I'm off to a party in the Maryland suburbs, so I'll wish all my readers a Happy New Year right now. If you're on the roads tonight, stay alert, and get home safe.
For those of you actually in front of the computer tonight, click here for links to live Web cams in Times Square in New York, as well as streaming video.
I'll be back briefly later on New Year's Day, and then back full blast on Sunday to cover the final week of the NFL season. Until then, enjoy the holiday.
From the Associated Press:
Todd Bertuzzi has requested a hearing with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to determine if the Vancouver forward's indefinite suspension for his attack on Colorado's Steve Moore should be lifted.Pat Morris, Bertuzzi's agent, said he is waiting to hear from Bettman. NHL chief legal counsel Bill Daly has said Bettman at some point soon wants to schedule a hearing, a move backed by the NHL Players Association.
More later, if warranted, after the holidays. Though if I were Bettman, I'd tell Bertuzzi to wait to call back until the lockout is resolved.
Mike DeBonis of Slate has an excellent piece on artists inspired by American college football. And even if you don't want to read the article, click here for the companion slide show.
Over my lunch hour today I took a walk to a local Borders, where I found that every 2005 calendar in stock is now available for 50% off. And after rummaging through the discount bin, I found this one-of-a-kind NHL 2005 Lockout Desk Calendar! At $5.99, it was a bargain.
Here are just some of the details from inside:
January 1: Remember to check caller ID in order to avoid the inevitable, "Where were you last night," call from Bill Wirtz.
January 3: Send thank you note to Rob Ray.
January 14: Cancel season.
January 16: Crank call Chris Chelios.
February 8: Take wife to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. NB: pick up Bob Goodenow voodoo doll for Bobby Clarke.
March 15: Cocktails with Jerry Buss at LAX. After all, even David Stern can't live forever.
April 10: Check in with Jose Theodore for the latest interest rate news ahead of Fed announcement.
May 13: Hire body double to appear at 2005 Entry Draft. If one isn't available, send Bill Daly.
June 6: Buy Sidney Crosby's high school graduation gift. Don't skimp!
June 22: Take advantage of early bird discount for 2005-06 NBA League Pass.
July 7: Call Steve Passmore to see if he's still, "Loving life in Deutschland."
August 6: Leave Manhattan for annual three-week retreat to the Hamptons. Remind Steve Webb he'll make more working as your Cabana Boy than playing in Switzerland.
September 14: Get to bed early. Tomorrow is a big day!
Unfortunately, that's where the calendar ends. Then again, that may very well be where the league ends too.
Last I looked, the American Red Cross had collected a little over $5 million in pledges from more than 80,000 donors for disaster relief in Soutest Asia and Africa -- that's a just over $60 per donor.
If you haven't already made a donation, please consider one now.
The New York Times ran a long piece on the history of Gary Bettman's tenure with the NHL earlier this week, and Steve Ovadia had some pertinent observations:
Bettman also never seen to understand hockey as a game. He let the goalies get bigger, the clutching get ridiculous, and the defenses get stifling. He sat by and let the sport get (at times) absurdly slow. A more hockey-minded commissioner would have had a better sense of what makes the game fun and what makes it dull. Bettman never seemed mildly interested in that.
Let's rewind to last October, when Mark Cuban uncorked a warning inside a post about scoring in the NBA that the NHL should be paying attention to:
I want to make the game a better entertainment product for our customers. If I have to suffer the fools who have nothing better to do, so be it. I suggest they read a favorite book of mine, The Innovators Dillema.Track and Field used to be the number 1 sport in America. So did Boxing. There are tons of examples of entertainment products that took for granted that they would always be in demand and never adjusted to their customers. I don
In an excellent piece about the life and career of actor Jerry Orbach, Dana Stevens makes an observation about Law and Order's ever-changing cast of characters:
[E]veryone has their favorite L & O cast; my ultimate lineup would include Chris Noth and Orbach in the cop roles, S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren, and Sam Waterston and Steven Hill in the "Law" section. To me, the female assistant DAs were pretty much interchangeable.)
"Pretty much interchangeable?" Not for Captain Off Wing. For me, it was Jill Hennessy, or nothing. Everyone else was just a piker.
Face it folks, when it comes to televised crime drama, Irish chicks rock!
Ever hear of Tommie Salo?
After sleepwalking through two preliminary round victories, Team USA finally got a wakeup call at the World Junior Championships, as underdog Belarus took advantage of a combination of American mental mistakes, blown defensive assignments and sloppy passing to cruise to an easy 5-3 win.
