While ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli might not think Ray Lewis is an All-Pro, the Associated Press thinks he's got something going on, as they named the Ravens linebacker their Defensive Player of the Year.
Archive for 2003
December 31st, 2003
What’s In A Name
With Steve Spurrier running out of town at high speed, Washington Post columnist Courtland Milloy thinks the team might be cursed, or at least ought to be. He thinks the team needs to change its name to set things right. Casey Lartigue, Jr. begs to differ.
December 31st, 2003
BEAURACRATIC BREAKDOWN
Now what?
The Boy Dollar wasn’t expecting this when he hired Steve Spurrier to coach the Washington Redskins. And what a sloppy two years it was. At least it ended quickly, not to mention comically and ultimately, appropriately. This is a man who was out to lunch, rather on the golf course, when word of his resignation surfaced only to be denied by Spurrier simply because he wasn’t aware the team has already issued a statement to that affect. That about sums up his administration, and I use that word loosely, in Washington.
Steve Spurrier ran the most systematically discombobulated NFL football team, possibly ever. Lou Holtz’s wretched one-year stint as coach of the NY Jets is still the low water mark for NFL coaching ineptitude, but only because he wrote a fight song and insisted the team learn and sing it. Spurrier can’t be blamed for the dysfunctional 3-headed decision making monster that plagued the organization, with the owner breaking ties between the coach and Personnel Director and Bug Eyed Yes Man, Vinny Cerrato that resulted in a completely wasted pick of WR Taylor Jacobs when the team’s most glaring and obvious need was for a pass rusher.
But he is at the forefront of the blame for the most penalties in team history committed under his watch, the rampant repeating of mistakes in almost instant replay fashion, the egregious number of personal fouls throughout the season and a team that capitulated 4th quarter leads like an Italian army in retreat.
Some players barely had their pads off before they were talking about the team’s poor practice habits leading to their dismal play on Sundays. Certainly that is the worst possible indictment of the coaching staff, but this is from the same team that apparently had no respect whatsoever for authority and had players constantly late for meetings, cell phones-a-blazin’ and players suspended before the final game because they were late to practice?
Isn’t that what player only meetings are for? “We need to wake up! We’re practicing like a bunch of punks. If we don’t get ourselves together we could end up 5-11!” Or how about this approach to self governing, “The next cell phone that goes off in a meeting will be set to vibrate and then shoved up the owner’s ass—only to be called repeatedly until the message is received. Can you hear me now, jerkoff?”
Instead, it’s the first thing they mention as the curtain falls.
The current locker room is a joke. I’m not opposed to a flushing of 2/3 of the roster by whoever is the next coach. The players bemoan after every loss about “how much talent this team has” and how “it always seems like it comes down to one play at the end…”
They couldn’t be more wrong. All of the games they were in contention to win, but lost in the closing minutes were games that could have turned on several plays and the Redskins made none of them. And where is all this talent they keep pointing to?
LaVar Arrington is the face of the Redskins, media darling, seemingly good teammate and damn fine football player. What he is not, is Ray Lewis. Not even close. I only bring it up because is so frequently compared to Lewis during game telecasts and it just doesn’t add up. Lewis finished the season with 163 tackles and 42 assists for 205 total tackles. He managed 6 interceptions from the middle linebacker position, but ended up with a shockingly low 1.5 sacks. Arrington posted only 71 tackles with 45 assists. In other words, that’s 89 less tackles he was involved in than the perennial All-World Ray Lewis. So let’s just end that talk right there. Come back LaVar when you’re in the 180 range in tackles, with a few more game altering plays, not just bone jarring hits. The play (and now the pay) must justify the yak.
While we’re examining the talent pool, I would surmise that the best 10 Redskin players are Champ Bailey, Laverneous Coles, LaVar Arrington, Fred Smoot, Randy Thomas, John Jansen, Chris Samules, Patrick Ramsey, Chad Morton and John Hall. That’s pretty sad when 3 of the 10 are offensive lineman from a unit that underperformed and your kicker and kick returner round out the list.
Jesse Armstead has been a good a pick up and probably is the best-of-the-rest, but his direct impact is limited and it seems like you can go a quarter and a half without hearing his name called. Matt Bowen turned out to be a solid, perfunctory acquisition to beef up the safety position, although he was caught out of position numerous times in coverage and he was just as likely to clobber a receiver as he was to get steamrolled by a running back. Rod Gardner unleashed the added dimension of a receiver who could toss a touchdown and comes up with some nice catches, but he is notorious for an astonishing variety of penalties. Gardner is good for false starts, blocks in the back, holding, pass interference—you name it, he does them all, more than once each. If that’s not irritating enough, he’s got a suspect work ethic and is one of those players who does the demonstrative 1st down gesture after making a catch, only to follow that with a drop of a would be long gain on the very next play. He is a good candidate for a trade.
From there is just gets worse, fast.
December 31st, 2003
NHL Roundup
In St. Louis, the Flyers scored five times in eight power play chances, drubbing the Blues 7-2. The Flyers boast the league's best power play, scoring 37 times in 150 chances, while St. Louis is tops on the penalty kill, stopping opponents 71 of 82 times so far this year. Both Mark Rechhi and Jeremy Roenick scored twice for Philadelphia, who chased St. Louis starter Brent Johnson after scoring three times on their first 13 shots.
