Buffalo, are we seriously going to have a "We should have kept Marty Biron over Ryan Miller" debate? Seriously? Because I seem to remember Marty having plenty of time to establish himself as the number one guy in Buffalo and not being able to do it. I seem to remember Marty getting eaten alive some nights in the run and gun system that the Sabres played the last few years. I seem to remember Marty making a habit of getting really hot and reeling off a lot of wins - kind of like right now - but then giving up a softy that lets the other team back in or suddenly going cold and reeling off a lot of losses. Is he playing very well right now? Yes, he is. Is he one of the best players in his series? Yes, he is. Is he a good man who deserves every good thing that comes his way? As far as I know, yes, he absolutely is. But there's a reason he played in the first playoff series of his career this season. Ryan Miller helped get the Sabres to the Eastern Conference Finals in two of his first three years as a starter and I think came pretty close to doing it single-handedly in last season's playoffs. Does it suck that Ryan's doing intermission interviews in street clothes during the playoffs while Marty is still playing? Absolutely it does. Does it mean that Marty Biron is a better goalie than Ryan Miller and will be a better goalie than Ryan Miller for the next five to six years? No, it does not. Even great goalies have bad seasons. Even great goalies miss the playoffs. One great postseason does not a great goalie make. I love Marty but for the sake of my sanity I really hope the Flyers either collapse against Montreal or get destroyed by Pittsburgh so this conversation can go to the grave where it belongs.
Other things:
- On a similar note, yes, I see that Daniel Briere is having a good postseason. Believe it or not, this doesn't shock me. He's a good hockey player. I didn't expect him to cease to be a good hockey player once he left Buffalo. It is possible for him to be a good hockey player in one city and still not be the answer to all of a team's problems in another city. Consider this your gentle reminder, Buffalo, that he was actually on the team that choked in the playoffs last season. "Briere is having a good postseason in Philly" does not automatically equal "Briere would have gotten the Sabres to the same point" especially since he had a fairly pedestrian regular season.
- I've had a mad crush on Guy Carbonneau this postseason. His little bowl cut is a bit extreme but he always looks very dashing, I love his accent, I like the way he huddles in the tunnel during the introductions and anthems, and I fully appreciate how he can get across total disgust with a call with a half-smirk and slight roll of his eyes. I thought his comment on the sucker punch on Kimo Timonen was hilarious. ("I think he deserved it. They should have been happy to score and just gone back to the bench.") But Guy. Seriously. How could you not put Carey Price back on the horse tonight? I'm totally second-guessing him on that one.
(Please note: I didn't realize until a few days ago that Guy was on the '99 Dallas team. I'm cheering for Dallas in the West but as long as I don't think about Brett Hull I'm personally okay with that. (Mark is more conflicted. He found himself celebrating a Stars goal in Game 2 and then immediately said, "I just cheered a Dallas goal. I think I can actually feel my soul leaving my body.") Ultimately, the blame for No Goal belongs with the league. But I don't know, discovering Guy was on that team bummed me out a little.)
- My least favorite commercial of the postseason so far is the Acuvue ad with the flag football players. "I can catch, I swear! I just can't see through these friggin' glasses!" Whatever, dude. I think you just stink.
- My favorite commercials of the off-season are the Bud Light (I think) sports show spots. I don't like the "Are sports shows too commercialized?" ad quite as much (although I do love the guy holding the neon sign at the end) but the other two I've seen crack me up every time. I hate the way the talking heads laugh hysterically at everything everyone says - this is especially a problem on the various NFL panels - so the "Is there too much forced laughter?" ad really gets me. There's one guy - I think it's the neon sign guy - who ha ha ha ha ha ha's and then ends with just a couple of ho ho's and for some reason that absolutely kills us at our house. We wait for it every time and then totally crack up and have even started laughing that way ourselves. The "Do commentators disagree for entertainment purposes?" one is good too, especially the end. "It looks like we're going to have to agree to disagree." "I couldn't possibly agree to that." Although I also like, "Well, I disagree with your mild disagreement."
11 comments:
My least favorite commercial of the postseason so far is the Acuvue ad with the flag football players. "I can catch, I swear! I just can't see through these friggin' glasses!" Whatever, dude. I think you just stink.