After seeing New York Rangers draft pick Al Montoya yield eight goals in just two games (as many as he gave up in the entire tournament last year), Team USA head coach Scott Sandelin gave last night's start to Boston College freshman Cory Schneider.
Schneider, undefeated in six games with BC this season, barely lasted into the second period, yielding three goals -- though he didn't get much help from his teammates defensively. Once Montoya returned, he didn't fare much better, giving up a soft goal on the very first shot he faced -- a weak dump-in from beyond the blue line by Siarhei Kukushkin that the forward took only to facilitate a line change.
Those of us watching the game on ESPN2 missed the fluke goal live, as their cameras were more concerned with following an injured Chris Bourque as he limped back to the Team USA bench and into the locker room.
But now that I'm through with dealing with the shock of seeing Team USA drop a game to Belarus, shouldn't we be asking some questions about that nation's hockey program? As we ought to recall, it was a little more than two years ago that Belarus survived the Olympic qualifying round and fought its way into medal contention with a shocking victory over Sweden.
Something tells me these two victories aren't flukes, and that they may actually be a trend.
Elsewhere, the Czechs beat Switzerland, 5-2; Finland scored four unanswered goals in the third period to beat Sweden 5-4; and Slovakia defeated Germany 5-0.
Today's games: Canada vs. Finland; Russia vs. Switzerland; Sweden vs. Slovakia; and Team USA plays the Czech Republic for a shot at the top spot in Group A, and a bye into the semifinals.
From Grand Forks, North Dakota:
"The beer stand lines were very long. But what really stood out for me is how long the lines were to the bathroom. I've never seen anything close to that before."
Chris Semrau, director of events and media relations for the Ralph Engelstadt Arena, commenting on the effect visting Canadian fans are having at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
A group of fans of the superior HBO ensemble drama are organizing an effort to lobby the network to renew the show for a fourth and fifth season.
In addition, they're also asking for fans to send their used cellphones to HBO as a sign of solidarity with the program. Thanks to Steve Silver, our CI in New York, for the tip.
UPDATE: If you're looking to make a bulk order of toy cellphones, this might be a good place to start.
I've added a number of links in the left margin of charities you can donate to to help with disaster relief in the affected areas. For a larger list, visit The Command Post.
Canada clocked Germany 9-0, outshooting the overmatched Germans, 52-17. Sidney Crosby scored twice more for the undefeated Canadians, and now leads all scorers with six for the tournament. Canada leads Pool B with six points, and should cruise easily to a first place finish and a berth in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the Russians put away Belarus, 7-2, leaving them tied for first in Pool A with the idle Team USA. Former number one draft pick Alexander Ovechkin scored twice for Russia. There's a slate of four games today, including: the Czech Rep. vs. Switzerland; Finland vs. Sweden; Belarus vs. Team USA (broadcast in the U.S. at 9:30 p.m. U.S. EST on ESPN2); and Slovakia vs. Germany.
And speaking of Team USA, I reviewed the videotape of the third period of Monday's 6-4 win over Switzerland, and was absolutely aghast. While I'm sure the crowd loved watching an eight-goal period, Team USA head coach Scott Sandelin couldn't have been happy with the sloppy play, blown defensive assignments, and lack of hustle demonstrated by the Americans.
Sure, the Americans are the defending champs. But I'm still waiting to see them play like it.
Click here for a profile of Team USA forward, Chris Bourque. Click here for a neat little CBC hack that displays the standings and complete tournament schedule all in one box. And on an up note, there's nothing but good news coming from the tournament box office.
The Denver Nuggests have hired Michael Cooper to replace Jeff Bzdelik as head coach, something that has Ted & Sara excited over at Women's Hoops. Why? Because Cooper was once head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, and his hiring is helping to legitimize the league as a source for coaching talent in the NBA.
Also, while you're visiting Ted & Sara, be sure to read about the end to a very sordid and troubling story involving youth sports -- and one that deserved more nationwide attention.
Here's a new game for Off Wing readers: I choose a quote from the world of sports, and you try to guess who it is and what they're talking about. Here's the first blind quote:
[T]hey don't want to negotiate with the players. They haven't negotiated in good faith in two years and they're giving us a take-it-or-leave-it offer that's half of the last offer. They're going to play games with the entire sport . . .
Place your bets . . . To find the answer, click the link for the extended entry . . .
(more...)Yesterday at his blog, Hugh Hewitt listed a set of questions he'd like to see reporters answer so their readers/viewers know what sort of biases they bring to the table.
In short, I think it's a good idea. So in turn, I came up with a list of questions of my own that should help shed some light on my own biases.