Unable to score on five power play chances, Boston was shut out at home for the fifth time this season, this time by Ottawa, 3-0. Martin Prusek stopped 24 shots for Ottawa, as the Senators stretched their unbeaten string to seven games. Boston is 0-5-4 in their last nine home games. Joe McDonald at MOFO Sports thinks Bruins GM Mike O'Connelll's days are numbered, and mentioned Vancouver GM Brian Burke as a possible replacement.
In Edmonton, Mike York scored twice, helping the Oilers to a 2-2 tie with Minnesota. Manny Fernandez had 38 saves for the Wild. And out on the coast, the Rangers got their second win on their Western road trip, beating Los Angeles 4-3 in OT. Tom Poti got the game winner in New York, his second in 24 hours after his game winning score in Phoenix the night before. Los Angeles has played into OT in seven of their last 11 games.
Steve Ovadia loves hockey, but wishes their were more nights like this one in Philadelphia, where the AHL Phantoms and the Binghamtom Sentors threw down in a wild third period:
What happened here in the final 3:50 was entirely unexpected, and it all started innocently enough. Phantoms wing Mike Peluso (not the same Mike Peluso who earned almost 2,000 penalty minutes in nine NHL seasons) jostled with Senators goalie Ray Emery, who had shut out Philadelphia for the game's first 49:04.Emery and Peluso exchanged words -- "I think I said, 'Watch it, Mike,' or something like that, then I said, 'In another couple of minutes you could be in trouble,'" Emery recalled.
It took only a couple of seconds.
Peluso raised his stick to Emery, who reacted by raising his, and they dropped the gloves. Senators enforcer Brian McGrattan and Phantoms counterpart Jim Vandermeer, who had picked a simultaneous fight, joined the Peluso-Emery melee, and Philadelphia goalie Neil Little skated the length of ice and leapt on top of the pile.
"I looked up, and (Little) was coming full tilt," said center Dan Riva, who joined the Senators on a tryout contract two days earlier and found himself in the middle of the fracas. "I was shocked. I was frozen. I couldn't believe the height he got (on the jump)."
The Philly roster boasts such notables as Off Wing favorites, PJ Stock and Craig Berube -- both of who made sure they got in on the fun. Heck, even Tom Benjamin's favorite waiver wire acquisition, Wade Brookbank, made sure he got in on the fun. Will somebody please send me the video on this brawl?
UPDATE: The AHL league office has suspended three Philadelphia players in connection with the aforementioned brawl. And thanks to DJ Spicerack, for this link to video footage of all the fun.
December 30th, 2003
Pasquarelli’s All-Pro Team
ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli just named his All-Pro squad, and somehow managed to leave Ray Lewis off his list.
Riddle me this, Mr. Pasquarelli: how many NFL General Managers would fail to trade Julian Peterson, Takeo Spikes or Dat Nguyen straight up for Ray Lewis if they had the chance (not that Ozzie Newsome wants to lose his job)? And how many of those GMs would keep their jobs if it became public that they made such a decision?
Even on a team that boasts Jamal Lewis, a 2,000 yard runner, Ray is team MVP. Three years ago, when Jamal Lewis was lost for the season, the Ravens still managed to make the playoffs as a Wild Card, and beat Miami in the first round before eventually losting at Pittsburgh. But last season, when Jamal Lewis was back at full strength, and Ray Lewis was lost much of the season to injury, the Ravens finished 7-9.
December 30th, 2003
Housekeeping Note
If you stop by Punch The Bag, you wouldn't exactly get the idea that you'd find a whole lot of sports commentary. But if you rummage around, you'll find a post about Indiana Pacers bad boy, Ron Artest. On the other side of the responsibility spectrum, there's this post about former Arizona Cardinal, and U.S. Army Ranger in training, Pat Tillman. Stop by and check it out.
Here are some other sites I'll be addding to the blog roll momentarily:
ScaryNY
Libertarian Jack Ass
Thinking Out Loud
Grapevine's Ramblings
New England Ringside
As always, reciprocity rules here at Off Wing Opinion.
December 30th, 2003
FDA To Ban Sale Of Ephedra
It's been a little more than 10 months since Steve Bechler, a minor league pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles system collapsed and died in Spring Training. A subsequent report from a Florida coroner concluded that Bechler's death was caused in part by his use of a dietary supplement that contained Ephedra -- an herb that was marketed as a weight loss supplement.
Later today, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services will announce a ban on the sale of products that contain Ephedra.
Some critics will say that the ban comes too late, as it was clear that the marketplace had already spoken when it came to Ephedra. I noted back in August that two major supplement companies that once distributed products with Ephedra, had reformulated some of their supplements, being certain to note that they no longer contained the herbal stimulant.
December 30th, 2003
The Advantages Of The Sports Aware Girlfriend
Under the Xmas Tree: New York Islanders action figure and authentic Chad Pennington jersey.
Hope chest that includes autographed photo of Steve Yzerman*.
A reason to watch the Rose Bowl.
Never need to explain icing ever again.
Time spent cataloging Detroit Tigers baseball cards did not go to waste.
Breaking dinner date in order to attend AFC Wild Card Game is socially acceptable.
Never asks how much you spend on ice hockey tickets.
Story about how the "ex" made you leave a Caps-Blackhawks game in middle of the second period elicits pained look and a hug.
Taking girlfriend to sporting event no longer requires you to accompany her to endless chick flicks in return. However, dragging her to Lost In Translation gets you a place on the chain gang. One that you richly deserve.
_____________________________________
*Boyfriend must learn not to be threatened by girlfriend's continuing appreciation of Yzerman's looks and on-ice leadership ability. Promise to work harder on this.
