NHL Playoffs Day 15 Open Thread

Tonight's game....

Game 1: Chicago @ Vancouver 9:00 (Versus - Dave Strader and Ed Olczyk, SR: Bob Harwood) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Scott Oake)

Enjoy the game and leave comments!

Conference Semifinals Simulated: Chicago Vs. Vancouver

Who will meet Anaheim in the Western Conference finals? Well, we are about to find out! It's Chicago vs. Vancouver in a thrilling Western Conference semifinal series. I hope you enjoy it, SSR. ;-)

(All simulations courtesy of WhatIfSports.com)

Game 1: The game started out rather slow and while Chicago had more shots on goal, you can tell that there was a feeling out period to start the game. The teams exploded in the 2nd though with 2 goals a piece entering the 3rd period. Henrik Sedin scored with 8:28 to go to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead in the 3rd! But, a costly double minor on Alexander Edler for boarding gave the Blackhawks double minor! And because there’s only 2:56 to go, it’s for the rest of the game! Chicago is struggling to get chances. Chance for Vancouver short-handed but it is offsides. Faceoff is won by Adams of the Blackhawks but it’s stolen by Salo! Salo to Henrik Sedin! Sedin to Wellood. Wellwood fires AND SCORES!!! A SHORT-HANDED DAGGER!!! Canucks hang on to win Game 1 by a score of 4-2 and lead the series 1-0!

Game 2: This one was quite the exciting affair. An evenly matched game and they went back and forth all night long. What was once a 2-0 lead for Vancouver quickly evaporated into a 3-2 Chicago lead midway through the 3rd. But it would not stay that way for long as Taylor Pratt TIED THE GAME WITH 9:10 TO GO!!! The back and forth play would continue with chances for both sides but no one could convert and we’re going to overtime! AND ONCE AGAIN, EDLER GETS A DOUBLE MINOR FOR VANCOUVER!!! THIS ONE IS FOR CHARGING!!! Blackhawks with a 4-minute power play in OT. The pass goes to Havlat! HAVLAT FIRES AND SCORES!!!!!! A POWER PLAY GOAL FOR THE BLACKHAWKS AND THIS SERIES IS TIED AT 1 HEADING TO THE UNITED CENTER!!!!

Game 3: Taylor Pratt got things started quickly with 4:50 into this game with an early goal for the Canucks! But that would not be the last time someone scored in this game, that’s for sure. We enter the 2nd period…and Toes ties it up at 1! Sedin scores for the Canucks! 5-minute later it’s Bernier scoring!!! 3-1 Vancouver!! Entering the 3rd period….still 3-1 Vancouver! 8-minutes in it’s Versteeg scoring! And we’re 3-2! Havlat ties it up at 3 5-minutes later!!! 46 seconds later, A DRIVE BY EAGER AND HE SCORES!!! HAWKS LEAD, 4-3!!! Both teams trying to take a 2-1 series lead! Can Vancouver come back??? They jockey back and forth for awhile. Neither team can get a chance on goal for quite awhile. BUT WAIT!!! HANSEN IN FRONT GETS THE PASS FROM MITCHELL AND SCORES!!!!! WITH 2:15 TO GO!!!! This one is heading into overtime!!! Time winding down in OT, under a minute to go! DEMITRA WITH A DRIVE…..SAVE BY KHABIBULIN! AND IT’S GOING TO DOUBLE OT!!! In double OT, there IS A PENALTY ON MATT WALKER OF THE HAWKS!!! And somehow, the Canucks can’t get a chance on goal! How does that happen in overtime??? Kesler has the puck now and he’ll dish to Bernier. Bernier over to Sedin who SHOOTS IT……HEEEEEE SCOOOOOOOOOOORRRREEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!! AND THE CANUCKS HAVE TAKEN GAME 3 IN DOUBLE OT, 5-4!!! WHAT A GAME! Canucks now lead the series 2-1!

Game 4: This was the first game of the series where there was a real discrepancy in shot on goal. The Hawks outshot the Canucks 50-27 in this game! But it was only 2-0 Chicago entering into the 3rd period and the Canucks would not go quietly into the night! 11 minutes to go in the game and Alex Burrows narrows the deficit to 1! 2 minutes later and it’s Daniel Sedin scoring!! All of a sudden, this game is tied!!! But wait, it’s not over!!! 1 minute and 13 seconds later, it’s Pavel Demitra scoring!!!! 3 GOALS IN THE SPAN OF 3 MINUTES AND 5 SECONDS AND THE CANUCKS NOW LEAD IT 3-2!!! But the Blackhawks would continue their offensive fleury, but Luongo would make save after save!!! Talk about huge!! 1 MINUTE TO GO!! KHABIBULIN IS PULLED!! SHOT BY LADD IS STOPPED BY LUONGO!!! CANUCKS CAN’T CLEAR!! DRIVE BY LADD…DEFLECTED OUT OF PLAY!!!! HAWKS WIN THE FACEOFF!!! THEY PASS IT AROUND!!! 20 SECONDS TO GO!!! BOLLAND FIRES IT…..AND HE MISSES JUST WIDE!!! CANUCKS GET A HOLD OF THE PUCK AND THEY CLEAR THE ZONE AND THAT’S IT!!!! VANCOUVER HAS A HUGE 3RD PERIOD COMEBACK TO WIN THE GAME 3-2 AND LEAD THE SERIES 3-1!!! Wow!

Game 5: Back to Vancouver we go! And after 2 excruciating defeats, the Chicago Blackhawks just do not have it in them to put up a competitive fight in this one. They got some chances early, and stayed tight throughout but 2 Canuck goals in the 2nd period and a dagger from Edler 3 minutes into the 3rd period spelt the end of the series for the Blackhawks and a trip to the Western Conference Finals for the Vancouver Canucks. They win this game 3-0 and the series 4 games to 1.

NBA Playoffs Day 13 Open Thread

Tonight's games...

Game 6: Boston @ Chicago 7:00 (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 6: Orlando @ Philadelphia 7:30 (NBATV)

Game 6: Portland @ Houston 9:30 (TNT - Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

Versus Could End Up Airing The End Of The Stanley Cup Finals

So I was reading a Press Release over at Puck The Media today that highlighted Versus' highest ever 1st round ratings ever and their schedule and coverage for the next round. Nothing really earth shattering, to say the least. Hockey's ratings have been growing slowly but surely and with the tremendous excitement that came with this year's first round, it was bound to happen. However, something unrelated in that press release caught my eye that I think is worth sharing with you. (Click the Puck The Media link up top for more)

VERSUS’ 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage will culminate with games three and four of the Stanley Cup Final. This is a change from the past three seasons as VERSUS previously aired games one and two of the Final. NBC will broadcast games one and two of the Final as well as games five, six and seven, if necessary.

Wait a minute? Versus could end up airing the Stanley Cup winner if the series is a sweep????? While I am all in for putting games 1 and 2 on NBC as I think that that is a very good idea (get viewer interest on a network before moving it to cable), I would be hesitant to put the potential championship deciding game on a cable network. If Versus has to have 2 games of the Stanley Cup Finals, I would make it Games 2 and 3, that way you have the pre-exposure on the national level, and you are not jeopardizing your championship to be handed out on a cable network.

Song Of The Day: "Driven Under" By Seether

FYI, this is my 300th post!

So I've Taken Up This Little Challenge....

Over at The O Files, JamesCraven put up a challenge to donate $.01 per second to a "charity of Keith [Olbermann]'s choice" if Sean Hannity goes through with his agreement he made to be waterboarded, as seen below, and double if he admits that it is torture.



Olbermann is donating $1,000 to charity per second that Hannity is waterboarded and double if he admits it is torture. JC, as mentioned above, as lowered the standard quite a bit. Now me being the poor, financially inept, skin-flinted college student that I am, I have decided that that would be too much for me. Yes, even $.01 per second, which would most likely equate to $.10....if he ends up admitting it was torture. So I have decided to take up a new, perhaps more interesting challenge. If Sean Hannity goes through with his promise and allows himself to be waterboarded with some documentation other than word of mouth that it happened, I will stop blogging and commenting on all blogs for a week. And if Sean Hannity admits that waterboarding is torture and/or that he feared for his life, I will make it 2 weeks without blogging and commenting on others' blogs.

Hell, you know what, I just thought of this right now. I'll raise the stakes, make this even more funner and challenging for myself. I'll torture myself in my own unique way. I'll stay off the internet, period! 1 week just for doing it with documentation; 2 weeks if he admits that it is torture.

(Note: I am not trivializing waterboarding to say the least. I fully, 100% believe that it is torture. However, other people other than Keith Olbermann have pledged various things if Sean Hannity goes through with it. Now whether we are right or wrong in doing so, that is your call, but I am just letting you know my stance on this.)

NBA Playoffs Day 12 Open Thread

Tonight's games....

Game 5: Miami @ Atlanta 8:00 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: Cheryl Miller)

Game 5: New Orleans @ Denver 10:30 PM (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Marc Fein)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! Personally, I'll be taking a break from sports today and will be watching Lie To Me at 8 ET (awesome show, I highly recommend it) and working on a paper and studying for my eggsams, as my one professor last semester called them.