Primary assist to Chris Lynch. If you're not reading him everyday, now would be a good time to start.
Now, on to the questions . . . Feel free to ask me some more in the comments.
(more...)Amazon is collecting donations to help the relief efforts underway in Southeast Asia amd Africa. Please make a donation.
Just saw that the NFL Network has used a song by Fountains of Wayne called, All Kinds of Time, as the soundtrack to one of their promos:
Judy Fearing, the NFL Network's senior vice president for consumer marketing, said she first heard the song nine months ago and was struck by the cinematic narrative. "When I heard the song, it was almost as if they wrote it with NFL Films in mind," she said.
Nine months ago, eh? Looks like I'm in the wrong line of business. Here's one from the Off Wing archives dated January 20, 2004:
If the folks at NFL Films haven't already grabbed the rights to this song, they ought to right away. It's the perfect backdrop for a season opening video montage. If Steve Sabol is reading this, give me a call, I've already got the shooting script in the can.
To see the promo, click here.
Please send the finders fee to Eric McErlain c/o Off Wing Opinion, Reston, VA 20194.
Glenn Reynolds has given his readers an update on his experiences with his iPod, and he seems pretty happy. On the other hand, he's less satisfied with this wireless FM transmitter, which I've also owned for the last six months:
It's . . . okay. If you get into the car and just turn it on, it sounds pretty good. If you switch to it after either listening to the iPod on headphones or the CD player in the car, though, you can hear the difference. It's probably best to think of it as a car charger with additional wireless capabilities -- OK for occasional use, but not high fidelity. And though it's not cheap, it's not really very expensive, either.
As for my experience, it's been spotty at best. For short car rides in town, I don't even bother to bring it along. As crowded as the Washington-Baltimore radio dial is, there's simply too much interference to make it worthwhile. Instead, I find this device is far more useful on long trips -- especially when I make the drive from Washington to New York over the Holidays. Interference is still a problem, forcing me to change frequencies roughly every hour or so. Annoying? A little bit yes, but I found that I adjusted the frequency on the transmitter a lot less often than I did on my actual radio, where you're always playing hunt and find for local signals anyway.
So if you live in an area with a crowded radio dial, forget about it and wait for the inevitable upgrade that will allow you to jack your iPod directly into your car stereo. But if you make long trips in your car frequently enough (2 hours plus), or live in an area with a bit more distance between FM stations, it's a pretty good buy. If you're not sure what sort of area you live in, stop by your local Apple Store and ask. I've found they're generally pretty honest about this unit's capabilities.
What lessons should Team USA take away from their 6-4 win over Switzerland last night? If I was head coach Scott Sandelin, I'd be a little worried. It's one thing to give up four goals in a wide open game against Russia, but it's quite another to blow a 2-0 lead, and let Switzerland pot four goals in the final period.
At times last night, it seemed like Team USA was content to coast on its talent alone, figuring it could simply take advantage at will when the puck bounced their way. And for the first two periods, they were essentially correct, although the Swiss deserve credit for playing a disciplined defensive game in the first two periods that prevented Team USA from developing any offensive rythym. As ESPN2's brodcast team noted last night, players turn professional at 17 in Switzerland, and last night the Swiss certainly played like it.
So while Team USA's lackadaisical team might have been enough against Switzerland, and will probably be enough to defeat Belarus, I suspect it won't be nearly as successful against a more talented Czech squad they face later in pool play. And I know it won't be enough against Canada, the yardstick against which Team USA's play has to be measured each and every time. Up next for Team USA, Belarus on Wednesday night. For the remainder of the tournament schedule, click here.
And speaking of Team Canada, they stayed atop their pool with an 8-1 destruction of Sweden, with 17-year old phenom Sidney Crosby scoring twice. And speaking of Crosby, it looks like somebody in the NHLPA got to him and told him to shut up when it comes to playing in an NHL that might be populated with replacement players next season:
"If there is an NHL with replacement players, I think for me to be involved and to say that I would play in the league is not true," Crosby told TSN. "If the NHL is the real NHL with the best players in the world, for sure I want to play in it but at the same time, if it's a league of replacement players, it's not the real NHL. And with all the things going on right now with players and owners, it's not right and I don't think I'd be playing in a league like that."
Elsewhere in pool play, Slovakia blanked Finland, 2-0, and Russia defeated the Czech Republic, 4-1.
For all of your World Junior hockey needs, click here for coverage from TSN, or here for the official site. And thanks to the folks at Fox Sports World, who have added video highlights from the tourney into the nightly broadcast of Fox Sports World Report.
