Enter Blue Guy

I hate those stupid image things. I typed it in exactly, then I was told I "entered the image string incorrectly" and to try again in 24 hours. I fucked up. Those image verifications have become the bastard child of the internet.

I love the international rink size, so much better than the NHL.

Mike Richards is never going to be as explosive or offensively dynamic as Alex or Sid, but he is going to be the best two way player in league. Or he should be. Sid and Alex have a natural ability to handle the puck, they are masters, Richards isn't that type of player. Mike Richards is a guy just by looking at him you can tell one day he is going to be like a modern day Steve Yzerman. A skilled offensive player, heads up on defense, can make or end plays at either end of the ice, efficient, and intelligent.

Fuck, what an intense game yesterday. As a Canadian, I'm not offended by the "USA" or booing the national anthem. If anything it just adds to intensity, no matter how mind numbing the whole thing really is when the majority of Philly's best players have all repped Canada internationally. Anything with the Habs and Flyers so far has been is the best drama on television and as I fan looking for the outside, that's all I need.

I feel bad for Kalib because I'm sure he's not a bad human being who deserves to be ripped to shreds on anything other than a professional level. I do think he deserves every bit of criticism aimed at his performance and his release was warranted, IMO. Kalib fucked the dog and like I said, his heart has come in question repeatedly since his days on TUF, so he should be taking it like a man. I also think people need to get over it, I'm sure nobody realizes how much of an opportunity Starnes wasted more than he does. And if he doesn't, than he shouldn't be fighting professionally, because there are tons of fighters that would have committed murder to get a shot on an unaired prelim, let alone on a live PPV

I watched again late last night and I found 100% better and was able to sit through it completely without stopping. I think I was looking for a reason to knock it the first time. I'll be the first to admit my initial feelings about Juno may have been exaggerated a bit and I still feel the same to an extent, it was almost like the movie forced me to change how I felt about it.

I definitely agree, I'm just so used to seeing the refs throw common sense go out the window come playoff time. More on Wings/Avs, I was cheering for Detroit because they've been my backup/Western Conference team for an eternity now, but I hadn't even started paying attention to them until this round. Even now, with my two favorite Red Wing alums long gone, Sergei and Stevie, I've come to realize there isn't much left on this team for me to support. As players, I still like Ozzy and Lidstrom, but meh. On the other hand, Sakic is my third favorite player of all time (one of the only two bobbleheads I will ever own), so why not, I hope the Avs win just to see Burnaby Joe raise the cup one more time and ride off into the sunset.

I guess I'm sitting pretty happy as a Steeler fan. Which part of me is starting to resent because every time I talk about football and tell people I'm Steeler fan, I get pegged as a bandwagon jumper or a poser fan... seriously, what the fuck? I think people are under the assumption the Steelers dominate the AFC en route to Super Bowl glory every year. I'm starting to think the only way you can be fan of Pittsburgh Steelers and not get flack is by actually living in or around Pittsburgh itself. Actually, I'm not "starting" to think, I've been thinking like that for years, it's just gotten worse since that night in Detroit.

Living in Leaf Land myself, I can tell you the fan morale was in the gutter this year, even when they were making charges for whatever. It's always been easy for the folks to criticize and mock the team, but it's hard for Toronto fans to actually feel disdain for the the Buds. This season there was a definite feeling that Leaf fans are fed up with supporting a franchise that has become the poster boys for mediocrity.

As much as I hate to say it, that's playoff hockey. Since the time I can remember watching NHL playoffs, the reffing is always questionable at the very least. Maybe it's just me, the reffing in this post season as a whole has been some of the worst that I can remember. One shift the refs are "Lettin' 'em play", then on the very next shift they're blowing down house league penalties. They filtered a lot of the shit out of the second round, as most the usual poor reffing suspects are not being used now.

I just watched Juno last week for the first time. Reading that fake script posted two posts up sums up what I felt like I was watching. It wasn't bad. In fact it's actually a pretty good movie. My only problem with it, and I think this is fair to say even to people who adore this movie... it was so backed up with the aforementioned cultural references and general modern day campiness, I had to stop the movie a few times take a break from it. I think it's the type of movie I would loved if I was still in grade eight. Good movie, but it's almost as if somebody wrote it, then went back and pumped it full of "cultural references and general modern campiness."

There used to be this amazing blog type site that had almost every PRIDE event and a bunch of other Japanese promotions. I was there a few weeks ago and it none of the videos worked, then the next day it was gone. But yeah, I do have a link for you, check your PM in a minute or two.

