Random thoughts:
- In Detroit we have a market that's had a tough time filling the building despite having a great team, two of the best all-around forwards in the league, and one of the best defensemen of all-time. So what does the NHL do? It schedules the Cup Finals so that three of the games take place at almost exactly the same time as the Pistons series with the Wings and the Pistons both at home for two of those games. Well played, NHL. There are days when I'm genuinely surprised the league is still in business. I understand they wanted to start on Saturday for television reasons but would it have really killed them to go on Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday instead?
- I was watching the Detroit players charging out of the tunnel for the pregame skate and I wondered if anyone ever trips. And then Marc-Andre Fleury answered that question by taking a huge face plant.
- I'm not a huge fan of the patches that all the pro sports leagues slap on jerseys for special events - I know I'm watching the Stanley Cup Finals, thanks - but those things really should be on the other shoulder so they don't interfere with the letters. The patch right on top of the C's and A's looks atrocious.
- Someone please give Detroit's P.A. guy a shot of adrenaline. He sounded like he was working a funeral. A Penguins fan could not have sounded less excited about the Wings scoring.
- I like to think I'm all smart about hockey now but tonight I went through the whole game thinking Mikael Samuelsson was Ulf Samuelsson. To the point where I said, "Did they just call Ulf 'Mikael'?" Which is when Mark gently pointed out that Ulf retired. I wasn't sure he was right so I did an internet search and sure enough, Ulf did retire. In 2000. I even have Mikael in my fantasy line-up this week so I really should know his name.
- I think one of the small pleasures of living in Buffalo is getting CBC but I'd much rather have Jim Hughson calling the games than Bob Cole and I'd much rather hear Kelly Hrudey than Don Cherry. I don't get Don Cherry's appeal. His appearances on Sportscenter were just one more reason for me to not watch Sportscenter.
On a totally unrelated note, I've been trying to be better about including credits with any photos I use, but I realized after Patty complimented the photo in the last post that I forgot to include that information there. I went back and added it but since most of you had probably already read the post by then, I'd like to state for the record that the photo was by Mike Lynaugh. Mike has a Sabres gallery at this link and it's full of beautiful action shots like the one I used of Dmitri Kalinin. Any time I'm looking for a photo of a player who doesn't come up a lot in a Google image search, I hit up his page and I almost always find something.
10 comments:
I think Don Cherry is a pompous windbag and he's annoying.
and the Wings wear their letters on the WRONG shoulder for some weird reason, thus the confusion witht he patches being in the same place. I don't understand it.
but GO RED WINGS!
The announcer at the Joe sounds a bit old and slow because he's 90 years old and has been their announcer for decades. He may not be exciting, but he's a huge tradition.
Huh. They do wear the letters on the wrong side. I'd never even noticed that, Sam. I wonder why they do that. Still... It's only two teams. Put the patches on the other side of one team's jerseys.
Matt, age is no excuse :P No way RJ sounds like that even at 90. But tradition is tradition. I do feel a little better knowing that.
It's only two teams. Put the patches on the other side of one team's jerseys.
But that would make sense!
I think one of the small pleasures of living in Buffalo is getting CBC
I'd do cartwheels down my street if Time Warner ever gave us CBC HD. I like the CBC announcers, but the Versus HD feed is so much clearer than the CBC one.
I think one of the small pleasures of living in Buffalo is getting CBC but I'd much rather have Jim Hughson calling the games than Bob Cole and I'd much rather hear Kelly Hrudey than Don Cherry.
I'm so with you. Kelly Hrudey is adorable and I love listening to Jimmy Hughson. His tone is much nicer to me than Cole's. But Cole is probably retiring soon, and Jimmy will become the main man.
Amy, I agree about CBC's picture. Even on the best days it's a little fuzzier than Versus and we don't even get Versus in HD. It was pretty good last night but there was a period earlier in the playoffs where it was unwatchable. One game it was so bright that everything was blurring together and the next game it was too far the other way and everything was dark and shadowy. Usually it's close enough for us that I'll take them over Versus though.
alix, Kelly Hrudey is absolutely adorable. He's very unjock-like. He's the sweet, funny boy that sits next to you in algebra that you suddenly realize one day is pretty cute.
But that would make sense!
And the NHL wants no part in that!
there must be some reason for it being on the wrong side, because the Wings have not always worn their letters on the right. (see pics of Steve Yzerman)
Who knows?
I was beaten to the Budd Lynch's age thing - but sometimes I agree, I mean it's tradition and I love him but oftentimes he sounds like he's saying "Goal scored by jaslka....afsa...awiqwurhaj..." My dad always starts insisting five minutes into the game that Lynch already needs his nap.
And as for the letters, this year they claimed the problem was that the winged wheel's shape means if the letter were on the usual side it wouldn't fit without going across the piping - but then again that didn't stop the Oilers so I've been confused all season.
Don Cherry's appeal lies soley in his wacky outfits. A couple weeks ago he had a sports coat that looked like fall foliage in his sportscenter appearance.
I love the hearts around Lidstrom.
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