While plenty of New York football fans are pinning the blame for the Jets' recent woes of quarterback Chad Pennington, Newsday's Bob Glauber reminds us that the team's real problem might be on the other side of the ball, in particular, the absence of injured defensive end John Abraham:
There is no question the Jets are a more formidable defense with Abraham, one of perhaps 10 players in this league to whom offensive coordinators must pay particular attention in their blocking schemes. If you want to beat the Jets' defense, you'd better know where Abraham is at all times. That's why his absence makes this defense much easier to attack . . .[Defensive coordinator Donnie] Henderson's play-calling options are limited because of Abraham's absence. Without a pass rusher who can change the course of a game - either with a big sack or a forced fumble or both - Henderson can't be as varied with his calls. It also limits the effectiveness of the Jets' other linemen, who often were freed up with single blocking while Abraham was the focus.
"Yeah, you do miss a guy like that," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "He is a great rusher, and that always helps. We've just got to step up when he's not here."
But as we've seen in the past, stepping it up is exactly what the Jets haven't been able to do in their post-Super Bowl III history. And now that they'll be facing a Rams team on the road that will have something to play for on Sunday, things are looking decidedly grim for Gang Green.
Somebody snatched those Ravens tickets up pretty fast. Thanks to everyone who took a look.
After spending the day off running a few errands, I finally had a chance to sit down and watch the recording of Team USA's 5-4 win over Russia at the 2004 World Junior Championships -- the first hockey I've watched on television since Canada's victory over Finald in the finals of the World Cup of Hockey back in September.
That's almost 4 months without hockey -- too long as far as I'm concerned. And even though it wasn't the NHL, I was still glad to get a fix after going without. Some thoughts:
Why is it when Team USA and Russia get together both teams seem to forget about playing defense? No matter what level you choose -- Olympics, World Cup, World Juniors -- all these guys want to do is put the puck in the net. It's great for fans, but boy, it must drive the coaches insane.
Back during the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in June, I wondered out loud why Washington Capitals GM George McPhee would spend such a high draft pick (an early second rounder) on U.S. high school graduate and current Boston University forward Chris Bourque. Sure he had the pedigree, but it seemed like McPhee might have jumped a little early to get him.
Well, after watching three periods of Bourque, I'm not wondering anymore. The kid is a bundle of energy, and looked right at home on the ice in a wide open game against the Russians. Back at BU, Bourque is fourth on the team in scoring as a freshman, and leads the team in shots. I'm impressed so far, but I still want to see him in action against against a more physical squad like Team Canada.
Finally, it looks like Caps draft pick Alexander Ovechkin is ready for the NHL right now (he even looks the part with his tinted face shield). From the opening faceoff it was clear he was the best player on the ice, both as a scorer and a playmaker. And when he put a rocket over the shoulder of Team USA goalie Al Montoya and into the net, all I could think was that Montoya ought to get used to it.
If everything works out right, he'll probably be facing down that shot for better than a decade or more.
If the NHL ever returns, Ovechkin may very well save the Capitals franchise.
I'll be back in front of the television tonight at 9:00 p.m. when Team USA takes on Switzerland. Look for a recap later tonight or tomorrow morning.
I'm looking to sell my two tickets to Sunday's game on eBay.
Click here for the auction.
Cross posted on my blog
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The preliminary autopsy support suggests that Reggie did die of respiratory failure. He apparently had two respiratory problems - sarcoidosis and sleep apnea. Sleep apnea may have contributed to death
White had the disease, known as sarcoidosis, for several years, family spokesman Keith Johnson said Sunday. He described it as a respiratory ailment that affected White's sleep.On its Web site, the American Lung Association describes sarcoidosis as a disease characterized by the presence of small areas of inflamed cells that can attack any organ of the body but is most frequently found in the lungs.
The cause of the disease, which is most common among blacks and white northern Europeans, is not known.
Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing repeatedly -- in some cases, hundreds of times -- during their sleep.
Sarcoidosis is a well known granulomatous lung disease. Patients with sarcoidosis can have severe lung disease. It leads to a decrease in total lung capacity. That combined with sleep apnea probably led to decrease blood oxygen. This in turn probably lead to an arrythmia and sudden death.
This death is likely unavoidable. Perhaps the lung disease was much more severe than we knew. This death is unfortunate but it appears understandable.
Thanks to a last minute, non-refundable airfare, I was fortunate enough to miss the Jets' 23-7 loss to the Patriots at the Meadowlands yesterday. But as I've said before, what Jets fan on the planet didn't anticipate the outcome all week long?