Conference Semifinals Simulated: Anaheim vs. Detroit

Over the next 48 hours or so, I will have up simulations of the NHL conference semifinal series. And while I can't guarantee you that I will have all of them done by Thursday at 9 (when the Chicago-Vancouver series starts), I can guarantee you that I will have all of them up by the time each series' respective game 1 starts (in other words, I will have Vancouver-Chicago up by 9 PM tomorrow and so on and so forth). Enjoy!

Game 1: Game 1 had quite the intense start with the Red Wings getting multiple chances on goal! And they would cap off those chances with a PENALTY SHOT! Pronger did not agree with the call and got a 10-minute misconduct! Meanwhile on the penalty shot SAMUELSSON SCORES! 1-0 Detroit! But that would not last for them. Despite being heavily out-shot, the Ducks would score 4 of the games’ next 5 goals to take a 4-2 lead in Detroit! But the Red Wings would battle back, with A GOAL BY DANIEL CLEARY WITH 3:02 TO GO! And the Red Wings have a chance in this one! The Red Wings would continue to pound Jonas Hiller with chances but he came up huge each time! And now Osgood is pulled! 1-MINUTE TO GO! SHOT BY RAFALSKI IS SAVED BY HILLER! STUART….NO!!! ZETTERBERG…STOPPED BY HILLER!! AND THAT’S IT!!! DUCKS TAKE GAME 1 IN AN UPSET!! 4-3 OVER THE RED WINGS! And the Ducks lead the series 1-0!

Game 2: Once again, the Detroit Red Wings outshot the Anaheim Ducks. This time, by a total of 55-37, but this game, unlike the last won was a blow-out win. For the Anaheim Ducks, that is! Jonas Hiller was a flat out beast in net, stopping 53 of 55 shots as the Ducks have apparently discovered Chris Osgood’s weakness. Goals by Ken Klee, 2 for Corey Perry, Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Kunitz made this one a 5-2 laugher win for the #7-seeded Ducks and they lead the series 2 games to none as the series moves to the Honda Center.

Game 3: The Detroit Red Wings were relatively limited on shots on goal this game, only getting 38, by far their lowest shot total of the season. But naturally, this was also the game that Anaheim could not light up Osgood like they did twice in Detroit. The Wings scored with 32 seconds left in the 1st when Brett Lebda knocked it home. The Ducks would retaliate 4 SECONDS LATER WITH A DRIVE BY ROB NIEDERMEYER! Into the 2nd and the Red Wings would take back the led with a Holmstrom goal. Into the 3rd, not much action so we will take you to the exciting finish with the pulling of Jonas Hiller…SUTHERBY A DRIVE…..STOPPED BY OSGOOD! PUCK GOES TO GETZLAF! CHANCE; SAVE OSGOOD!!! GETZLAF AGAIN….DENIED BY OSGOOD!!! AND THE RED WINGS CLEAR THE ZONE!!! UNDER 15 TO GO….DUCKS TRYING TO PENETRATE!! DRIVE BY NIEDERMEYER IS BLOCKED AND THE PUCK IS CLEARED AGAIN AND THAT’LL DO IT!!! RED WINGS TAKE GAME 3, 2-1! But the Ducks still lead the series 2-1 as we head into Game 4.

Game 4: The road team has won every game in this series thus far, and this one from Anaheim would be no different. And this one was rather ugly. The Red Wings notched 2 goals in the 1st period and they never looked back despite a scoreless 2nd period. They would go up 4-1 in the 3rd before settling for a 4-2 victory after a garbage time goal for the Ducks by Travis Moen. But the big news is that heading back to the the Joe, this series is tied at 2.

Game 5: The Detroit Red Wings were back to their old home ways of heavily out-shooting their foe, but this one would not be decided by shots on goal. The Ducks started things off in the 1st with a goal by Corey Perry. But in the 2nd period THE RED WINGS WOULD SCORE 4 GOALS!, including 2 goals at 5 seconds apart when the game was tied at 2! The Ducks would manage 1 goal in that period as alluded to, but they would be down 4-2 at the break setting up the 3rd period. 47 SECONDS INTO THE 3RD AND BOBBY RYAN SCORES!! AND THE RED WING LEAD IS DOWN TO 1!! Can the Ducks complete the comeback? YES THEY CAN!! WITH UNDER 11 MINUTES TO GO, CHRIS KUNITZ HAS TIED IT AT 4!! The Red Wings would do some more dominating of the shots, but they could not beat Hiller as we end up settling for OVERTIME! In OT, the Ducks and Red Wings tried to settle down a bit, with neither team getting too many shots or chances. 9:18 to go in the 1st OT and Draper is coming in, takes a SHOT…SAVED BY HILLER!! The Ducks take it the other way. PERRY A SHOT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! Whistle blows as the net is off it’s moorings. Faceoff won by the Ducks. Getzlaf wins the draw. Passes it to to Kunitz. Kunitz to Perry. PERRY TAKES THE SHOT AND HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON GAME 5 IN OVERTIME AND THEY HAVE TAKEN A 3-2 SERIES LEAD!!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!

Game 6: The Red Wings looked to continue the trend of the road teams winning with an early goal in the 1st 24 seconds by Hossa! Both teams would had a goal to their total in the 2nd period to make it 2-1 Detroit heading into the 3rd period of a key Game 6. Can the Red Wings continue the trend? Can the Ducks break the trend and take the series? Wisneiwski shoots it….SAVE! Another chance for Getzlaf and Osgood stops it again! Can the Ducks break through? Can they tie the series? CHANCE BY RYAN AND HE KNOCKS IT HOME!!! THE DUCKS HAVE TIED THE GAME!!! Back and forth they go afterward….UNDER A MINUTE IN REGULATION! TIED AT 2 IN GAME 6! 27 SECONDS TO GO….HOSSA SNAPS IT…….SAVE BY HILLER!!!! NO REBOUND NO MORE CHANCES!! OVERTIME IN GAME 6!!! In OT, the Red Wings do what they have done best and dominate play but nothing on the scoreboard. PENALTY ON ANAHEIM!! BUT WAIT, SHORTHANDED! DRIVE BY EBBETT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! WHAT A CHANCE!! The Red Wings take it the other way on the Power Play. Datsuyk shoots it and it’s saved by Hiller! REBOUND BY RAFALSKI AND HE CAN’T GET IT BY HILLER! Time continues to tick in the 1st OT, approaching the end of it. SHOT BY PARROS AND IT’S SAVED BY OSGOOD! REBOUND BRAD MAY OFF THE BACKHAND……NO!!! SAVED BY OSGOOD!! No other chances in the 1st OT means Double OT in the Honda Duck Pond. Not too many golden opportunities in this OT. You can tell the fatigue is setting in. It’s been a grueling series thus far and it’s been illustrated thus far in this Double OT. Under 5 to go in Double OT……SHOT BY DATSUYK…SAVED BY HILLER!! And now we’re under a minute in double OT! KUNITZ SHOOTS IT……HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON THE GAME!!!! THE DUCKS WIN GAME 6!!!! THEY’VE WON THE SERIES!!! THE 8-SEEDED ANAHEIM DUCKS ARE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!

Song Of The Day: "Hit The Floor" By Linkin Park

In memory of the 2008-09 New Jersey Devils' season and Stanley Cup aspirations....

2009 NHL Conference Semifinal Schedule

I'm not always necessarily one to go for the big time hype of a series. But Crosby vs. Ovechkin is just what the doctor ordered for the NHL! This series should be full of epicness. But regardless, here is your schedule for the conference semifinals and things are being kicked off tomorrow with Blackhawks vs. Canucks as the lone game. (all times eastern)

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Game 1: Bruins 4-1
Game 2: Hurricanes 3-0
Game 3: Hurricanes 3-2 F/OT
Game 4: Hurricanes 4-1
Game 5: Bruins 4-0
Game 6: Bruins 4-2
Game 7: Hurricanes 3-2 F/OT
Carolina wins the series 4-3.

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #5 Pittsburgh Penguins
Game 1: Capitals 3-2
Game 2: Capitals 4-3
Game 3: Penguins 3-2 F/OT
Game 4: Penguins 5-3
Game 5: Penguins 4-3 F/OT
Game 6: Capitals 5-4 F/OT
Game 7: Penguins 6-2
Pittsburgh wins the series 4-3.

Western Conference

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks
Game 1: Red Wings 3-2
Game 2: Ducks 4-3 F/3OT
Game 3: Ducks 2-1
Game 4: Red Wings 6-3
Game 5: Red Wings 4-1
Game 6: Ducks 2-1
Game 7: Red Wings 4-3
Detroit wins the series 4-3.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #4 Chicago Blackhawks
Game 1: Canucks 5-3
Game 2: Blackhawks 6-3
Game 3: Canucks 3-1
Game 4: Blackhawks 2-1 F/OT
Game 5: Blackhawks 4-2
Game 6: Blackhawks 7-5
Chicago wins the series 4-2.

Announcers from Puck The Media and the506.

Videos Of Epicness: 2 Thrilling Game 7s With 2 Hilarious Choke Jobs

Well, they are hilarious for me at least, a Flyers fan. Forget the NBA playoffs, last night featured perhaps one of, if not the, most exciting and unpredictable hour that I can eve recall. The New York Rangers were up 3 games to 1 on the Capitals. The Caps had completely blown out the Rangers the next 2 games and what happened next was me seeing a team that I hate pull a 2000 Flyers Eastern Conference Finals. Your first video of epicness of the day: Highlights from Game 7 Rangers @ Caps from the Verizon Center.



