- Now who is misremembering. Not only was a little kid taking pictures of him, but now someone allegedly remembers talking to Roger at the party and often referring to a conversation between his wife and Canseco's then wife about boobs. But he wasn't there...sure, Rog. I hope the Justice Department nails him to the wall!
- Don't look now but the Boston streak of good teams is rubbing off on the Bruins. 5-0-1 in their last six and a lovely shut out of Ottawa (granted they weren't really the same team as early in the season but still a big win for the B's).
- Eagle hockey enters a crucial weekend with two games against Providence. Win these two and they should seal up home ice (with some help from Vermont or BU) and solidify their NCAA hopes. (By the way, look to the right...why is BU even in the NCAA picture...they have not beaten a good team all year!)
- Finally, I will be in Paradise Valley this weekend so there will be no update to the PWR until Sunday night. Sorry to all of you who were looking for updates after the Thurs, Fri, and Sat games. Viva!!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Make up your mind
Yesterday Peter Forsberg was off the market saying that his foot was just not responding the way that he wanted it to and that meant not NHL comeback this season. Then today he turns around and leaves the door open saying that there is still a week left to the trade deadline. While he remains in limbo so too do a lot trade deals that teams are looking to make to improve their clubs.
The NHL needs to adjust something here. First it was Scott Neidermeyer and then Teemu Selanne playing the Hamlet game that left Anaheim in the lurch and when they decided to return it forced Anaheim to cut people it may have wanted to keep around. Now Forsberg isn't just holding up one team he is holding up the whole league. Anyone who wants to sign him is going to wait and see what he does before making a trade to better their club should Forsberg not return. This leaves both the teams looking to sign him and their potential trade partners holding thier breath. If we waits until the deadline, someone who could afford him but can't risk not making a trade will have to give up or risk passing the deadline.
There should be a deadline for signing former players. In my opinion it should be the start of the regular season. These guys are not in game shape no matter how tough their individual workouts may be. You force a team to essentially put someone in the lineup that will not be in synch with his teammates and has had no camp. It's unfair to the team.
Forsberg is hogging the spotlight because he can. He is one of the greatest players in the world and probably top 20 of all-time but he's holding the league ransom until he can make up his mind. It's selfish and will hurt more teams than just the one who signs him.
The NHL needs to adjust something here. First it was Scott Neidermeyer and then Teemu Selanne playing the Hamlet game that left Anaheim in the lurch and when they decided to return it forced Anaheim to cut people it may have wanted to keep around. Now Forsberg isn't just holding up one team he is holding up the whole league. Anyone who wants to sign him is going to wait and see what he does before making a trade to better their club should Forsberg not return. This leaves both the teams looking to sign him and their potential trade partners holding thier breath. If we waits until the deadline, someone who could afford him but can't risk not making a trade will have to give up or risk passing the deadline.
There should be a deadline for signing former players. In my opinion it should be the start of the regular season. These guys are not in game shape no matter how tough their individual workouts may be. You force a team to essentially put someone in the lineup that will not be in synch with his teammates and has had no camp. It's unfair to the team.
Forsberg is hogging the spotlight because he can. He is one of the greatest players in the world and probably top 20 of all-time but he's holding the league ransom until he can make up his mind. It's selfish and will hurt more teams than just the one who signs him.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Empty Seats
Being at the BC/UMass-Lowell contest I saw a disturbing sight. Not that Scott Hansen's consistent bad refereeing that again altered a contest (not saying BC would have won without his refereeing but his bad calls certainly gave Lowell their second goal). Not the fact that BC lost. It was the number of empty seats at Conte Forum.
When I was in undergrad, the place was routinely empty. We were bad. As we suffered through 11-1 losses to UNH and Dave Hymovitz was the only one who could consistently score, you hoped there was light at the end of the tunnel. In walks Marty Reasoner and Brian Gionta two years later and we are consistent national title contenders.
After that, it was packed houses and students coming out in droves. Men named Bridge and Quinn starting yellow-shirted faithfuls who raised hell in Durham (needing a police escort to leave) and caught the ire of Northeastern fans at Matthews ("Do you have any hot sisters?" Derek?) and made "E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles, Eagles, Eagles!" a sign of pride. Where has that pride gone?