Now the Jets head into the final week of the season in a position their fans find all too familiar: Needing a win to qualify for the postseason. Most recently, back in 2002, our heroes in kelly green and white needed a miraculous win by the Patriots over the Dolphins, plus a win over Green Bay at home in order to win the AFC East with a 9-7 record.
In 2000, they needed a win on the road at Baltimore to qualify in the season's final week. And after jumping out to an early lead, they blew it.
Ditto back in 1997, when in Bill Parcells' first year as coach the team needed a season-ending win at Detroit to clinch a Wild Card -- a hope that went up in smoke in part when rookie halback Leon Johnson threw an interception on an option play.
So what's going to happen next week in St. Louis? Does it really matter? Disaster lurks around every corner when you're a New York Jets fan. Sure, they might win next week, clinching a Wild Card spot, but ultimately, defeat lies only a weekend away. If they don't lose next week in St. Louis, they're sure to go belly up in the first round in San Diego. And if they manage to win there, that means another trip to New England where they get to me crushed one more time.
And some wonder why I don't write more about football.
Click here and wonder no more.
Thanks to Chris Lynch for the inspiration.
And BTW, Jose Lima signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals today.
I also blogged this at my own blog - db's Medical Rants
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Reggie White died last night. For the non-sports fans he was probably the greatest defensive end in the history of the NFL. He was 43. White dies Sunday morning
Through the family pastor, Sara White confirmed her husband's death, saying that she believes White died of respiratory failure related to his sleep apnea. An autopsy is to be performed to determine the exact cause of death, which was not immediately known.
Long time readers know that I often use the death of athletes as a teaching device in medicine. I will refrain from commenting on the cause of the death until we have the autopsy results. As usual, we should examine Reggie's death to see what medical lessons we might learn. More after the autopsy results become available.
Cable companies are now considering putting a time limit on how long you can keep an archived recording of a program on your DVR. Reemer has some thoughts:
For the consumer, time-limiting recorded programs would provide absolutely no benefit. It would drive people to products that compete with the cable companies' DVRs (see: TiVo, ReplayTV), or worse: to (gasp!) a file-sharing network like BitTorrent.Please don't stick your head in the sand, Big Cable Company. Find (or hire) smart people who grok technology and business in your organization, and listen to them. It'll be better for both you and us in the long run.
Amen, brother.
I just heard the sad news that Reggie White, one of the greatest defensive linemen in the history of pro football has died at the age of 43.
A report on ESPN.com says White's widow has reported he died of respiratory failure related to sleep apnea. But on ESPNews, Chris Mortensen said that White died of a massive heart attack. My condolences to his family and friends, who have to be in deep shock right now.
Back in January 2003, I linked to a multi-part series in the Arizona Republic on the physical toll professional sports takes on today's athlete. Unfortunately, that series is no longer available online. But if you click here, you'll find a reprint of a piece that originally appeared in the New York Times about the death of Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster:
While the damage to his mental capacities was significant
Despite the presence of the 4-time Stanley Cup Champion New York Islanders, Long Island hasn't exactly been known as a hotbed of elite talent (outside of Chris and Peter Ferraro). But thanks to a Lituanian immigant by the name of Aleksey Nikiforov, that's changing.
Here's Tom Allegra from Newsday:
The New York Bobcats junior elite ice hockey team coached by Nikiforov had just beaten South Kent (Mass.), 4-2, to advance to the final of the Northeast Hockey Showcase. Berglund, a Canadiens scout and UMass-Boston Hall of Fame goaltender, wanted to offer his congratulations."Thank you very much for bringing real hockey to New England," Berglund told Nikiforov. "I work for the Montreal Canadiens."
"Oh, yeah," Nikiforov blurted back. "Me, too."
Considering he had never met Nikiforov in his 30-plus years playing, coaching and scouting hockey, Berglund was dumbfounded. Little did he know that Nikiforov - a former Russian pro and longtime youth hockey instructor - had groomed the Canadiens' 2001 and 2002 first-round draft picks. Islip Terrace product Mike Komisarek (seventh overall pick, 2001) and Smithtown product Chris Higgins (14th, 2002) have been trained by Nikiforov since 1993.
Nikiforov describes himself as a disciple of Anatoli Tarasov, the former Soviet ice hockey coach who led that team to gold medals to three consecutive Olympic Games in 1964, 1968 and 1972 -- all the while proving to be an innovator in the way players prepared off the ice as well as practiced on it.
This piece is a rare gem, and one that Newsday shouldn't have buried deep in its high school sports section where hardly anyone could find it.