And if you thought the Flyers blowing a 3-goal lead to lose a must-win Game 6, wait until you see what the Devils did in Game 7. Cue video of epicness #2: Game 7: Carolina @ New Jersey from the Prudential Center.



THAT.........WAS.......AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And no, I am not content on just showing that once. NHLVideos decided to use the Doc Emrick call from MSG+. But, John Forslund was admitted into the hospital last night after calling the Hurricanes-Devils game. Here's why.....



This will never get old!!! Good luck to the Carolina Hurricanes. You guys officially have my support to win the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And it does not hurt my new-found love for them that they have ex-Flyer Rod Brind'amour.

Conference Semifinals start tomorrow with the Blackhawks vs. the Canucks at 9:00 tomorrow (schedule will be up in a bit). And thanks to the Hurricanes comeback, it's Ovechkin vs. Crosby!!!!! I've never been this pumped for a non-Flyers NHL playoff series in my life!

NHL Playoffs Day 14 Open Thread (All The Fun Of A Game 7 Times 2)

Tonight's Game 7s....

New York @ Washington 7:00 (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro) (RDS)

Carolina @ New Jersey 7:30 (Versus - Will JIP MSG+ broadcast after Rangers-Caps) (TSN2 - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! I'll be live blogging Countdown with Keith Olbermann over at The O Files tonight at 8 so any updates on both these games and the NBA games would be greatly appreciated.

NBA Playoffs Day 11 Open Thread

Tonight's Games....

Game 5: Chicago @ Boston 7:00 PM (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 5: Philadelphia @ Orlando 7:30 PM (NBATV)

Game 5: Dallas @ San Antonio 9:30 PM (TNT - Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo, SR: Marty Snider)

Game 5: Houston @ Portland 10:00 PM (NBATV)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

Donovan McNabb Has A New Occupation

At least according to Matt Vasgersian....



My, Donovan....you sure have put on some weight. And my.....Donovan, how you have also shrunken. You gotta stop working out in the desert, man. It's killing you.

In all seriousness, though, I've seen that clip 3 times and am yet to make out any resemblence at all to Donovan McNabb. I'm now beginning to wonder if Matt Vasgersian was high. And I love how he was told in his ear that they were live! Although, somehow, I think he knew (or at least as much as you can know after you just took some LSD...)

Another Awkward Moment in Television History Featuring Matt Vasgersian (Bugs & Cranks)

ESPN Has A Unique System Of Grading Each Team's Draft

Yes, I saw this last night over at AA and was not planning on touching it, but it's a Tuesday, I'm bored out of mind, and hey, it's not like I have finals or anything this week and a paper due, right? More to the point, while initially they had a small problem with using the wrong USA Today grades (2008 instead of 2009), they have fixed it and then they have done something that I don't ever recall seeing before. They have averaged together a bunch of grades and given each team an NFL Draft GPA! So without further ado, this is what ESPN has calculated. The Valedictorians for the Class of 2009 are none other than........THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!!! And while ESPN's format is somewhat hard to read without scrolling your lights out, I have simplified all of the GPAs for you underneath (teams ranked from highest to lowest).

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 3.56
2. New England Patriots: 3.44
3. Green Bay Packers: 3.33
3. New York Jets: 3.33
5. New York Giants: 3.30
6. Detroit Lions: 3.19
6. Cincinnati Bengals: 3.19
8. Houston Texans: 3.11
9. Arizona Cardinals: 3.07
10. Chicago Bears: 3.04
10. Baltimore Ravens: 3.04
10. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3.04
13. Atlanta Falcons: 2.96
14. St. Louis Rams: 2.74
14. Cleveland Browns: 2.74
16. Seattle Seahawks: 2.67
16. Tennessee Titans: 2.67
16. Indianapolis Colts: 2.67
19. Minnesota Vikings: 2.59
19. Buffalo Bills: 2.59
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2.48
22. Carolina Panthers: 2.41
22. Denver Broncos: 2.41
22. Kansas City Chiefs: 2.41
25. Miami Dolphins: 2.37
26. San Francisco 49ers: 2.33
27. New Orleans Saints: 2.30
28. San Diego Chargers: 2.22
29. Washington Redskins: 2.15
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2.00
31. Dallas Cowboys: 1.67
32. Oakland Raiders: 0.59

Like I said in my personal winners and losers post, the Raiders lost that draft so bad that they do not even deserve to be called losers. And I think that this pretty much proves it.

Consensus NFL Draft Grades (ESPN.com)

NHL Playoffs Day 13 Open Thread

Tonight's games.....

Game 6: Chicago @ Calgary 9:30 (Versus - Will air TSN broadcast) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin)

Game 6: San Jose @ Anaheim 10:30 (Versus - Will JIP CBC broadcast after Chicago-Calgary) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! Oh, and good luck getting this out of your mind.

NBA Playoffs Day 10 Open Thread

Tonight's games....

Game 4: Atlanta @ Miami 8:00 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratell, SR: Cheryl Miller)

Game 4: Denver @ New Orleans 8:30 PM (NBATV)

Game 5: Utah @ Los Angeles 10:30 (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

Versus Might Want To Think About An Apology For Showing This...

I'm not even going to comment on this....



Like I said above, no comment.

The Winners And The Losers Of The NFL Draft

So even though we really do not know what people will be booms and which ones will be busts, I think that it is safe to say that we can look at who on the outsets of things got some good deals and some bang for their buck while others, not so much. And while I could be like USA Today and give every team a grade, this is finals week and frankly, I don't have time for that. But alas, winners and losers

Winners

Philadelphia Eagles - Maclin, Jason Peters, Shady McCoy, Ellis Hobbs, Macho Harris.......I LOVE YOU ANDY REID, TOM HECKERT, JOE BANNER AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE EAGLES FRONT OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hell, you can even throw Cornelius Ingram in that list as the receiving tight end that the Eagles need. And for those that think that the Eagles should have gotten Pettigrew instead of Maclin, Pettigrew is more of a run-blocking tight end than a receiving tight end and the Eagles much prefer the receiving type and Ingram more fits that bill than does Pettigrew. My only complaints, and all things considered they're minor ones, but I would have liked to see the Eagles draft a safety in case Sean Jones does not work out, especially seeing as his deal is only a 1-year deal, and I think that now might be time to find David Akers' successor. It is becoming more and more apparent that he is past his prime. Then again, arguably the kicker in the draft, Graham Gano, went undrafted, so there's still hope in that area. Obviously it's hard to judge drafts like this when you have not seen how these players will transition to the NFL, but comparing this draft to the past few drafts the Eagles had at this time, this one is by a mile their best in a few years.

New York Jets: I may take a lot of heat for this one because the Jets did not have a whole lot of picks, but they made the move of the draft, trading up to get Mark Sanchez. And while there are some question marks with Sanchez's experience, I see him having a better pro career and a better rookie year than Matt Stafford. Although a lot of that has to do with that while not an awful draft, the Lions did not hit a home run with their other picks like they had the potential of doing so.

New York Giants: And on the complete opposite side of the coin, there is the team that just sits there and gets lucky and gets the guys they want where they want them and that's what the Giants did. If Hakeem Nicks plays half as good as he did in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, then he is sure to have a great career in the NFL and for good measure meet Plaxico Burress' direct replacement, Ramses Barden, all 6'6" of him.

Seattle Seahawks: See Denver Broncos.

Losers:

Denver Broncos: The problem with the Denver Broncos is that there team is a clusterfuck of players with no real team identity. Is Neckbeard the Pirate really going to be the starting QB for the Broncos? And while Knowshon Moreno is projected to be a good pick, it can be said that it was a reach as a reach to a #12 pick, especiallly seeing as almost everyone projected him to the Eagles at #21. Oh yeah. And the Broncos are fucked next year. They traded a 1st round pick to the Seahawks in the 2nd round so that they could move up and take Alphonso Smith out of Wake Forest. Wait......THEY DID WHAT?!?!?!? A team that was not that good last year and may have done some subtraction through addition over the off-season, if you will (seriously....how many players did they get and yet, it seems like they got no one of worth; other than Dawkins' leadership) with a new coach and a mediocre free agent QB just traded away it's 1st round draft pick in 2010?!?!? Are you kidding me???? Be excited, Seattle fans. Be very excited. Write this down and don't you forget it: You just got yourselves a top 7 pick in the 2010 draft.

Dallas Cowboys: When you're the Dallas Cowboys and you do not pick until the third round and when you finally do pick, you draft some guy from Western Illinois and Trey Wingo's initial reaction is literally to say "Who?", it's not a good draft for you. (Alleged Wingo quote attributed to USA Today article linked to above)

Cincinnati Bengals: Maybe the Bengals know something we don't. They got great talent in the draft in Andre Smith and Ray Maualuga, but there's a reason why Smith was not the 1st offensive tackle taken and Maualuga dropped to the 2nd round and it's because they have character issues. And it would take 6 posts to document all of the character issues of 6th round pick Bernard Scott. I am yet to figure out if this is supposed to be a rehabilitation center of an NFL franchise.