It would be nice to see Funaki win. Everybody wants to see it. I couldn't care less about Tamura. I hate how Tamura speed walks his way to ring, acts like he doesn't give a shit. That's all that is required of him, but show that you care a little bit. That said, I'm going to say Tamura by KO in the 2nd round for some reason. Then Tamura can wander off to his next completely random fight that nobody outside of Japan really cares about.

The thing about Healy, having played places like Manhattan and Toronto (AND being part of the Toronto media already), I think he would be well aware of the constant media pressure to be successful and whatnot. How good he'd handle it, nobody knows, but he would definitely be as prepared as possible if it were somehow to happen. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page. I know Healy isn't coming anywhere near this GM spot, we're just shooting the shit here.

Healy doesn't fit into the Leaf philosophy of management, but I'm holding for one day that will change as well. That "new and innovative" will be part of TML philosophy, that is. Stranger things in life have happened. Oh wait, no they haven't Maybe thinking about him as "career back up goaltender" instead of "television analyst" would help you picture him in the role.

They were talking about the prospect of Healy taking the GM job in Toronto a lot when JFJ got canned. And why would Toronto be a bad place for Healy to start? He's got the knowledge, he knows the game better than just about anybody, he's got the nuts for everybody in and around the franchise to take him seriously. He'd have fresh ideas and plans, starting with what should be a young, moldable team that he can potentially be with in the long run. It's a looooooooooong shot and there are way better candidates out there, obviously, but I don't think giving Heals a chance as a new GM for a Toronto team that should be getting a total face lift is that bad of an idea. Like I said, there are way better options out there, but if there weren't, why not?

I agree with the media thing for the most part, but Glenn Healy will probably be a GM somewhere down the road and will probably make a pretty good one at that.

So no Burkie for now. Do they go out and get a guy like Doug Armstrong, who is easily the next hottest GM commodity now that Burke is staying put for next year? Or do you think it's worth enough for the Leafs to wait until next season and continue with the interim GM bonanza? I'm on the fence really. I hate the idea of waiting a whole other season before a GM with a plan in place can come in and take over, but at the same time, what is there to do right now besides take out the trash and tank to the bottom? People probably want their man of action in now, and if that's the case, Doug Armstrong did a hell of a job in Dallas. Simply looking past him and setting sights on Burke is unfair, because Armstrong would be a tremendous choice. Besides, it already sounds like fans believe Brian Burke is the surefire piece of the puzzle that is going to turn things around. Don't worry, we got Brian Burke coming in to clean up the mess. He's got the hands of hockey Gods! He might even solve the homeless and weapon violence problems in the city too! EDIT: This is assuming Armstrong even wants to go to the Leafs. Most GM's have wet dreams about being the guy that turns the ship around in Toronto and wins a cup, but who has the balls and tolerance to deal with this team, it's ownership, and the city is another thing. I'm sure the money would help.

I still don't understand how you can have Georges Laraque, Anson Carter, and Mike Grier all on one team and the universe doesn't explode. The blackest hockey team ever.

Random playoff memory, did anybody else think it was awesome when Georges Laraque used to take the ice in Edmonton, they used play "Stop the Rock", and the crowd used to chant "Stop, Laraque, Can't Stop Laraque"? They should really be doing that in Pittsburgh. I'm sure they did that during the regular season, but my Oilers' experiences are almost all playoff ones.

Philly needs to make the series uncomfortable as possible for the Habs right off the drop off the puck. Just take the ice right away from them up, rough them up. I don't know if Montreal has the character or durability to survive a physical seven game grinder of a second round series and beyond. This series is really up in the air for me, I think every game is going to be decided by which team is going to set the pace to play their type of game the quickest. If Philly can keep it tight, rough, and keep it man to man, they've got the talent to find the net and finish it off. But if Montreal comes out running and gunning, getting odd man rushes, take advantage of the PP, they have too much speed and killer instinct to not continually put the puck past Biron. I like New York against the Pens. They are playing with such confidence coming out of the last round, just plain out classing a tough New Jersey team and owning Martin Brodeur's property. I think the best is really yet to come too, now that they have this young, hot Pens team in front of them, I think you are going to see the skilled playoff vets go that much harder. It doesn't hurt that you have arguably the best goalie in the league backing you up either.

Not from me. It seems like Sid the Kid has been a superstar in Canada for like a decade already, I was sick of the guy before he was even drafted. I'm looking forward to seeing Philly's young studs more than Pittsburgh's. Mike Richards is Jesus.

I was greatly disappointed when I saw a photo of him without his helmet on and he didn't have the exact same haircut as his dad.

Longer and better

Thinking of him screaming "I swear a God!" at the top of his lungs on the golf course still makes me smile.