but when you're face-down in shit, having it washed off with urine doesn't seem so bad...or something like that. Anyway, back to the Wild before I get too far off track.
As stated previously, the NHL is a league where teams can (and do) rise and fall with great speed. Minnesota finished 11 points out of a playoff spot this season, and could've been right in the mix had the team not stumbled out of the gate with a 2-9 record that put them behind the 8-ball for the rest of the year. Only problem is that there were 4 other teams falling within that 11-point gap, meaning the team not only needs to beat more teams, they need to beat the right teams and hope those teams don't start beating better ones.
An overarching theme with both of the puck and hoops squads is that they play in the wrong conference and division if you're a mediocre team, and that's not going to change in the immediate future. The Wild faces a slew of opponents that are either on the rise or well established, most have more depth in their development pipelines, as well as higher ceilings for their current teams. So how, you might ask, is this the better of the two situations? Short answer: Because the NHL is wacky.
This season the NHL saw 4 playoff teams from the Western Conference who weren't participants in last year's tourney, including the bottom 3 in the conference standings. Goaltenders get hot, lines begin to click, good scheduling, good energy, staying healthy, any number of things can be enough to tilt the scale. While the Wild may lack big time impact players who are ready to make the leap, they do have a solid (if unspectacular) squad that will not have the burden of adjusting to a new coach and system, as they did last year. Unfortunately they have a huge amount of their payroll tied up in an 18-goal scorer, a goaltender who got increasingly shaky as the year wore on and a bunch of good-not-great defensemen. On top of this is the fact that little help is available in the minors, with the small amount that is there being redundant to the spots that are already well-manned in the pros. All of this adds up to the fact that, barring some moves to shed salary, the guys we've got are the guys we're going to have for quite some time.
In my opinion, it may be a bit much to expect a playoff appearance in the coming season, but seeing the team grab a 7 or 8 seed would certainly not be surprising. Maybe Latandresse isn't a flash in the pan (likely), Backstrom stands on his head (possible), Havlat finds his scoring touch (plausible)and the defensive corps finds a way to contribute more offense (cough, Schultz, cough), but betting on ALL that stuff to happen? Those are some long odds. Official prediction is a return to relevance during 2010-11 and a fight down to the wire, falling just short of a playoff spot. At least we'll have some intrigue, and a return to the best tourney in sports should be on the horizon for two seasons from now...then we can lament how long it will take to actually contend for a championship.
The Wolves are in a wholly different situation on a lot of levels, I'd rank their problems as follows:
1) It's a players league, and we have no players - In the NBA, systems can't save you, talent can't be masked and your team is as good as your 2-3 star players make it. By my count, we have exactly zero guys who could be one of the top 2 guys on a playoff team, and one (Jefferson) who could be a capable 3rd, as long as you have the personnel to hide him defensively. At the risk of beating a dead horse, the failure of the 2009 Draft grows by the day, and unless Ricky Rubio shows up with all the game he was credited with having in the Olympics, that's not going to change any time soon.
2) Nobody wants to play here - I love my hometown teams first and foremost, and a big part of why I have trouble getting into the NBA is because the Wolves can't seem to convincing players to play here. Whether it's the cold, the nightlife, or just the fact the team is crap, no help is coming from free agency and even draft picks need to be regarded with skepticism. The aforementioned Rubio situation is the latest example, as I believe he would be an NBAer currently had he went to New York or Miami, but there are others as well.
OJ Mayo should be knocking down threes and playing lockdown D (think we could use some of that?), which would solve our perimeter problems and the Love/Jefferson redundancy. Heck, Stephon Marbury might've had a productive career alongside KG if we'd been a more cosmoplitan destination...on second thought, scratch that, I don't want to speculate on the motives of the insane. But however you spin it, it's obvious this franchise is operating with a degree of difficulty, which is understandable for free agents, but really a drag when you consider having to pass on the most talented players in the draft because they don't like your city. The GM made a serious blunder by thinking he could overcome this with the Rubio pick, he should've taken a cue from other NBA wastelands like Memphis, Oklahoma City and Sacramento, who passed on a guy they knew wouldn't suit up for them, maybe the first clue was when he wouldn;t come here for a workout? Oops.
3) Lousy draft/Lotto hex - First off, I don't want to get into a lot of jinx talk, as that is the Vikings exclusive domain, but just once can we get some luck in the damn lottery? By all accounts there are two players in this year's draft, John Wall and Evan Turner; the Wolves can select no lower than 5th and statistically are most likely to select 4th. You know where we're picking? 3rd, bank on it. Not only will this allow us to miss out on the two "can't miss" guys, but it will put our GM, Mr. Kahn, staring smack dab into the unplesant possibility of DeMarcus Cousins, who is not only a bit crazy and a terrible fit for a team with two undersized power forward/center types, he also seems like he would take a season or two on Team Rubio before he ever showed up here. We're not tops on his list, just a hunch, and this draft isn't deep either, so the 4 picks = 4 starters scenario some people seem to have in their minds is a pipe dream.