The Team That Lost So Bad That They Don't Even Deserve To Be Called Losers

Oakland Raiders: The Detroit Lions absolutely <3 the Raiders!!!!!!!!!!! Darius Heyward-Bey (WR) at 7.........Michael Mitchell (safety) in the 2nd round........a 2-year old could have done a better job with this draft!!! Mitchell was projected 7th round!! And Heyward-Bay is the master at dropping balls and taking days and games off! But you know what their upside is: They have speed!!! Although Al Davis forgot to overlook one factor.....the speed factor is pretty much nullified if you can't make the catch or the tackle! The Raiders are on the clock for the 1st pick of the 2010 draft as we speak and the Detroit Lions may no longer be the lone team to go 0-16. And unlike the Lions, I am actually rooting for this team to go 0-16. Maybe that'll finally get Al Davis' head out of his own ass....

NHL Playoffs Day 12 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 6: Washington @ New York 2:00 PM (NBC - Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk, SR: Darren Pang) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro) (RDS)

Game 6: New Jersey @ Carolina 7:30 (Versus - Joe Beninati and Darren Eliot, SR: Bob Harwood) (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

NBA Playoffs Day 9 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 4: Boston @ Chicago 1:00 PM (ABC - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, SR: Lisa Salters)

Game 4: Cleveland @ Detroit 3:30 PM (ABC - Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown, SR: Heather Cox)

Game 4: Orlando @ Philadelphia 6:30 PM (TNT - Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo, SR: Laura Green)

Game 4: Portland @ Houston 9:00 PM (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the games and leave comments if you're not watching the Draft!

2009 NFL Draft Day 2 Live Blog

Warning: No trolling will be allowed! I'm looking at you Nathan Brice and "Tyler" (a.k.a. the ubiquitous sports reporter who will surely be in Raido City Music Hall tomorrow).

As long as you're not a troll, feel free to leave comments and join in the fun!

The Eagles Make Up For An Epic Flyers Meltdown

Well, the Flyers may have blown a 3 goal lead to lose 5-3 and be eliminated from the playoffs, but the Eagles had an all right draft day, if I don't say so myself. I think that I was the only one in our live blog that liked the pick of Jeremy Maclin (although Pettigrew would have been a tad better) and the Eagles need a running back and LeSean "Shady" McCoy is not bad at all. I shall avoid discussing the former team mentioned in this post, but shall discuss the Eagles draft picks.

Maclin is a very similar to DeSean Jackson, which may not be such a bad thing for them. Consider the success that Jackson had as a rookie last year. If Jackson improves and Maclin is as good as Jackson, then the Eagles have exactly what they always wanted. You can have the speedsters Jackson and Maclin on the outside and you can put Curtis in the slot, a position where he is probably a little bit more comfortable. With Reggie Brown, Jason Avant and Hank Baskett as the 4th and 5th and 6th receivers, that is not a bad combo at all (although I would not be surprised if Reggie Brown is cut). Wide receiver should no longer be a concern for the Eagles and McNabb has more of what he wants. Maclin has breakaway speed and can be very dangerous with the yards after the catch.

And in the 2nd round, the Eagles went with the PA product, LeSean "Shady" McCoy who went to high school at Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg, college at Pitt, and now has been drafted by the Eagles. This kid has the potential to be lightning in a bottle if given the opportunity and will definitley fare well by having Brian Westbrook above him. I'd expect to see Shady get a lot of carries this year, assuming he avoids injury. I can see him as a definite upgrade to Correll Buckhalter, who I never saw as anything special (other than his toughness and resilance to battle back from 3 season-ending knee injuries in 4 years and still be playing in the league today).

Join me tomorrow as I hilariously attempt to live blog the 2nd day of the draft. If I'm lucky, my analysis and insight might be slightly better than that of a 3-year old's on this day, but alas, I've always considered myself more of the PbP type anyway (and if you've followed my live blogs closely both using Blogger and CiL, you'll have noticed I always go heavy on the PbP to cover up the spots where I'm not exactly a brillant analyst or strategist).

Meanwhile, to end the day in Phillies sports, the Phils have beaten the Marlins yet again, 6-4 in 10 innings and all of their wins this season have been of the comeback variety, including this one, where they trailed 4-3 in the top of the ninth before tying it in that inning.

Okay, 2 things on the Flyers (I was not planning on doing this), but first of all, while time will tell whether a conference quarterfinal game will qualify as one of those infamous Philly moments, but blowing a 3-goal lead in game 6 to lose the series is definitley one of those Philly moments and it was depressing to see to say the least. But alas, cheering me up a bit in some odd fashion was that I was at arguably one of the greatest, disappointing, heartbreaking, infamous, and memorable games in Flyers history (and no, it was not today). In the 2000 playoffs (yes, the year of the 5 OT game) the Flyers were up 3 games to 1 on the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals with home ice advantage. The Flyers proceeded to lose the next 2 games setting up Game 7 in Philadelphia. And for those that don't know, are too young to know, or just don't remember, this was the game that killed every Flyers fan a little bit. The Devils won the game 2-1, thus completing the choke job, but it was Eric Lindros' last game as a Flyer and this is the moment that is forever embedded into every Flyers fans skull as one, if not, the most infamous moment in their franchise history. And again, I was there that day at the the Wachovia First Union Center.



Stevens' hit on Eric Lindros and subsequently Lindros' last moments as a Flyer. I'm telling you, I'll never forget that day and being at the First Union Center (now known as the Wachovia Center) for that moment. I think I'll end this post with a message to Sidney Crosby in a makeshift Song of the Day, if you will. Titled, appropriately enough, "Fuck You" by Archive.



I'm such a good sport over this, aren't I? ;-)

NHL Playoffs Day 11 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 6: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia 3:00 PM (NBC - Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk, SR: Darren Pang) (CBC - Dean Brown and Gary Galley, SR: Cassie Campbell)

Game 5: Calgary @ Chicago 9:00 PM (Versus - Will air TSN broadcast for the 1st period only) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin) (RIS)

Game 5: Anaheim @ San Jose 10:00 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

Again, once my picnic is over (that's why I think I'lll be late and why I have no idea what time I'll be back, if anyone cares), you all know where I'll be, but enjoy the games and leave comments anyway!

NBA Playoffs Day 8 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 3: Denver @ New Orleans 1:00 PM (ESPN - Dave Pasch and Jon Barry, SR: Ric Bucher)

Game 4: San Antonio @ Dallas 4:00 PM (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Marty Snider)

Game 3: Atlanta @ Miami 6:30 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: Cheryl Miller)

Game 4: Los Angeles @ Utah 9:00 PM (ESPN - Dan Shulman and Doris Burke, SR: Nancy Lieberman)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! Even though I think you'll all know where I'll be today.....

And With The #1 Pick In The Draft, The Detroit Lions Have Signed.......

........Quarterback Matthew Stafford; University of Georgia. Yep, that's right. The Lions and Stafford have agreed to a 6-year, $41.7 million deal. Via ESPN.com

According to a source, Stafford will receive a six-year, $41.7 million deal that could be worth $78 million if he achieves all of his playing incentives. The source also said he will receive $41.7 million in guarantees. That tops the $41 million in guarantees Albert Haynesworth received from the Washington Redskins.

Stafford would have to make the Pro Bowl each year to get to $78 million, so he has a better chance to make $72 million. In order to receive the full $41.7 million in guarantees, Stafford has to play 35 percent of the downs as a rookie or 45 percent in later years of the contract

Well way to ruin the drama! Although I do not think that there was much doubt that the Lions were going to choose Stafford. The real drama will undoubtally come with where on earth does Mark Sanchez wind up. But as far as Stafford goes, let's see if he can do what all Detroit Lion QBs failed to do last year......win a game!

NHL Playoffs Day 10 Open Thread

Tonight's game....(yeah, early endings to series have hurt today's original schedule of 3 games quite greatly.)..

Game 5: New York @ Washington 7:00 PM (Versus - John Forslund and Darren Eliot, SR: Bob Harwood) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro) (RDS)

Enjoy the game and leave comments!

NBA Playoffs Day 7 Open Thread

ESPN takes back the reigns of coverage for the night. Here are today's games....

Game 3: Cleveland @ Detroit 7:00 PM (ESPN - Mike Breen and Hubie Brown, SR: Heather Cox)

Game 3: Orlando @ Philadelphia 8:00 PM (ESPN2 - Kevin Calabro and Tim Legler, SR: Lisa Salters)

Game 3: Portland @ Houston 9:30 PM (ESPN - Dave Pasch, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, SR: Ric Bucher)


Enjoy the games and leave comments!

"The Longest Yard" Comes To Toledo

I'm sure that most of you have seen some version of "The Longest Yard" by now, whether it be the original or Sandler's remake. Well regardless, it appears that the story in that movie has actually come to life. No, the prisoners are not playing the guards in a football game, but it appears as if a few players at Toledo University point-shaved. Here's the full scoop from Comcast.net via the Associated Press.

A former University of Toledo football player recruited his teammates and basketball players at the school to take part in a point-shaving scheme during a three-year period, according to documents filed in federal court.

Andrew Cuomo, a little-used running back at Toledo, admitted that he initiated the scheme with a Detroit-area gambler in the fall of 2003 and that they both bet on Toledo games, the documents said.

Cuomo told investigators he gave information about upcoming games to the Detroit gambler and that he introduced numerous athletes to meet with the gambler, according to documents filed this week in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

Cuomo, who was a backup from Hamilton, Ontario, has not been charged. He was at Toledo from 1999-2003.

The FBI has been looking into point shaving at Toledo over the past four years. They say the scheme began in 2003 and continued until 2006 after Cuomo was no longer on the team.

Until now, only two other former players at the school had been linked to the allegations.