December 30th, 2003
NHL Roundup
On Long Island, Mark Parrish had a pair of goals to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 win over the Devils. It was the second two-goal game in a row for Parrish, who has five in his last three games. After being regularly dominated by the Devils, the Islanders lead the season series, 3-1-0-1. Will someone rid me of this meddlesome regulation tie? If you're filling out an All-Star ballot, be sure to mark down New York's Adrian Aucoin, currently leading all NHL defenseman in plus/minus, and near the top in most every other category.
Quietly, Aucoin, left, is having a Norris-quality season.
In other Islanders news, goalie Rick DiPietro has been sent to the minors to get some playing time -- at his own request. DiPietro hasn't played since head coach Steve Stirling pulled him from a game in Washington on December 21.
The Bruins broke out of an 0-4-2 skid, beating the Capitals in Washington, 3-1. Hal Gill ended his 60-game goal scoring drought to tie the game for the Bruins. As for All-Star candidates, mark down Joe Thornton for Boston, and Robert Lang for Washington. Sorry Caps fans, there's only so much you can say about a team this bad. Martin Lapointe sat out the game, serving a one-game suspension for a cross-check he unloaded on Tampa Bay's Brad Luckowich.
Meanwhile in Raleigh, the Hurricanes won for the fourth time in six games under new head coach Peter Laviolette, beating Buffalo 2-1. As of right now, there's nobody worth an All-Star mention on either club, unless you're willing to make a Commissioner's exception for the ageless Ron Francis.
In Tampa, the visiting Ducks shut out the Lightning, 2-0. J.S. Giguere stopped 31 shots to get the win for Anaheim. In Pittsburgh, Tom Surovy got the only goal in the Penguins 1-0 win over Chicago. Chicago's road winless streak has now reached 12 games (0-11-0-1).
The Blues gained some ground in the Central Division with a 3-2 win over Columbus. Doug Weight had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Johnson scored the game winner for St. Louis with just 3:44 remaining. With 45 points, the Blues trail idle Detroit by four points with an amazing six games in hand. In Atlanta, Jose Theodore had 13 of his 26 saves in the third period for Montreal, as they defeated the Thrashers 2-1.
Further South in Florida, Owen Nolan scored two third period goals in Toronto's 4-4 tie with Las Panteras. Ed Belfour had 35 saves for Toronto, Roberto Luongo had 34 for Florida. The Panthers are unbeaten in their last six at home (3-0-3).
In Ken Hitchcock's first trip back to Dallas since becoming coach of the Flyers, Philadelphia tied the Stars 2-2. It wasn't much of a homecoming, as only four players from the 2000 Stanley Cup Champion Stars that Hitchcock coached still remain on the roster today. As for All-Star contenders, only goalie Marty Turco has been playing like one as of late, while Sergei Zubov deserves nothing more than a one-way plane ticket out of town. In Philly, the pick has to be goalie Robert Esche, who's proving to be the more reliable of the goalie tandem with veteran Jeff Hackett.
In Calgary, the Flames tied the Wild by the same 2-2 score. Further South in Phoenix, the Coyotes dropped their second straight game in the new Glendale (Your Name Here) Arena, losing to the Rangers 3-2. The defensively challenged Tom Poti got the game winning goal in OT. Out in the Bay Area, the Sharks scored three times in the first period and never looked back, beating the Predators 5-2.
And in the game of the night, a late goal by Mike Keane gave the Canucks a 3-2 win over the Avalanche in Denver. Steve Konowalchuk had a pair of goals for Colorado, as they had a late rally derailed when Peter Forsberg was flagged for roughing with less than two minutes to go after the battling Swede had landed a punch to Canucks' goalie Dan Cloutier's groin.
December 30th, 2003
Another Chance For ED?
While watching ESPN's Sunday night telecast of the Ravens-Steelers game, I couldn't help but be struck at how engaging and articulate Eric Dickerson was as ESPN's on-air team kept quizzing him while Jamal Lewis crept ever closer to breaking Dickerson's single season rushing record. Perhaps that's the Dickerson that ABC execs saw when he was selected to join the team at Monday Night Football for one ill-fated season. Perhaps he deserves another chance to prove himself?
December 30th, 2003
I Smite Thee Down!
Thanks to reader Dave S., who found this on the Baltimore Ravens newsgroup:
God Smites Bengals KitnaThe Associated Press Tuesday, December 29, 2003; 5:14PM
In a rare display of pique, God apparently smote Cincinnatti Bengals quarterback Jon Kitna prior to today's game against the interstate rival Cleveland Browns. It was expected that God was going to lead the Bengals to the playoffs pursuant to Kitna's claims of ethereal influence on the Bengals record this season, and God's apparent concern about his touchdown to interception ratio.
However, it became quickly apparent that Kitna would have to rely on his own earthly powers as God was distracted with other concerns on this busy final Sunday of the NFL Season.
Said God, "I have been carrying Kitna all season and they still couldn't clinch. I'm a busy Supreme Being. I've got other playoff matchups to decide, particularly the Minnesota - Green Bay situation. Favre's dad is giving me all kinds of pressure. Seems he thinks I owe him one for calling him home just before the playoff run."
Apparently the attention required to get the Bengals to .500 had serious ramifications elsewhere around the globe.
God continued, "I lost two ferry boats in the Phillipines and Bangladesh - over 600 souls - when I was helping out Kitna with two of thier "miracle" victories. People think miracles just happen? They take a lot of work and planning, especially for a club like the Bengals.