It's very depressing when you lay it all out, all things considered, I don't see the Timberwolves knocking on the playoff door for at least a couple of seasons and it's probably a couple more before they actually kick it in. As with the Wild, a lot can change, but for that to happen, this franchise would need something that has been in short supply throughout it's history: Good luck.
All in all, we'll probably be right back here next spring having this same conversation, which would truly be a shame. Playoffs are fun in general, but become exponentially more so when you add in a rooting interest, and it does not look like that is on the horizon. For the moment I will pick surrogate teams to live through vicariously, celebrating when they win, bumming when they lose, but not truly internalizing as I would if it were "my" team. A lot of teams make the postseason in both leagues, so playoff droughts should theoretically be short lived. Unfortunately when a franchise is run as far into the ground as these two have been, just getting back to the surface is quite a climb, nevermind soaring to new heights.
What time does the Twins game start again?
Monday, April 26, 2010
Spring, the season of new (and misplaced) hope
So I suck at this blogging thing, but may have found the answer. Over the weekend, I had a small electrode implanted at the base of my skull, any more that 3 days without posting will set of a series of small electric shocks at 30 minute intervals until something is posted. This will either lead to regular postings, or chronic incontinence, we shall see.
So much time off leaves too much to cover, so here's a little rapid-fire Love/Hate to bring us back up to speed:
LOVE - Target Field, just the greatest thing to happen to this town in some time, I finally have a reason to look forward to summer, instead of just considering it the boring 3 months before fall returns.
HATE - The NFL draft on Thursday nights, way to wreck what was a great tradtion, waking up a spending a whole day with friends, celebrating the ultimate day of football hope. I know more people watch TV on Thursdays, but does the NFL really think it's going to steal part of the Grey's Anatomy audience by moving the draft? More likely a bunch of guys that would be watching on a Saturday morning are instead being subjected to the Dancing With the Stars semifinals. Plus they cruised through the picks so quickly, those of us who were watching didn't get to savor it much. Trust me on this, if someone is not a draft fan, they're not going to become one simply because you move it to prime time. It is a small (well maybe not so much anymore) but dedicated group of individuals watching, nobody who couldn't make time for it on Saturday is suddenly glued to the TV on Thursday. I fail to see how this benefits anyone, but as many leagues have proven, it doesn't have to be a good idea to get adopted.
HATE - Viking draft picks; nice job moving up to grab the white running back, no way that backfires. On a related note, we really need to agree on a universal font for sarcasm. As Loserville reader Joe Kelm points out, Adrian and Toby sounds like a gay couple that should be hosting a show on the Food Network, we'll see how this pans out.
LOVE - NHL playoffs, and pity the poor fools who don't watch the greatest tournament in all of sports. Both the NHL and NBA improve greatly this time of year, as players give us a glimpse of what the game looks like when played with full out effort and intensity. Unfortunately, that usually translates to teams trading 15-point blowouts in the NBA, where most NHL games are nailbiters. Advantage: Hockey.
LOVE/HATE - Twins fast start/Twins starting pitching. 19 games in seems like an appropriate time to offer the first official impressions, to quote Brett Favre: "We should be pretty good". Unfortunately, I see good and not great things on the horizon for this team, as I still have significant doubts about the ability of their starters to pitch well consistently. Every guy has dazzled at times, but each one has also laid a turd or two, and a good lineup might hack the whole staff to pieces over a 5 or 7-game series. Liriano is the guy who can change all that, but if pinning your hopes to that guy isn't a prospect that makes you nervous, you haven't been paying attention.
UBER HATE - Fighting Sioux nickname resolution. Can it get any worse than being railroaded by the PC Thought Police over the objections of the people they're claiming to defend? I will grant that the University of North Dakota has been fighting (no pun intended) this battle too long and it needs to end, but it should end with a binding vote of the people impacted, not the foot-dragging inaction of a bunch of bureaucrats.
I'm not going to tell you the Sioux tribes should feel honored or offended, in fact I'm not going to tell anyone anything, I'm simply asking for the open and honest accounting that was allegedly the goal of this process. This ridiculous witchhunt by the NCAA started 5 years ago, and rather than chronicle all of the double standards and missteps in the process, I will simply say that I think they got one things right: Asking the opinion of the tribes impacted and abiding by the result.
Unfortunately the Fighting Sioux nickname will not be afforded the same luxury that the Florida State Seminoles, Central Michigan Chippewas and University of Illinois Fighting Illini were given. Instead, with the nickname receiving overwhelming support in the only binding vote to date, the question of a second and final vote will be allowed to wither on the vine. I accepted some time ago that the name and logo would be gone, all I have ever wanted was honesty from those seeking to remove it. Just admit that you are PC do-gooders who care far more about assuaging your own guilt than the feelings of the people represented by the names.