Former basketball player Sammy Villegas was charged last June with shaving points in games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. Villegas has not entered a plea, but he is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

Charges against former football player Harvey ``Scooter'' McDougle Jr. were dropped two years as the investigation continued. McDougle has denied involvement.

McDougle said Friday that he was a freshman when Cuomo was a senior and they did not know each other very well. He remembered seeing Cuomo on campus and at games after his career was over.

According to the documents filed Tuesday, investigators say two football players and one basketball player have admitted to taking part in the point shaving scheme along with the Detroit gambler.

The gambler, who was not been charged, has been identified as Gary Manni of Sterling Heights. Manni has repeatedly said that he knew many football and basketball players at the school, but they did not fix any games.

Manni's attorney, Neil Fink, said Friday that he did not know whether Manni will be charged. ``I don't know what the outcome will be,'' he said. Fink also would not say whether Manni was involved with Cuomo or any other players at Toledo.

Cuomo helped two of the players who admitted involvement meet with Manni, the documents said. Cuomo could not be reached for comment Friday. There was no listing for him in Toledo or his hometown in Canada. It was not known if he has an attorney.
The FBI said it interviewed several players and recorded phone calls between Cuomo and Manni.

On the day of the 2005 GMAC Bowl, Cuomo told Manni that he was using one of the football players to convince another player to shave points by committing penalties in an upcoming game, the documents said.

Cuomo insisted that Manni pay the player $1,000, the documents said.

The Rockets beat UTEP 45-13 in the bowl game later that day.

In another phone conversation, Cuomo and Manni talked about a failed attempt to convince a basketball player to shave points, the documents said. Manni responded that he already had paid another basketball player to take part in the scheme, the documents said.

Athletic officials at Toledo have allowed federal authorities to take the lead on the investigation. No current players are thought to be involved in the allegations.

It's ashame that people are that desparate for money and/or are addicted to gambling so much that they would be willing to sacrifice the good of the team like that, but alas, some people just don't know any better. Hopefully Andrew Cuomo and everyone else who was involved in this scheme have learned their lesson.

The People At EA Sports Are Extra Mean This Year

The official announcement of the new Madden cover came along and it turns out that EA is changing things up a bit this year. There will not be a person on the Madden cover this year. Wait......what??? Well the reason being is for the first time ever, there will be 2 people on the Madden video game cover! And the poor, unfortunate jinxed souls are And those 2 people are.........(drumrolll).........Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald!



Congrats to Troy and Larry and I wish you both a quick and speedy recovery on your future torn ACLs!

Polamalu, Fitzgerald to share Madden cover (Russakoff Rules)

NBA Playoffs Day 6 Open Thread

Tonight's games....

Game 3: Boston @ Chicago 8:00 PM (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: David Aldridge)

Game 3: San Antonio @ Dallas 8:30 PM (NBATV)

Game 3: Los Angeles @ Utah 10:30 PM (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

NHL Playoffs Day 9 Open Thread

Today's games.....

Game 5: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (CBC - Dean Brown and Gary Galley, SR: Cassie Campbell) (RDS)

Game 4: Detroit @ Columbus 7:00 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Game 5: Carolina @ New Jersey 7:30 PM (Versus - Will JIP after Philly-Pitt; air MSG+ broadcast) (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast) (RIS)

Game 4: San Jose @ Anaheim 10:30 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

GO FLYERS!!!

The Cleveland Cavaliers Have Been Watching Heineken Commercials

The Cleveland Cavaliers have apparently been watching commercials and apparently the Heineken commercial where females scream over clothes and males scream over Heineken beer really amused them. So much so that they decided to parody the commercial. So I was watching SportsCenter this morning and one of the things that they showed was a small part of this hilarious parody commercial by the Cavs. Granted, it's no Super Bowl Shuffle, but it is pretty damn funny.



Too funny! And I find the Heineken commercial extremely annoying and obnoxious, yet this one, I've seen it 3 times now and I've laughed out loud each time. Now if only they could parody the Bud Light commercial and throw the Boston Three Party out a window, then they would officially be the greatest basketball team in NBA history!

It's Official: Habs Fans Are Bigger Douche Bags Than The Worst Flyers Fans

So it's been well-documented that Habs fans have been booing the national anthem this Boston series (as has been done in series past) and in the open thread last night, I mentioned that I thought I recalled that Flyers fans retaliated during their series. Well, I think you guys might want to check this out.

From last year's Habs-Bruins series in Montreal....



And from last year's Habs-Flyers series....



Talk about a huge difference! Granted some Flyers fans were being disrespectful, but a decent majority stood with respect and reverence, whereas opposed to Montreal, they had absolutely no class and no respect.

Song Of The Day: "Believe" By Staind

NHL PLayoffs Day 8 Open Thread

Today's games....(good news folks: John Forslund is out of the hospital and doing fine!)

Game 4: Boston @ Montreal 7:00 PM (CBC - Bob Cole and Greg Millen, SR: Elliotte Friedman) (RDS)

Game 4: Washington @ New York 7:00 PM (Versus - John Forslund and Darren Eliot, SR: Bob Harwood) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro)

Game 4: Chicago @ Calgary 10:00 PM (Versus - Will air TSN broadcast) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

NBA Playoffs Day 5 Open Thread

Today's games....(and for once, my primary attention tonight is on basketball; at least until the Sixers game is over).

Game 2: Philadelphia @ Orlando 7:00 PM (NBATV)

Game 2: Miami @ Atlanta 8:00 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: Cheryl Miller)

Game 2: New Orleans @ Denver 10:30 PM (TNT - Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo, SR: Marc Fein)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

Video Of Epicness: Carolina Buzzer Beater And Marty Brodeur Temper Tantrum

If there's one thing that will cheer you up when the Flyers play the game of their lives against the Penguins only to be denied by an even more specatular Marc-Andre Fleury and lose (the series score has been revised, it's now Pens 2, Flyers 1, Marc-Andre Fleury 1), it's seeing the New Jersey Devils get screwed over by the refs on a buzzer beating goal to win the game and then seeing Marty Brodeur throw a huge hissy fit. Wait.....what did he just say???? Cue the video!!!



HAHA!!!!!

And while Marty Brodeur certainly had a point that there was a bit of interference on that play, it is the playoffs and sometimes it is best to just let them play on, especially when it is sort of ticky-tacky as that was. I'm not saying there was no interference, I'm just saying that 9 times out of 10 that call in the waning seconds of a tied playoff game will not be made, regardless of who the official is.

NBA Playoffs Day 4 Open Thread

Sorry for the lateness, I forgot. Today's games....

Game 2: Detroit @ Cleveland 8:00 PM (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: Pam Oliver)

Game 2: Houston @ Portland 10:00 PM (NBATV)

Game 2: Utah @ Los Angeles 10:30 PM (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Craig Sager)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

NHL Playoffs Day 7 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 4: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (CBC until 8 ET, then CBCsports.ca and CBC Bold - Dean Brown and Gary Galley, SR: Cassie Campbell) (RDS)

Game 3: Detroit @ Columbus 7:00 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Game 4: New Jersey @ Carolina 7:30 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. Broadcast) (RIS)

Game 4: Vancouver @ St. Louis 8:00 PM (Versus) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Scott Oake)

Game 3: San Jose @ Anaheim 10:30 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto - available only in ANA and SJ markets) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

Add The Pittsburgh Penguins To The List Of People Mad At NBC

GE, NBC, and MSNBC certainly have not been making any friends at all this year. Actually, that's putting it lightly seeing as they basically have been become a laughing stock of television. From Jeanine Garafalo's extremely idiotic statement last week on Countdown with Keith Olbermann which basically called over 40% of Americans racists (all those who were exercising their freedom of speech and protested Obama's tax policy) to the overload of liberal hosts (see addition of Ed Schultz) and rapidly declining ratings on MSNBC (damn, tvbythenumbers.com is down so I can't pull up the O'Reilly vs. Olbermann chart that illustrates this) to the loss of money they suffered broadcasting the Super Bowl to the occasionally laughable ratings of the NHL on NBC (although in defense of that, the NHL is currently seeing some relatively really strong ratings and the Pens-Flyers game on Sunday was the highest rated hockey game on NBC since the Winter Classic). But sticking on the subject of hockey, they slightly angered some Pens fans by not allowing Sunday's Pens-Flyers Game 3 to be shown on an outdoor screen. All year last year, they allowed games to be shown on gigantic outdoor screens in front of the Mellon Arena, which is why it came to such a shock to Penguins fans who may have taken this whole thing a bit too far. From Puck The Media (which is quickly becoming one of my new favorite blogs; check them out if you can and have not already).

The Pensblog have been waging a war against NBC since their decision to ruin the party outside Mellon Arena to watch the game. Now, we agree with them in principle. The 14 or 15 diehard Penguins fans and the 300 or so of their hangers-on since last year’s Cup run want somewhere to drink in public and watch the Penguins lose. But, they seriously took it to a new level. It was like the Parents TV Council after an episode of South Park.

It started with confusing outrage, and a list of people to contact. Then it went to reasoned pleading with the league, whom the guys and their homosexual friend felt abandoned by. Because as you know, the NHL is a business created to cater to the Pens fan, and no one else.