Normally, I don't traffic in anything that smacks of mockery and religious faith, but the idea that the Almighty intervenes directly in the outcome of athletic events is something I find deeply offensive -- which makes the above all the more hysterical.
December 29th, 2003
Little Left To Play For
With a little over five minutes remaining in Saturday night's game with the Sabres, Caps head coach Glen Hanlon had a choice. For most of the game, his team's game in the offensive zone had been relatively lifeless -- when the game was finally over, Buffalo would outshoot Washington 40-22, and the Caps trailed 2-1. But at the 14:40 mark, Washington got a break on home ice as Alex Kotalik of the Sabres was sent off for tripping, and the Caps went on the power play.
The team's power play ranks second overall in the NHL, scoring on 22.7 percent of their chances so far this season. At bottom, it's the heart of Washington's offense, and that's essentially been the case for a number of seasons now.
During the ensuing power play, Washington managed only one shot, and despite a desperate flurry down the stretch that saw Peter Bondra ring a shot off the post not once, but twice, the Caps couldn't score. With a little more than a minute left, Hanlon pulled goalie Olie Kolzig to give Washington an extra skater. It didn't make a difference, as Buffalo's Jochen Hecht tapped the puck into an empty net for the 3-1 final score.
And here's my question: if it was a good idea to pull Kolzig with 1:04 remaining to get an extra skater for a 5-4 man advantage, then why not pull Kolzig after the Kotalik penalty in order to skate with a two-man advantage?
In any other mid-season game between conference opponents, Hanlon's decision would have made sense. But in the context of a lost regular season, where the Caps need to climb over five other teams (including Buffalo) to reach the eighth and final playoff spot, it made hardly any sense at all. At this point, saving the season means taking chances, and pulling Kolzig with a little more than five minutes remaining would have made far more sense -- even if the outcome had been the same.
December 29th, 2003
Keyshawn Johnson, Super Genius
From Sunday's Fox NFL pre-game show, during an interview between Keyshawn Johnson and Hall of Fame runningback Jim Brown:
Jim Brown:"You know, it's even more than ridiculous, it's asinine."Keyshawn Johnson: "It's what?"
Jim Brown: "asinine"
Keyshawn Johnson: "I'm gonna have to look that one up."
Then again, Johnson doesn't get paid for having a colorful vocabulary.
Thanks to reader Dave S. from Reston, Virginia for the heads up.
December 29th, 2003
NHL Weekend Roundup
Left for dead only a few weeks ago, the New York Islanders spent the weekend dispatching two of the league's top teams -- first beating the New Jersey Devils 4-3 at the Meadowlands on Friday, then following it up with a 3-1 defeat of the Toronto Maple Leafs back on home ice Saturday night. The win over the Maple Leafs stopped their 16-game standings point streak (14-0-0-1).
The Toronto Star's Rosie Dimanno doesn't seem to like Long Island much at all:
This is where civility comes to die. The Maple Leafs' streak didn't get out alive, either.Inside the dreariest, dingiest rink in the NHL, before the rudest, most objectionable fans in the western hemisphere, six weeks of giddy success screeched to a halt last night.
The Islanders have won six straight at home, and eight of their last 11 (8-2-0-1), and have moved into the eighth playoff spot in the East, only a point behind seventh place Montreal.
After some of their own early season woes, the Dallas Stars have put together a winning streak of their own. On Friday the Stars dumped Nashville, 2-1 at home, with Marty Turco stopping 23 shots for Dallas. On Saturday in Columbus, they beat the Blue Jackets, 4-3 to climb above .500 for the first time this season. Dallas is now tied with Nashville for eighth place in the West.
The Red Wings weekend could have been better. On Friday, they got a third period goal from Kris Draper to earn a 2-2 tie with Minnesota. Draper, who is quietly putting together the best season of his career, already has 14 goals for Detroit. With the tie, Minnesota ran its unbeaten string to seven games (4-0-3).
The Chicago Blackhawks have won only 3 of their last 23 games. Unfortunately for the Detroit Red Wings, two of those wins have come at their expense, the latest a 3-0 shutout last night in Chicago. After the weekend, the Red Wings dropped to 8-9-3-1 on the road, though they still lead the Central Division with 49 points.
After their own early season woes, the San Jose Sharks have caught the Los Angeles Kings at the top of the Pacific Division. On Friday, the Sharks dropped-kicked the Kings 5-0 at the Shark Tank. Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo both had a pair of goals for San Jose. On Saturday back in Los Angeles, Marleau scored again, but the team had to settle for a 4-4 tie with the Kings. Though the teams are tied for first place in the Pacific, the Kings have three more wins.
In their Sunday Magazine, the New York Times ran a short appreciation of 1980 Men's U.S. Olympic head coach Herb Brooks as part of their year in review. You can check out Off Wing's own obituary of Brooks, by clicking here.
Over at New York Sports Express, Steve Ovadia has some late Christmas gifts for the metropolitan area's three hockey teams.
Canucks Corner has been taking a look at the use of visors in the NHL. Start here, the check out PJ's take over at Sharkspage, and end your trip with this post back at Canucks Corner:
Studies have showns that full facial protection significantly reduces the incidence of concussion while reducing facial lacerations and eye injuries to near zero. In other words, there is a great deal of money sitting on the table ready to be saved. All they have to do is cage the players.Fighting has survived in the NHL because hockey fans love a good scrap and hockey fans pay the bills. But can it survive when it costs the owners real money? Eliminating it might cost something. Keeping it is costing a lot.