Basketball and football get all the press. Since moving to the ACC, before this year, we had one of the top winning percentages in league play in basketball. The football team has won 8 straight bowl games and been in 9 straight. Troy Bell, Jared Dudley, Matt Ryan, and Matthias Kiwanuka have become names in BC lore that will go down for years. The yellow-shirted Superfans go to these games and make a great impression on TV. But how many of them remember that is was the hockey fans that started that group with a little donation from the Pike's Peak club.
Though I love the success of the other clubs, the hockey team has been more successful. Since 1998, they have won a national title, been to seven Frozen Fours, five finals, won more Hockey East titles than any other team in the conference, and won three Beanpots (which is no small feat considering the record BU has in those contests). They are the most successful team on campus. Now, despite another good season, no one is coming to the games.
On Friday night, we were 12-2-2 in the sixteen games leading up to that contest. We had just won one of the most exciting Beanpot finals in years, and no one was there. The students at the Beanpot were loud, enthusiastic, and very much into the game. There weren't more than a few hundred students at the game Friday. The weather was fine. It was a normal game-time. It was only the beginning of a three-day weekend and not the start of Spring Break. Yet no one was there. With the alumni as quiet as usual (and I attribute their lack of attendance more to the start of February vacation then anything else), the building was way too silent.
Crowd noise affects a team. A loud crowd can lift it and a bad crowd can make a difference. The outnumbered Lowell fans were louder than the BC students. When I was a junior and Michigan State came to BC, we beat them on our home ice and they were number two in the nation. Me and some guys I was sitting with got very loud that night and were getting the rest of the fans into it as well. That week in the Heights (BC's student paper), Jerry York thanked the loud fans who came out because he said it gave his team a real boost to hear the support. Maybe he was exaggerating, but I don't think so. They are college kids and to have a loud crowd supporting you has to feel great and give you an emotional lift more so than even a professional athlete because they are just kids. We need that kind of crowd back. One that cares and not just one that goes to see the girls and find out where the party is later that night.
The worst part is that I see this hurting our recruiting. Though our national success helps, Maine has had nearly as good a run over the past 10 years as we've had and their building is a great place to see a game. If you have never been to Alfond, I highly recommend the trip to Orono as I could be the best home ice advantage in college hockey. Durham is almost as good as the regular fans get into it almost as much as the students. If I were a recruit, going to one of those buildings and hearing those crowds might make a difference to me. I want those kinds of crowds at Conte. I want fans that care that much. It would make a great atmosphere and our successful, nationally-ranked boys deserve it.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Aren't there laws to make?
So, like everyone else, I have been fascinated by the whole Clemens thing. As expressed in this blog before I reiterate that I still believe that Clemens took HGH and/or steriods. The words of Pettitte seem to back this up as does many of the things you saw on Capitol Hill earlier this week.
Yes, I believe that Clemens lied to Congress. If you follow my lying breakdown form my prior blog you understand why it makes more sense for Clemens to be lying that McNamee. Clemens has continued to keep his lying simple. He does not say Pettitte lied but rather that he misremembered. This has the beauty of not only allowing him to only tell a small lie but it actually doesn't contradict anything that Pettitte said. By saying that Pettitte "may" have "misremembered" the context of the conversation, he doesn't accuse his friend of lying nor does he tell a complicated lie. It's merely another denial.
McNamee adds details like they are going out of style but they all seem to keep coming back with some truth to them. And Clemens even comes close to backing those new accusations up by throwing his wife under the bus! It's great! I saw a great video of Clemens and he was facing the panel as he spoke but as soon as he got to the actual "I never used drugs" line he broke eye contact and looked at his ever expanding list of notes. For those of you who have ever cheated on a test in high school, you know that you never look at your crib sheet so blatantly if you want to get away with it. And any good poker player will tell you that the inability to maintain eye contact is a great tell when someone is lying. The comedy of this whole thing is great (even the Giggling Russian would have a good chuckle).