Finally (sort of), it exploded into an admittedly hilarious photoshop of a Penguin defecating on the NBC logo, and a list of NBC’s major advertisers. Really guys? Do you think Red Bull gives a crap moreso than NBC about hockey? Where is that getting you? It finally led to them recommending you watch on the web on one of CBC’s broadcasts.

It finished for now with Pensblog’s annoyingly narrow-founded recap of the game, where they made jokes about Pierre McGuire. Because that’s never been done before. Also made fun of: Harry Kalas. I’m done linking to these clowns, you can find that yourself.

That final post stated that “The war on NBC isn’t over”. C’mon guys, don’t you want people to think I came up with that headline myself? Lame.

But maybe the war needs to end after this news. A 33% share in Pittsburgh? 33%! So why did this happen? Maybe because most of the Penguin outdoor screen-watching fanbase went on with their lives after hearing this news, instead of wasting their time going all Rachel Dratch in 30 Rock about it? If the war isn’t over, then Round 1 most certainly goes to NBC.

Too funny! Like PTM, I agree with what the Pens fans are saying, but The Pensblog took this thing way too damn far.

However, while NBC came out the winners and unscathed in this battle, they really do need to lighten up. For the NBC Universal brand, this has been on of their worst weeks on record, as evidenced by everything linked to up top. In fact, the Garafalo statement was so bad that Bill O'Reilly actually aired bits and pieces of that segment of Countdown! And O'Reilly goes to great lengths not to say or give any direct mention to Countdown and Keith Olbermann (Olbermann's chime-ins were edited out by Fox News in the segment and the logo Countdown with Keith Olbermann was obsucred by a the bottom of a blue box and they only credited the clip as "MSNBC", and most hilariously of all in that Factor segment, the guests referred to him as "that on-air host"). Hopefully though, they'll be able to turn things around as no one wants to see an organization this bad in the dumps like this.

And now that I have pretty much thoroughly bashed NBC, I guess now is as good a time as any to announce that I will be "plausibly" live-blogging Countdown with Keith Olbermann over at JamesCraven's blog, The O Files, tonight at 10 PM ET, assuming that the Flyers game does not go into overtime, in which case, I'll do it from the Countdown website either later tonight or 11 AM ET Wednesday morning.

A History Lesson From Jack Edwards

We all know how big of a homer Jack Edwards is for NESN. That really is not breaking any ground and I'm sure everyone who reads this blog knows it. But last night, Jack Edwards once again went completely crazy after the Bruins got their empty net goal against the Canadiens. And I'm not talking about just screaming, "YES!", Edwards went on a full-fledged tangent about how the Montreal Canadiens were the "Red Coats" of the NHL and the Bruins were the "rag tag farmers" of the 13 colonies rebelling against said Red Coats. Yes, Jack Edwards somehow managed a Revolutionary War reference while calling an empty net goal. Here's the video for proof.



All we needed to add to that was a reference to King Penguin, and this clip would have been good as gold!

/Blackadder'd and JamesCraven'd.

Jack Edwards would like to tell you how the Canadiens are the "Red Coats" (Awful Announcing)

Detroit Lions Unveil New, Tougher Logo And Uniform; Scares Fans Into Believing This Will Make Them Good Again

So your team just went 0-16 and your team did not make any big moves in free agency. Now, what, do you think, is the best rememdy for this to get football fans in Detroit excited about their new team? By officially doing something that has been rumored more than anything else over the off-season. What once distant dream of the Lions has finally become a reality that will salvage the franchise? They unveiled a new logo! And new uniforms! That'll get the fans excited! It's days like this that I only dream I was a fan of such a great franchise like the Detroit Lions. So you want to see what this new logo and new uniform looks like....well, here you go.....

The helmet.....



The uniforms....



And the actual logo itself....



I believe again! The Detroit Lions will actually be a good team and even though he is no longer with them, Jon Kitna's annual 10-win guarantee will finally come true for them this year. And it's all because of this new logo and uniform!

In all seriousness, though, if the Detroit Lions do not make a big bang in the draft on Saturday, seeing as they epic failed at coercing anyone to join their mess of hopeless losers football franchise, they could easily end up experiencie 0-16 Part 2 this upcoming season.

Lions' new logo has fangs, flowing mane (The Detroit News)
New Detroit Lion logo features fiercer, leaping Lion (Comcast.net)

Song Of The Day: "Broad Street Bullies" by Richie Rosati

Thanks to Keith's Sports Journal and Puck Daddy!

NHL Playoffs Day 6 Open Thread

Today's games....

Game 3: Boston @ Montreal 7:00 PM (CBC - - Bob Cole and Greg Millen, SR: Elliotte Friedman) (RDS)

Game 3: Washington @ New York 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Darren Eliot, SR: Bob Harwood) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro)

Game 3: Chicago @ Calgary 9:30 PM (Versus - Will air TSN broadcast) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! And don't forget, you can check the sidebars to see the results thus far of the series for both the NBA and NHL playoffs. Just click on the conference quarterfinals link and voila...instant updateification, if you will.

NBA Playoffs Day 3 Open Thread

Today's games....(please....don't be blown away by the overwhelming amount of games on today. I know it may seem like a lot, but with the help of the internet, we'll find a way to keep track of everything).

Game 2: Chicago @ Boston 7:00 PM (TNT - Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, SR: Pam Oliver)

Game 2: Dallas @ San Antonio 9:30 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: Marty Snider)

Why does the NBA have so many games in one day like this? It's maddening to keep track of. Really.

Sigh......enjoy the games and leave comments!

Was Yesterday The Best All Around Day In Philadelphia Sports History?

It certainly is an interesting question and one that while laughable at first, there is a point here. Obviously days where championships won take the cake despite what anyone else does, but was there ever a day where all 4 major Philadelphia teams contributed something exciting and worth talking about and celebrating? The Philadelphia Inquirer has yet to find such a day, although a couple commenters chimed in with some ideas for days tht topped this one. Here is a recap of everything that happened yesterday. First, the Eagles introduced Jaston Peters to the media (I can only find this article; no embedable video).

Raul Ibanez had a 2-run walkoff homerun that won the game for the Phillies in the bottom of the 9th.



The Flyers trounced the Penguins.



And to cap off the exciting afternoon, roughtly 7 hours after the press conference, there was this the end of the Sixers game. And now...Gus Johnson Sixers PbP man, Marc Zumoff.



Wait....did I just hear "Better Days" at the end of that video? Too funny. Well, what are your thoughts, do you think that yesterday was the best all-around day in Philly sports history? There really is no right or wrong answers here.

For more, please read this Inquirer article and the subsequent comments section underneath it.

Sheldon Brown Wants Out Of Philadelphia

A cornerback wanting out of Philadelphia.....this fiasco sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it? This time it is Sheldon Brown and he is not exactly happy. From Russakoff Rules

Sheldon Brown has demanded that the Eagles trade him.

According to ESPN, when the Philadelphia cornerback was told that management would not renegotiate his contract, Brown told the Eagles he wanted a trade.

Brown has four years remaining on a six-year, $30 million contract he signed in November of 2004. Anthony Gargano of WIP reports that Brown got $4 million up front in a signing bonus and receives $2 million a year through 2010. Then the extension balloons to $4 million in 2011 and $8 million in 2012. The final $12 million is not guaranteed.

It didn't take Nostradamus to realize Sheldon Brown was going to be unhappy in Philly, especially after Joselio Hansen's 5-year, $21 million deal.

Russakoff hits this one right on the head, I think, as it is pretty obvious that considering the monster money that Joselio Hanson got this off-season, Sheldon Brown has every right to be upset and angry. Hanson has been coming along nicely, although I do not believe that he is as good as Sheldon Brown is. If push comes to shove, I would prefer to see Brown stay in Philly, but if he is going to decide to pull a T.O. and Lito Sheppard and be miserable and cause lots of locker room trouble, then it might be best that the Eagles listen to him and trade him, something that would be quite new for the Eagles.

Update: The Eagles have released a statement on this situation.

"It's very unfortunate and counterproductive that Sheldon has chosen to go public with his feelings about his situation. After thorough evaluation by himself and discussions with his family and agents, he chose to accept an extension of his rookie contract early that provided his family financial security for the rest of his life. It removed any concerns about health or performance that all other players in his draft class had to worry about. He has four years remaining on that contract and, after taking the signing bonus and his first two years of salary into account, we feel that Sheldon is being paid fairly. Focusing only on a player's salary for a given year is not a valid analysis.

"There have been league MVP's, Super Bowl champion quarterbacks, and perennial Pro Bowlers who have been in a similar situation. All of their teams have required them to wait until their contract expired or there was only one year remaining before any adjustment took place. It is only in the most extraordinary, in fact, less than a handful of circumstances in the last 10 years that any players two new years into a contract with four years left have been adjusted. We don't think this qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance.

"Sheldon's comments under the circumstances actually serve to devalue him in a trade if we were willing to consider it, which we are not."

I love that last line. If that does not say "fuck you, Sheldon Brown" then I don't know what does. Then again, that may not be the best way to go about mending fences and creating a happy and healthy team.

Welcome To The Phillies, Raul Ibanez!

We've seen this before. The Phillies are perhaps one of the best and funniest at pranking their own players and yesterday they were at it again. This time the victim was a rather unsuspecting Raul Ibanez who was giving an interview after he hit a game-winning 2-run walkoff homerun that won the game for the Phillies, 5-4. I hope Raul likes pie.....



"Oh, shit!"