Full face shields are inevitable.
I'm not so sure. The use (or non-use) of visors in the NHL is just another example of safety taking a back seat to comfort and convenience -- and the players are just as much to blame for this as management. It's more or less common knowledge that all NHL players modify equipment to increase comfort, visibility, and awareness on the ice. Besides eschewing visors, players regularly shave padding and remove protective ear flaps from their helmets.
December 25th, 2003
Seasons Greetings
From the team that brings you Off Wing -- which I guess is just me.
Merry Christmas, and thanks for reading.
December 24th, 2003
The Politics Of Sobriety
While I've been away from Northern Virginia, one of my blogging buddies, Charles Austin, has been called back to the area on business. Unfortunately for him, that meant having to put up with one of the things I can't stand about the area, the mandatory sobriety checkpoint.
As it turned out, Charles had a few drinks over the course of an evening when he had to entertain a pair of Japanese businessmen, an admission that led to the police administering a breath test which he passed. But while he got away from the roadblock unscathed, Charles had a few other thoughts:
I had two thoughts about this evening's "experience." The first was what our troops in Iraq must go through every time they stop someone, not knowing what to expect. They have my respect and undying thanks. The second was in my reaction during and after the event. I felt nothing. I didn't get nervous, I didn't sweat, I wasn't cocky, and I wasn't obnoxious. I just felt nothing. I went through the motions like I was buying groceries. I don't think this is a good thing.
As for the "going through the motions," I know exactly what Charles is talking about. I had to drive through a similar roadblock about a year ago, and while I also admitted to drinking that evening (just one beer a few hours before), the young officer who stopped my car sent me on my way without asking me for much more. Like Charles though, as soon as it was clear I was going to be stopped, I handed over my lisence and registration without being asked.
Why? Because both Charles and I knew instinctively that if we didn't cooperate fully and without hesitation, we'd likely end up behind bars that night -- whether or not our test results turned out in our favor.
Unfortunately for those of us who live in the Reston-Herndon area of Fairfax County, the sobriety checkpoint isn't all. Last Holiday season, police officers in both municipalities began crusing through local bars to administer breath tests and charge bar patrons with public drunkeness. Mind you, individuals weren't targetted for arrest if there were disruptive out on the street, the police simply walked into local bars and hauled people off their stools to be tested -- something I found to be a bit extreme.
For me, the tenor of the times has changed so much, that I can hardly remember the last time I had more than two drinks over the course of an evening out -- something that Radley Balko commented on a few months ago at Tech Central Station:
Another anti-alcohol group - Mothers Against Drunk Driving - has also adopted a neo-prohibitionist point of view of late. MADD has shifted its focus from preventing "drunk driving" to preventing "drinking and driving."Drunk driving deaths have leveled off the last few years, after steady declines since the early 1980s. This leveling-off has led most experts to conclude that drunk driving is largely limited now to a small core of alcoholics, the kind of people who aren't likely to be swayed by public relations campaigns.
But instead of calling for more resources to catch those few hard core drunks, MADD has set its sights on social drinkers, and has embarked on a nationwide campaign to lower state blood-alcohol limits to .08. MADD's also working with law enforcement officials on the local level to arrest motorists who have had anything to drink at all - BACs as low as .01 - at random roadblock checkpoints.
While Charles wasn't arrested, it's important to note that one of the police officers who administered his breath test advised him to return to his hotel immediately -- a command I would think most motorists recently threatened with a loss of liberty would probably obey.
Charles is right to be disturbed by what happened to him. As we all should be.
December 24th, 2003
Off Wing Spotlight On The New York Islanders
Just a few observations from last night's 4-2 Islanders' win over Philadelphia, which I attended in person with Off Wing's official brother-in-law:
The Islanders are essentially a team centered around two "superstar" centers (Alexi Yashin and Michael Peca), a superior defense (Kenny Jonsson, Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik, Janne Niinimaa), and a supporting cast of hard working role players. Last night, it was the role players who picked up the two superstars -- individuals who simply aren't earning their fat paychecks.
Their was plenty of intensity on the ice last night for New York -- much of it demonstrated by spare parts Jason Blake, Arron Asham, Dave Scatchard, and Shawn Bates. In particular, it was clear that Blake simply never takes a shift off, and never backs down -- no matter who it might be that he goes into a corner with. When he managed to score the game winning goal in the third period, it hardly came as a surprise.
Compared with the urgency that Blake brings to each shift, team captain Peca doesn't seem to care much at all. The energy he once brought to the ice -- especially in his first season with the Islanders in 2001-02 -- seems to be completely drained from him. He'll play hard in spots, but he seems to be picking those spots awfully carefully, and those moments are becoming fewer and further between. With the sort of game Peca is supposed to be playing, he can't afford to take that approach, as he simply doesn't have the kind of talent to rely on. He may very well be looking for a change in scenery, public statements notwithstanding.
As for the Islanders' fattest contract, Yashin's game seemed awfully soft last night -- though he did win a critical offensive zone faceoff that resulted Asham's game-tying goal (Yashin was hurt on the play, as his right arm was lacerated by Michael Handzus' skate blade). Time and time again, it seemed as if it was just too easy for Philadelphia to move Yashin off the puck, and his game seems to be limited to finding open space on the ice, rather than fighting his way to spots where he can score. While he has been playing better of late (7 goals and 2 assists in his last 10 games), and has been dominating for stretches in his 2 plus seasons on Long Island, his play isn't nearly consistent enough to justify his extravagant contract. When it comes to the Islanders' long-term future, it's clear to me that Yashin is as much an albatross for the team as Jaromir Jagr is in Washington.