AHAHAHAHAHHA YES YES YES. I know the commerical of which you speak and feel the same way....
Speaking of favorite moments in the Playoffs - I meant to post this yesterday.
Did anyone else notice the Referee telling Jaromir Jagr "Go f*ck yourself!" in the 3rd period the other night?
It happened with exactly 14:00 to go in the game after one of those "play was blown dead scrums." Jagr pled his point, the Ref gave his position and it appears Jagr made some dismissive comment as he turned away, to which the Ref responded with "f*ck yourself." The camera was right on the Ref and the mic picked it up as well.
I'm not sure if this happens often and I've never noticed before, but I assumed the Refs pretty much take it and never dish back. Am I imagining things?
Excellent post, Heather! I couldn't agree more about Marty vs. Ryan. I love Marty to death as a person; he's just so sweet and hilarious (without meaning to be a lot of times). I consider him to be one of my favorite players in the league outside of Buffalo.
However, like you said, he had his chance here and he didn't make the most of it. Sometimes goalies get hot (like Marty right now), but that does not mean we should all forget the guy who singlehandedly kept us in the playoffs last year.
I've had a mad crush on Guy Carbonneau this postseason.
I was thinking this while listening to sound bites on WGR this morning. I'm always a sucker for accents, and his is so great.
I agree about Guy. Very handsome. I've got a little crush on Fleury, too. Not that I want to jump him or anything (I'm probably old enough to be his mother) but he's such a smiler and seems like a nice guy. VERY nice accent and he's doing a great job for Pittsburgh.
Elma, wish I'd seen that ref telling Jagr what I tell him from my couch every game. It's almost more fun to see but not hear what they are saying to each other!
And the Acuvue commercial? I think those guys like each other a little too much.......
I also love the Avis Rental Car commercials with Clancy Brown (I think that's the guy's name - he was in Shawshank Redemption and appeared on Lost) doing the voice of the left behind car.
The Marty is better than Ryan debate is starting to infuriate me a bit. I'm a full-fledged Sabres fan and enjoy the comaraderie of fellow crazies, but sometimes people are just plain stupid.
But I shouldn't be surpised - there's a couple columnists that are just the same way and they get paid to be stupid!
I can't play in the commercials during the NHL playoffs game but my favorite commercial during the NBA playoffs is the commercial with Barkley and Wade when Wade says he's in Philadelphia and there is no statue of Barkley yet. He points out "Rocky has a statue, and he's not even real"
Come on, it was obvious that Biron was better than Miller. Just look at their numbers when they were both here...wait, that won't help. Anyways, Biron has joined the Myopic Sabres Fan NHL Hall of Fame. The basic qualifications for entry are to have played on the Sabres at some point, now no longer play on the Sabres. It certainly helps if said player left as a result of a "slight" from management. Real or imaginary.
As for commericals, I like the ones for ED treatment and the very subtle imagery employed. For instance, red"wood" trees pointing straight up in the air. What I still don't understand is the dual claw foot tubs overlooking a beach sunset?!
And if you are in the fantasy league, perhaps you noticed that someone has quietly climbed the standings. I won't name this player (it's Vanek's Hair) but he is poised for the top spot.
Vanek's Hair, I'm impressed, I admit. I totally effed up and played a goalie last week who had one game and then got eliminated. I was pretty annoyed with myself. Kate's pretty far ahead yet but she forgot to change her line-up so that might help.
And we're still only at the halfway point. You know who was sitting pretty at the halfway point of the NHL season? Ottawa. You know where they ended, right? :P
And if you are in the fantasy league, perhaps you noticed that someone has quietly climbed the standings. I won't name this player (it's Vanek's Hair) but he is poised for the top spot.
Granted I am totally sucking at this fantasy league and not trying to gang up on Vanek's Hair, but did anyone see where he dropped to today??? Huh???
Granted I am totally sucking at this fantasy league and not trying to gang up on Vanek's Hair, but did anyone see where he dropped to today??? Huh???
Ooh, ooh! I did! I did! I also noticed a particular team that jumped ahead of him...
I saw that, congrats! And way to go Katebits!
Apparently I thought the object was to get the lowest points, while picking players that are actually playing. Duh! Oh well, gotta learn somewhere.
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