Too funny! Am I the first one that has ever thought to ask, why on earth would the Phillies have a shaving cream pie with them in the dugout? Regardless, it was still hilarious. Ibanez did not see Victorino coming at all, which made the outcome even funnier. But even so, it still does not top the prank they pulled on Kyle Kendrick last year...



Classic!

Song of the Day: "Cassie" By Flyleaf

In memory of the 10th anniversary of the Columbine Massacre.

For background information on the song, and I'm sure we all know the story of the Columbine Massacre, but this just focuses on one particular victim who it is believed once alleged was asked on whether or not she believed in God and was subsequently shot because of her answer. And yes, this song is directly based on this incident. (Warning: the video contains some graphic images taken from the Columbine Massacre.)

NHL Playoffs Day 5 Open Thread

Today's games.....

Game 3: Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia 3:00 PM (NBC - Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk, SR: Pierre McGuire) (CBC - Dean Brown and Gary Galley, SR: Cassie Campbell) (RDS)

Game 3: Vancouver @ St. Louis 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Scott Oake)

Game 3: New Jersey @ Carolina 7:30 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast) (RIS)

Game 2: Anaheim @ San Jose 10:00 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

For the results of each series thus far and the future schedule, click on the Conference quarterfinals sidebar link under 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs (and the same can be done for the NBA). I have been updating them each night and will continue to do so throughtout these playoffs. Enjoy the games and leave comments!

NBA Playoffs Day 2 Open Thread

Today's games in the NBA....

Game 1: Utah @ Los Angeles 3:00 PM (ABC - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, SR: Lisa Salters)

Game 1: Philadelphia @ Orlando 5:30 PM (TNT - Matt Devlin and P.J. Carlesimo, SR: Laura Green)

Game 1: Miami @ Atlanta 8:00 PM (TNT - Dick Stockton and Mike Fratello, SR: Cheryl Miller)

Game 1: April 19: New Orleans @ Denver 10:30 PM (TNT - Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, SR: Marc Fein)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

At Least I Can Take Solace In This...

Brad Lidge may have blown a save, the Flyers may be in a huge hole in their series against the Pens, the Sixers may have no chance against the Magic, but alas, seeing the Indians put a 14-spot on the Yankees somehow makes all of the pain go away...

(Picture courtesy of MLB.com)

The Streak Is Over

"All good things must come to an end." - Tom McCarthy

And alas, for Phillies fans, the best thing they had going for them, just came to an end. With the Phils leading 5-4 in the top of the 9th, Brad Lidge gave up a lead off double. That was followed by 2 groundouts and those groundouts subsequently advanced the runner one base per groundout and that in turn meant the end of Brad Lidge's streak of 47 straight saves. The Padres tied the game as the fans stood up and saluted the end of the streak that defined the Phillies World Series run in 2008.

That was followed up by 2 walks and a subsequent 3-run homer by Kouzmanhoff and it's 8-5 Padres in the top of the ninth with 2 out.

And even after the homerun, the crowd in Philly still salutes Lidge.

NHL Playoffs Day 4 Open Thread

Today's games.....

Game 2: New York @ Washington 1:00 PM (NBC - Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk, SR: Darren Pang) (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro)

Game 2: Columbus @ Detroit 6:00 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Game 2: Montreal @ Boston 8:00 PM (Versus - Joe Beninati and Darren Eliot, SR: Bob Harwood) (CBC - Bob Cole and Greg Millen, SR: Elliotte Friedman) (RDS)

Game 2: Calgary @ Chicago 9:00 PM (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin)

NBA Playoffs Day 1 Open Thread

Today's games.....

Game 1: Chicago @ Boston 12:30 PM (ESPN - Dan Shulman, Jon Barry, SR: Nancy Lieberman)

Game 1: Detroit @ Cleveland 3:00 (ABC - Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, SR: Lisa Salters)

Game 1: Dallas @ San Antonio 8:00 PM (ESPN - Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown, SR: Heather Cox)

Game 1: Houston @ Portland 10:30 PM (ESPN - Dave Pasch and Doris Burke, SR: Ric Bucher)

Enjoy the games and leave comments! I'll have an NHL open thread at around 1 before the Rangers-Caps game starts.

NHL Playoffs Day 3 Open Thread

Tonight's games....

Game 2: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (CBC - Dean Brown and Greg Millen, SR: Cassie Campbell) (RDS)

Game 2: Carolina @ New Jersey 7:30 PM (TSN - Will air U.S. broadcast) (RIS)

Game 2: St. Louis @ Vancouver 10:00 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Scott Oake) (RDS)

Enjoy the games and leave comments!

The Eagles Have Finally Made A Big Off-Season Move

Emphasis on the word big because breaking this afternoon is that the Philadelphia Eagles have traded their #28 overall 1st round draft pick, a 4th round pick in this year's draft, a late-round pick in next year's draft to the Buffalo Bills for offensive tackle Jason Peters! Yep, you read right. Jason Peters is now an Eagle! Via CSN Philly

A team source has told CSN's Derrick Gunn that the Eagles have sent three picks to Buffalo for Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters. The deal is contingent upon the Eagles' working out a new contract with Peters, who is in Philadelphia.

The Eagles would give Buffalo the 28th pick and a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a late pick in next year's draft.

The 27-year-old Peters (6-4/340) has made the Pro Bowl each of the last two seasons. Dissatisfied with his contract – he is scheduled to make a base salary of $3.8 million this season – he held out of training camp last year and had a sub-par season.

A five-year veteran, Peters joined the Bills in 2004 as an undrafted rookie – and a tight end at that – out of Arkansas. In three seasons with the Razorbacks (he left after his junior year), he had 28 receptions for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

Buffalo spent the beginning of his rookie season on the Bills' practice squad before being promoted to the active roster in November. In 2005, he caught a touchdown pass in the opener against Houston before becoming the starting right tackle in Week 9. Peters moved to left tackle the following season.

YES!!!! YIPPEE!!!! WHOOHOO!!!! B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!! GREAT MOVE BY THE EAGLES!!

It's simple, the Eagles were no doubt going to use one of their draft picks on an offensive linemen so instead of risking drafting Winston Justice Version 2.0, they now have used that pick to get a proven Pro Bowl veteran. Pus, the Eagles still have their #21 overall pick and now that one will most definitley go towards drafting a skill position player. Essentially, this is a direct replacement of the departed Tra Thomas and a replacement that I could not be happier with.

Open thread tonight guys, we've got Flyers-Pens Game 2 plus the Devils taking on the Hurricanes and the Canucks doing battle once again with the St. Louis Blues. See you guys tonight!

The Jets WIll Not Tolerate Their Anti-Semetic Schedule

I'm not sure if I have ever seen or heard anything like this before. The New York Jets are not exactly happy with their schedule this year. Why, you ask? Because of it's difficulty? No. Because they know they are the worst team in their division? No. It's because the NFL has scheduled them for 2 home games on 2 consecutive Jewish holidays! Seriously. Via the AP.

The New York Jets, upset about being scheduled for home games on consecutive Sundays in direct conflict with Jewish holidays, sent NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a letter Thursday asking that one of the game times be changed.

The Jets' home opener is Week 2 against New England at 1 p.m. on Sept. 20, which falls during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. New York then plays Tennessee at 4:15 p.m. the following Sunday, with Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement, beginning at sundown.

In the letter to Goodell, owner Woody Johnson suggested the game against the Titans be changed to a 1 p.m. start to give Jewish fans time to arrive home before sundown.

"I am extremely disappointed with the league's decision to schedule us to play at home on consecutive Sundays that are in direct conflict with the Jewish High Holy Days," Johnson wrote. "There has long been an understanding that neither the Jets nor the Giants fans should have to bear completely the brunt of this issue since we are in the largest Jewish market in the country."

So an exception should be made to the New York Jets because New York has the largest Jewish community? Um, sorry, not buying it. And what about all the other cities in the U.S. with large Jewish communities, because they are not the largest they should not have home games on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? And all those times that the NFL scheduled games on Christmas, did all of the Catholics cry heresy and threaten to ex-communicate every Catholic who went to those games instead of spending time with their families? And you can't forget about all of the Muslims in the United States. Should special exceptions be made to the cities in the U.S. with a large Muslim population during the month of Ramadan? (and yes, Ramadan, for those who don't know, does fall in the middle of the NFL season).

And yes, I know we've gone past that stage in the church (or so we think so), but the point is still there that why on earth should a special exception be made for the Jets when it does not happen for other teams and other religions? If you're that upset about the schedule, don't go to the game! But somehow, I think in the end, a Jets football game will override a religious ceremony for the day.....assuming that the Jets don't enter that weak without a win, which is a possibility given this team this year. Then people may stay home for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

And don't get mad religious fanatics out there who are reading this. I hate all religious institutions equally, as you can probably tell from reading this. ;-)

Update: It appears that the Jets got their wish. The Yom Kippur game has been moved from 4:15 to 1:00.

Yankee Fans Are Not Exactly Fans Of Pepsi

Thanks to JC for the tip on this one.

Yankee fans apparently felt that Pepsi was having a promotion where they gave away 200 tickets to last night's opening day game at the new Yankee Stadium. Well, apparently, there was some sort of miscommunication and Yankee fans did not take too kindly to that.



That'll show Pepsi, all right!