The good news for the Islanders last night is that the role players and their defenseman simply outworked Philadelphia for the win. For most of the first two periods, despite grabbing a 1-0 lead, New York was physically dominated by a larger and stronger Flyers lineup -- something that made me think how much the team must miss Jason Wiemer, the rugged center that GM Mike Milbury waived a few weeks back in a simple minded effort to cut payroll.
On the Island, Snow remains the best option -- for now.
Garth Snow had a better than average night in goal (34 saves), but nobody thinks he's the long term solution in net for the Islanders. Unfortunately, with Rick DiPietro's development seemingly stalled, Snow is the only real answer the team has in goal these days. The good news is that the Islanders have a very deep set of defenseman playing in front of Snow. With Roman Hamrlik scratched because of the flu, Radek Martinek found his way back into the lineup, and he looked more than at home. Perhaps Hamrlik could be moved in exchange for the winger that Yashin has always said he needs working with him?
While Trent Hunter is currently leading all NHL rookies in scoring, I was less than impressed now that I've had the chance to see him up close. His skating leaves a lot to be desired, and he simply looks lost in the defensive zone. While he's big (6-3), he needs to speed up and bulk up if he wants to stay in the NHL. A solid offseason of power skating and weightlifting would do him a world of good.
UPDATE: Yashin will be out 10-12 weeks. Guess we'll get to see how the Islanders do without him. And when this happened at last night's game, I was in the bathroom:
A parade of Santas turned holiday cheer into anything but at Nassau Coliseum.The New York Islanders offered a free ticket to Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers to anyone who came dressed as Santa Claus.
After the first period, around 1,000 Santa-clad fans were invited onto the ice in their costumes. But the good will went somewhat awry when two Santas ripped off their jackets to reveal jerseys of the rival New York Rangers.
Some Santas, partial to the Islanders, jumped the ones with the Rangers jerseys. They were knocked to the ice and had the shirts ripped off during a melee in one corner of the rink.
Security tried their best to calm the fans down, but some took advantage and went sliding across the ice.
The entire parade took nearly nine minutes, and nearly delayed the start of the second period. The Islanders rallied in the third period for a 4-2 victory.
Islanders forward Arron Asham said the team wasn't aware of the in-between periods excitement. But when he was briefed, a smile came across his face.
"Awesome," Asham said.
What's worse, I had my camera with me.
December 24th, 2003
NHL Roundup
Andre Roy got a goal early in the third period to help Tampa Bay earn a 1-1 tie with Boston, but the big news from the Fleet Center ice was Lightning head coach John Tortorella benching Vincent Lecavalier in the second period for not shooting the puck:
Lecavalier didn't shoot the puck during a three-on-two and was punished for it."An awful call," Lecavalier said of Tortorella's decision. "Offensively, I go with my instincts. If I think the play is to make a play, that's what I do. It didn't work out. I'm just going to keep playing hard. If I get benched for it, that's fine."
Tortorella fired back."Interesting. It wasn't the proper call?" he said. "Let's forget about the backhanded turnover. Let's talk about trying to play hard.
"He's got to start playing in the team concept. I don't care who he is or who he thinks he is."
This isn't the first time this season that head coach and budding superstar have clashed in Tampa Bay, and it probably won't be the last. Especially when the tenor is just like this. With Tampa Bay reportedly interested in Islanders defenseman Roman Hamrlik (who was a scratch on Wednesday night), might the tempermental youngster be headed for Long Island?
Gary Roberts scored twice to help Toronto to a 5-2 win over Florida. The Leafs have now earned a standings point in 15 straight games, and stand atop the Eastern Conference with 49 points at the Christmas break, not exactly where I expected them to be just a few weeks ago.
In Chicago, Michael Leighton made 23 saves in the Blackhawks' 3-0 win over the Blues. After starting December with a nine-game unbeaten streak, the Blues have now dropped two in a row. The win was only the second in 21 games for the Blackhawks (2-12-4-3).
Minnesota is now unbeaten in its last six games after tying Nashville, 3-3. Calgary continued its winning ways, dumping visiting Edmonton, 2-1. Rick Nash scored his 21st goal of the season, but it wasn't enough as Phoenix beat Columbus, 2-1.
In Buffalo, the Sabres blew a 2-0 lead, and had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Ottawa. And finally, in Washington, Peter Bondra scored with less than a minute remaining in regulation to give the Captials a 3-2 win over Montreal. The Capitals are now 3-2-2 under new head coach Glen Hanlon.
After Wednesday's games, the NHL takes a two-day Holiday for Christmas. Look for our next NHL Roundup on Monday, December 29.
December 24th, 2003
My Favorite Non-Traditional Christmas Tunes
Back in the early 1990s, an old college friend of mine named Terry Kean put together a mix tape for his company's Christmas party. The result was an eclectic compilation he called
December 23rd, 2003
Tilman Stateside
Pat Tilman, the Arizona Cardinals safety who turned down a multi-year contract extension to enlist in the U.S. Army and become a Ranger, stopped by to visit his ex-teammates while they were in Seattle to play the Seahawks this past weekend. Tilman, who is serving alongside his brother Kevin, is stationed at Fort Lewis, about 50 miles from Seattle.