For an organization that purports to represent the values of integrity and fairplay, the NCAA has shown neither in this case. They have constantly tweaked the rules to create double standards, most likely motivated by a desire to make a fake moral stand on an issue that does not jeopardize their pocketbook. Now that their conditions were seemingly about to be met, the powers that be have conspired to pull the rug and leave the whole thing in perpetual limbo, as that is the only way they can avoid looking like the frauds they are. Sure, it's only a nickname, we can get past it, but I don't like the implication that the will of the people should dictate, until it runs afoul of the will of the government.
So much time off leaves too much to cover, so here's a little rapid-fire Love/Hate to bring us back up to speed:
LOVE - Target Field, just the greatest thing to happen to this town in some time, I finally have a reason to look forward to summer, instead of just considering it the boring 3 months before fall returns.
HATE - The NFL draft on Thursday nights, way to wreck what was a great tradtion, waking up a spending a whole day with friends, celebrating the ultimate day of football hope. I know more people watch TV on Thursdays, but does the NFL really think it's going to steal part of the Grey's Anatomy audience by moving the draft? More likely a bunch of guys that would be watching on a Saturday morning are instead being subjected to the Dancing With the Stars semifinals. Plus they cruised through the picks so quickly, those of us who were watching didn't get to savor it much. Trust me on this, if someone is not a draft fan, they're not going to become one simply because you move it to prime time. It is a small (well maybe not so much anymore) but dedicated group of individuals watching, nobody who couldn't make time for it on Saturday is suddenly glued to the TV on Thursday. I fail to see how this benefits anyone, but as many leagues have proven, it doesn't have to be a good idea to get adopted.
HATE - Viking draft picks; nice job moving up to grab the white running back, no way that backfires. On a related note, we really need to agree on a universal font for sarcasm. As Loserville reader Joe Kelm points out, Adrian and Toby sounds like a gay couple that should be hosting a show on the Food Network, we'll see how this pans out.
LOVE - NHL playoffs, and pity the poor fools who don't watch the greatest tournament in all of sports. Both the NHL and NBA improve greatly this time of year, as players give us a glimpse of what the game looks like when played with full out effort and intensity. Unfortunately, that usually translates to teams trading 15-point blowouts in the NBA, where most NHL games are nailbiters. Advantage: Hockey.
LOVE/HATE - Twins fast start/Twins starting pitching. 19 games in seems like an appropriate time to offer the first official impressions, to quote Brett Favre: "We should be pretty good". Unfortunately, I see good and not great things on the horizon for this team, as I still have significant doubts about the ability of their starters to pitch well consistently. Every guy has dazzled at times, but each one has also laid a turd or two, and a good lineup might hack the whole staff to pieces over a 5 or 7-game series. Liriano is the guy who can change all that, but if pinning your hopes to that guy isn't a prospect that makes you nervous, you haven't been paying attention.
UBER HATE - Fighting Sioux nickname resolution. Can it get any worse than being railroaded by the PC Thought Police over the objections of the people they're claiming to defend? I will grant that the University of North Dakota has been fighting (no pun intended) this battle too long and it needs to end, but it should end with a binding vote of the people impacted, not the foot-dragging inaction of a bunch of bureaucrats.
I'm not going to tell you the Sioux tribes should feel honored or offended, in fact I'm not going to tell anyone anything, I'm simply asking for the open and honest accounting that was allegedly the goal of this process. This ridiculous witchhunt by the NCAA started 5 years ago, and rather than chronicle all of the double standards and missteps in the process, I will simply say that I think they got one things right: Asking the opinion of the tribes impacted and abiding by the result.
Unfortunately the Fighting Sioux nickname will not be afforded the same luxury that the Florida State Seminoles, Central Michigan Chippewas and University of Illinois Fighting Illini were given. Instead, with the nickname receiving overwhelming support in the only binding vote to date, the question of a second and final vote will be allowed to wither on the vine. I accepted some time ago that the name and logo would be gone, all I have ever wanted was honesty from those seeking to remove it. Just admit that you are PC do-gooders who care far more about assuaging your own guilt than the feelings of the people represented by the names.
For an organization that purports to represent the values of integrity and fairplay, the NCAA has shown neither in this case. They have constantly tweaked the rules to create double standards, most likely motivated by a desire to make a fake moral stand on an issue that does not jeopardize their pocketbook. Now that their conditions were seemingly about to be met, the powers that be have conspired to pull the rug and leave the whole thing in perpetual limbo, as that is the only way they can avoid looking like the frauds they are. Sure, it's only a nickname, we can get past it, but I don't like the implication that the will of the people should dictate, until it runs afoul of the will of the government.
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