Somehow, I do not think that Pepsi cares that a few hundred Yankee fans were chanting "Pepsi sucks!" with all of the money that they make because they, well, are Pepsi. However, it does not help them that the old House That Ruth Built served Coke products and now the New Yankee Stadium has gone Pepsi. Good times over in the Bronx! Gooooood times......

NHL Playoffs Day 2 Open Thread

Tonight's games...

Game 1: Montreal @ Boston 7:00 PM (CBC - Bob Cole and Greg Millen, SR: Elliotte Friedman) (RDS)

Game 1: Columbus @ Detorit 7:00 PM (Versus - Joe Beninati and Darren Eliot, SR: John Harwood) (TSN2 - Will air U.S. broadcast)

Game 1: Calgary @ Chicago 8:30 PM (Versus - Will JIP TSN broadcast) (TSN - Chris Cuthbert and Pierre McGuire, SR: Jermain Franklin)

Game 1: Anaheim @ San Jose 10:30 PM (Versus - will JIP FSN-BA broadcast) (CBC - Mark Lee and Marc Crawford) (RDS)

I will be out for the first part of the evening tonight due to an end of year banquet for my major. I have never been to this annual event before so I can't tell you how long I'll be, but I am ball parking my return between 8 and 8:30 ET. Then again, I was fairly certain I'd be home before faceoff of the Flyers-Pens game last night, but I sort of missed that as evidenced by the fact that when I turned the TV on, the Pens were celebrating their 1st goal. Leave comments, but most of all, enjoy the games!

The World Of Broadcasting Has Taken Yet Another Shocking Turn This Week: John Madden Retires

After many glorious years of broadcasting, the time has finally come for John Madden to hang up the announcing boots. The 73-year old hall-of-famer has officially retired from broadcasting. Via the USA Today.

NBC has confirmed that John Madden has retired and will not be on the air next season.
"It's time. I'm 73 years old," Madden said in a statement.

"My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall. I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I'm home and, more importantly, when I'm not."

NBC has scheduled a conference call at noon ET today.

But it seems likely will Madden, who has been a lead NFL game analyst for CBS, Fox, and ABC before joining NBC for its Sunday games, would be replaced by former NFL receiver and longtime network analyst Cris Collinsworth.

It's indeed very nice to see him go out like this. For John Madden, now is indeed the time. The only time that I ever really had a gripe with Madden was during the Monday Night massacre that featured the Eagles at home in a snowstorm getting pummeled by the Seahawks. The Eagles had their alternate black jersies on and he inexplicablly called them "green". My family to this day continues to make fun of him for that. But I digress.

Madden's coming off what has been considered by many to be one of the best broadcasted Super Bowls of all time, and without a doubt in my mind, of this decade. But as time dwindles on, you start to lose it and if he were to continue, that would likely happen to John Madden. His final game was a good one and I certainly believe that he has a more than suitable replacement behind him in Cris Collinsworth.

As far as Al Michaels goes, remember it was John Madden who said "I'll retire when Al Michaels does", not the other way around, as I have frequently seen it misconstrued. In the pair of games that they worked last year (an SNF game where Madden did not want to travel cross country only to go back the next week and the Pro Bowl), they seemed like they would make a solid unit.

Madden's last game was a great game, one that will be remembered for quite some time, and I know if I were a legendary broadcaster, it is that kind of game (Super Bowl XLIII) that I would want as my swan song. Best of luck to John Madden in the future!

2009 NBA Conference Quarterfinal Schedule

Yes, I know that I'm sure that in a few minutes AA will have his own schedule up, but I enjoy creating my own and putting them up on my sidebar so that I can always reference them quickly. And while I'm not the biggest NBA follower, I do not remember the NBA playoffs starting this early. I thought there was a bigger difference of time from when the Stanley Cup playoffs started to when the NBA Playoffs started. Maybe the NHL was a few days later this year. Well, regardless, here is this year's schedule. (all times eastern) (all announcers courtesy of Awful Announcing

Eastern Conference

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Detroit Pistons
Game 1: Cavaliers 102-84
Game 2: Cavaliers 94-82
Game 3: Cavaliers 79-68
Game 4: Cavaliers 99-78
Cleveland wins the series 4-0.

#2 Boston Celtics vs. #7 Chicago Bulls
Game 1: Bulls 105-103 F/OT
Game 2: Celtics 118-115
Game 3: Celtics 107-86
Game 4: Bulls 121-118 F/2OT
Game 5: Celtics 106-104 F/OT
Game 6: Bulls 128-127 F/3OT
Game 7: Celtics 109-99
Boston wins the series 4-3.

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers
Game 1: 76ers 100-98
Game 2: Magic 96-87
Game 3: 76ers 96-94
Game 4: Magic 84-81
Game 5: Magic 91-78
Game 6: Magic 114-89
Orlando wins the series 4-2.

#4 Atlanta Hawks vs. #5 Miami Heat
Game 1: Hawks 90-64
Game 2: Heat 108-93
Game 3: Heat 107-78
Game 4: Hawks 81-71
Game 5: Hawks 106-91
Game 6: Heat 98-72
Game 7: Hawks 91-78
Atlanta wins the series 4-3.

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Utah Jazz
Game 1: Lakers 113-100
Game 2: Lakers 119-109
Game 3: Jazz 88-86
Game 4: Lakers 108-94
Game 5: Lakers 107-96
Los Angeles wins the series 4-1.

#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #7 New Orleans
Game 1: Nuggets 113-84
Game 2: Nuggets 108-93
Game 3: Hornets 95-93
Game 4: Nuggets 121-63
Game 5: Nuggets 107-86
Denver wins the series 4-1.

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks
Game 1: Mavericks 105-97
Game 2: Spurs 105-84
Game 3: Mavericks 88-67
Game 4: Mavericks 99-90
Game 5: Mavericks 106-93
Dallas wins the series 4-1

#4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. #5 Houston Rockets
Game 1: Rockets 108-81
Game 2: Trail Blazers 107-103
Game 3: Rockets 86-83
Game 4: Rockets 89-88
Game 5: Trail Blazers 88-77
Game 6: Rockets 92-76
Houston wins the series 4-2.

I'll add the announcers next to the TV channel as they become unveiled over the coming days.

Despite beating Cleveland on their own court last night in overtime, the Sixers have not been looking too good as of late. And LeBron James did not play at all, which helped the Sixers greatly. but back to the playoffs, they, in my opinion, drew the best opponent they possibly could in the Orlando Magic. Despite playing them close, the Sixers have not been able to beat the Celtics at all, then again, they have not been able to beat the Magic at all this year, either, but the Magic have never completely blown them out either. Even though I will be paying more attention to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NBA playoffs look quite fun as well. And while I will try to watch the Sixers at all games, if they conflict with the Flyers, I'm going with the hockey, because frankly, the Flyers could not play worse than they played last night.

NHL Playoffs Day 1 Open Thread

Today's games:

Game 1: New York @ Washington 7:00 PM (TSN - Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro)

Game 1: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh 7:00 PM (Versus - Dave Strader and Billy Jaffe, SR: Chris Simpson) (CBC - Dean Brown and Gary Galley, SR: Cassie Campbell) (RDS)

Game 1: Carolina @ New Jersey 7:30 PM (TSN2 - Will air U.S. broadcast) (RIS)

Game 1: St. Louis @ Vancouver 10:00 PM (Versus - Rick Peckham and Daryl Reaugh, SR: Lindsay Soto) (CBC - Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson, SR: Scott Oake) (RDS)

Leave thoughts and predictions before the game and leave analysis/thoughts/commentary/PbP/Announcer quotes during the games. I may be a little late today, but hopefully I'll be back in time for the opening faceoff at the Mellon Arena. Go Flyers!

If A Village Idiot Made Predictions For The NHL Playoffs, This Is What They Would Look Like

In case you have been living under a rock (i.e. you're one of the many that would rather watch tiddly winks than hockey) than I guess now is a better time than ever to remind you that the most grueling playoffs in all of sports start today (yes, even more so than the NBA, due to the physical nature of hockey). So what better way to commemorate this occasion than my giving you my always wrong and ill-informed predictions! So without further ado, if you want to know who wins, just take the opposite team that I predict and come up with a different number of games for the series to be determined in.

Starting in the Eastern Conference.....

The #1 Boston Bruins will beat the #8 Montreal Canadiens in 6 games.

The #2 Washington Capitals will beat the #7 New York Rangers in 5 games.

The #6 Carolina Hurricanes will beat the #3 New Jersey Devils in 5 games.

The #4 Pittsburgh Penguins will beat the #4 Philadelphia Flyers in 7 games.

Moving on out west....

The #1 San Jose Sharks will beat the #8 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Anaheim Ducks in 6 games.

The #2 Detroit Red Wings will beat the #7 Columbus Blue Jackets in 4 games.

The #6 St. Louis Blues will beat the #3 Vancouver Canucks in 7 games.

The #4 Chicago Blackhawks will beat the #5 Calgary Flames in 4 games.

Update: I forgot to mention this before in this post, but yes, I will have an open thread up tonight, as I will everyday for the Stanely Cup playoffs and the NBA playoffs when the time comes. So if you want to, please come and feel free to chat about the games. In all likelihood I'll just be like a regular reader and add my thoughts/analysis/commentar/PbP of exciting moments/announcer quotes (although I'll be watching the Flyers local broadcast, don't fret, Jim Jackson, Bill Clement, and rinkside analyst Steve Coates are good for a quote or 2 throughtout games) in the comments section.