Primary assist on this post to Andrew Sullivan.
December 23rd, 2003
NHL Roundup
In Detroit, the Red Wings took a three point lead in the Central Division with a 2-1 win over St. Louis. Ray Whitney had the game winning goal for Detroit with only 5:15 remaining. The loss snapped a nine-game unbeaten string (7-0-2) for the Blues, who had been undefeated so far this month. The Blues have only lost twice in their las 14 games (9-2-3), but both of those losses have come against the Red Wings. Curtis Joseph, who has been playing better of late, had 24 saves for Detroit. As always, for a more in-depth wrap-up, check out On The Wings.
At Madison Square Garden, the Rangers clawed their way back to .500 with a 4-2 win over struggling Boston. Bobby Holik and Peter Nedved both scored twice for New York, but it was Mike Dunham's save on Patrice Bergeron in the final minute that preserved the win for New York. Boston is now 1-5-4 in their last 10 games, and owner Jeremy Jacobs isn't exactly happy.
Struggling Dallas won its first game in Carolina since 1998, a 3-1 win. Jere Lehtinen had two goals for Dallas. The loss was the first for Carolina since Peter Laviolette took over for ex-head coach Paul Maurice. In Montreal, the Canadiens kept pace in the Eastern Conference, beating Pittsburgh 4-1. Defenseman Sheldon Souray had a goal and an assist for Montreal.
In lovely Kanata, Todd White scored 1:34 into OT, to give the Senators a 3-2 win over visiting Florida. Martin Prusek had 19 saves for Ottawa in the win. Valeri Bure scored twice for Florida.
Phoenix got another third period goal on the road, this time from Shane Doan, as they earned a 3-3 tie with Nashville. Doan also added a pair of assists to frustrate Nashville, which wasted a hat trick from Scott Walker. In San Jose, the Sharks edged Anaheim 2-1. Jonathan Cheechoo had the game winner for San Jose, which has been quietly climbing the standings in the Pacific Divsion.
And in the game of the night, Vancouver came back from a three goal deficit to tie the Kings, 4-4. The game was the fifth straight home game for the Canucks that's gone into OT. Jarko Ruutu, who hadn't scored in 26 games, completed the comeback when he scored with 3:54 remaining in regulation. Ziggy Palffy scored twice for the Kings.
In the off-ice rumor mill, word out of Calgary is that the Flames are trying to restructure Jarome Iginla's contract to make it more financially palatable for the club. Over at Canucks Corner, Tom Benjamin has 5 reccomendations on how to improve the game. Start here and work your way backward. Over at SharksPage, PJ Swenson has a great holiday shopping guide for the table top hockey fan.
Heatley is back in body. His spirit is another matter.
In Duluth, Georgia, Dany Heatley of the Atlanta Thrashers practiced for the first time today since the car accident that took the like of teammate Dan Snyder. Heatley plans to talk to the press at a Friday news conference. Over at ESPN.com, Eric Adelson looks at how Snyder's death has transformed the Thrashers.
In Southern New Jersey, Donald Brashear of the Philadelphia Flyers has been charged with drunken driving. On a happier note, Peter Forsberg has started practicing with the Colorado Avalanche again, this after an abdominal injury has kept him off the ice for 18 games this season. In Toronto, a deal to sell Maple Leaf Gardens and turn it into a grocery store has collapsed.
December 22nd, 2003
The Politics Of International Soccer
Over at National Review Online, Jonah Goldberg has posted a note from a reader that posits another interesting angle as to why Libyan strongman Muamar Khaddafi has decided to make nice with Britain and the United States:
One thing everyone in the world agrees on is that Khaddafi is obsessed with soccer. This fact goes double for his sons, one of whom is on the roster of a major Italian soccer team. Khaddafi owns large shares of a few top European teams and is reported to watch/attend games constantly.The World Cup for 2010 has been promised to an African country. It will mark the first time the tournament will be played in Africa and getting the World Cup means that the host nation gets an automatic spot in the field of 32 teams. Getting the World Cup means Khaddafi
December 22nd, 2003
Housekeeping Items
Greetings from Off Wing Holiday HQ on Long Island. I'll be blogging from here for most of the remainder of the week, before heading for Freehold on Christmas Day to meet up with the members of the family from New Jersey.
Over the weekend, Off Wing had its 100,000th visitor. Thanks again to my readers, who have made this a very worthwhile endeavor.
December 22nd, 2003
Thank Heaven For Small Favors
A few days ago, I was pretty bummed at the prospect of the Mets acquiring Seattle third baseman Jeff Cirillo in exchange for the worst fielding Met since Juan Samuel, Roger Cedeno. I thought we were getting another headache -- and a more expensive one at that -- in exchange for a player who could probably be successful in a platoon situation. Luckily for Mets fans, Cirillo used his limited no-trade clause to scuttle the deal.
Ducks On The Pond has it right about Cedeno:
Listen, not that I'm singing Roger Cedeno's praises or anything. But why are we so intent on getting rid of him? If we have to go with a Cedeno/Perez split in RF, so be it. At this point in time I'd say the only value in trading him is if we can bring in Koch or another closer. Cedeno didn't have THAT bad of a year last year. A guy like him can work on the OBP and stolen bases.
Right now, a Timo Perez/Cedeno platoon is looking as god as ny other option out there -- that is, unless the Wilpons loosen up the purse strings long enough to acquire Vlad Guerrero.
In other Mets-related news, former Met Armando Benitez has signed with the Florida Marlins. No doubt Benitez will be mowing down Mets regularly for the next few years in front of the fans that came to despise him so much.
December 22nd, 2003
Tuesday Now Deadline For A-Rod Deal
The following moved on the AP wire a few minutes after Midnight EST:
Texas owner Tom Hicks set a Tuesday deadline for a trade of Alex Rodriguez to Boston, saying the MVP shortstop will remain with the Rangers if a deal isn't completed by then.Hicks set a deadline of 5 p.m. EST Tuesday. Hicks told general manager John Hart to build toward next season with Rodriguez in his plans if a trade doesn't happen by then.
"This potential trade is very complicated and involves multiple parties," Hicks wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday night. "From the Texas Rangers' perspective, we need finality so we can proceed with our offseason plans."
Hicks wrote that the Tuesday deadline "is a reasonable timeframe for the various groups to make their decisions."
Boston Dirt Dogs, which said the trade was a go early last week, remains confident. For the sake of baseball, I hope this trade goes through.
December 22nd, 2003
NHL Roundup
Central Division leading finished the weekend with a slim two-point lead over St. Louis. On Friday, the Red Wings picked up a 3-2 win over hapless Chicago. Just one night later, the Wings didn't have an answer for Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun, getting shutout 1-0.
Despite having that two point lead over the Blues, it's important to point out that St. Louis, which has only lost six times this year in regulation, and is still undefeated in December (7-0-2), has played six fewer games. Speaking of St. Louis, they fell another point off Detroit's pace, after a 1-1 tie with Phoenix on Saturday night at home. Chris Osgood had 24 saves for the Blues, while Sean Burke had 30 for Phoenix.
Toronto stretched their lead over Boston in the Northeast Division to nine points, with a 2-2 tie in Washington on Friday, and a 4-2 win over Montreal on Saturday night. The Leafs have now earned a standings point in 14 straight games. With the game-winning goal against Montreal, Mats Sundin recorded his 714th point as a Maple Leaf, moving him past George Armstrong for fourth most in club history.
After getting shut out in back to back games last week, the Thrashers scored 11 goals over the weekend, beating Pittsburgh 7-4, and Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia, 4-1. For the weekend, Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk had three goals, four assists, and was plus 3. The Thrashers now lead the Southeast Division over Tampa Bay by seven points.
Long Island resident Walt Whitman once said,"consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." If that's the case, then the New York Islanders must be one of the most open minded teams in the NHL. After dropping a 3-1 decision in Philadelphia on Saturday, the team won its first game in Washington since 1997, beating the Capitals, 5-4.
It was another one of those
nights for Olie Kolzig
Washington took an early 3-1 lead, as Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro allowed three goals on the Captials' first nine shots. He was replaced in the second period by Garth Snow, who stopped 12 of Washington's last 13 shots to earn the victory. Before last night's win, the Islanders were 0-13-2 in their last 15 games against Washington. Olie Kolzig, who had been benched the previous two games in favor of rookie Maxime Ouelett, stopped 39 of New York's 44 shots.
Off the ice, three Canadian hockey heroes, former NHL players Kirk McLean and Tiger Williams, along with Cassie Campbell of the Canadian Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team, visited with Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
December 22nd, 2003
Namath and Kolber
ESPN's Suzy Kolber had her hands full on the sideline of Saturday night's Jets-Patriots game, as she tried her level best to interview former Jets superstar, Joe Namath, on what he thought about the future of the team and starting quarterback Chad Pennington. Needless to say, Joe Willie had his mind on other pursuits. Click here for the actual video of the interview.
A couple of weeks back, it was reported that Namath was planning to return to the University of Alabama to finish his undergraduate degree. Men of the South, lock up your daughters!
December 19th, 2003
Jarvis Shown The Door
As a native of New York City that's spent his entire adult life in Washington, D.C., it's hard not to feel more than a twinge of sadness at the news that St. John's University has fired head men's basketball coach Mike Jarvis.
Six seasons after he left George Washington University, Jarvis is still a relatively popular figure here in Washington, where he was a big part of the local basketball landscape. Even before he led GWU to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, Jarvis was best known for being Georgetown alum Patrick Ewing's high school coach at Rindge and Latin in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
His teams at GWU were scrappy, and seemingly filled with guys with fun names (Sonni Holland and Alexander Koul, just to name a few). He was easy going, and pretty acessible with the local media -- eventually becoming a favorite with the folks at CBS come tournament time.
But when you coach at St. John's, losses to local rivals like Fairfield and Hofstra are simply unacceptable. Time was, schools like those dreamed of knocking off the Red Storm, knowing it would put them on the front page nationwide. But now, St. John's looks like it's just another Division I program, and the folks on Francis Lewis Boulevard just can't countenance that.
Initial reports say St. John's might be looking to entice Rick Pitino, but I can't see him leaving Louisville so soon -- especially now that the Cardinals will be joining the Big East next season. If anything, St. John's is going to need a big name like Pitino if they want to get back into an elite position in Division I college basketball.
With the Big East expanding, the conference is going to be more brutal than ever, and the program is going to need a powerful personality on the recruiting trail, as Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette and DePaul join the Big East, and start competing with the Johnnies for the same blue chip prospects.
December 19th, 2003
Don’t Fence Me In. . .
Click here, to download newest commercial from Nike that's running in Canada. It features Ilya Kovalchuck and Markus Naslund, and it's a real scream. Thanks to Vancouver Canucks Op Ed for the link.
Make sure you don't miss the Octopus. . .