This leads to the real question of this piece, doesn't Congress make laws anymore? I know they kept getting called out of the hearing to cast votes but it seems that they are more concerned with baseball players sticking needles in their asses and Coach Hoodie taping opponents then the war and the recession. They need to let it go. I understand that the steroid thing is important because of the illegal nature of many of the activities and the poor example it sets for children and the fact that these substances are harmful, but why is Specter sticking his nose into Spygate?
All you Pats haters out there are enjoying this and thinking that this is going to bring them down. But this is not something that deserves Congressional review. One team got caught violating NFL rules (not federal laws) by taping opponents' signals. Other teams probably do similar things. If they want to investigate, let's investigate the whole league and see who else is cheating and how, don't just concentrate on one practice by the Pats (for which they have been punished by the league already). Congress needs to pay attention to what is important on a national scale and not the inner workings of the NFL disciplinary committee.
I know I'm biased as a Pats fan, but let's be honest (something no one in the whole Clemens thing seems completely capable of), the Pats got caught and won't do it again. Will Belichick find new ways to skirt the rules, you betcha! But that misses the point that every team is trying to find a way to skirt the rules. All you have to do is really look and you'll find it. Lets not forget that the majority of the NFL rulebook is designed because of things that people either have done or thought about doing that would have given them an unfair advantage. As long as there are gray areas, people will find them and exploit them or even downright violate rules to get an edge. Just ask Roger Clemens if you can get him to look you in the eye when he answers.
Yes, I believe that Clemens lied to Congress. If you follow my lying breakdown form my prior blog you understand why it makes more sense for Clemens to be lying that McNamee. Clemens has continued to keep his lying simple. He does not say Pettitte lied but rather that he misremembered. This has the beauty of not only allowing him to only tell a small lie but it actually doesn't contradict anything that Pettitte said. By saying that Pettitte "may" have "misremembered" the context of the conversation, he doesn't accuse his friend of lying nor does he tell a complicated lie. It's merely another denial.
McNamee adds details like they are going out of style but they all seem to keep coming back with some truth to them. And Clemens even comes close to backing those new accusations up by throwing his wife under the bus! It's great! I saw a great video of Clemens and he was facing the panel as he spoke but as soon as he got to the actual "I never used drugs" line he broke eye contact and looked at his ever expanding list of notes. For those of you who have ever cheated on a test in high school, you know that you never look at your crib sheet so blatantly if you want to get away with it. And any good poker player will tell you that the inability to maintain eye contact is a great tell when someone is lying. The comedy of this whole thing is great (even the Giggling Russian would have a good chuckle).
This leads to the real question of this piece, doesn't Congress make laws anymore? I know they kept getting called out of the hearing to cast votes but it seems that they are more concerned with baseball players sticking needles in their asses and Coach Hoodie taping opponents then the war and the recession. They need to let it go. I understand that the steroid thing is important because of the illegal nature of many of the activities and the poor example it sets for children and the fact that these substances are harmful, but why is Specter sticking his nose into Spygate?
All you Pats haters out there are enjoying this and thinking that this is going to bring them down. But this is not something that deserves Congressional review. One team got caught violating NFL rules (not federal laws) by taping opponents' signals. Other teams probably do similar things. If they want to investigate, let's investigate the whole league and see who else is cheating and how, don't just concentrate on one practice by the Pats (for which they have been punished by the league already). Congress needs to pay attention to what is important on a national scale and not the inner workings of the NFL disciplinary committee.
I know I'm biased as a Pats fan, but let's be honest (something no one in the whole Clemens thing seems completely capable of), the Pats got caught and won't do it again. Will Belichick find new ways to skirt the rules, you betcha! But that misses the point that every team is trying to find a way to skirt the rules. All you have to do is really look and you'll find it. Lets not forget that the majority of the NFL rulebook is designed because of things that people either have done or thought about doing that would have given them an unfair advantage. As long as there are gray areas, people will find them and exploit them or even downright violate rules to get an edge. Just ask Roger Clemens if you can get him to look you in the eye when he answers.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Beanpot thoughts
Now that it is over, these are just a few thoughts I have:
- Nothing was funnier than when the jumbotron centered on Mike Brennan in the third when he got called for cross-checking and the camera centered on his face just as he was saying "What the f$%^?" The BC students, upon seeing this, promptly erupted into a load cheer and started chanting "What the f%^&! What the f%^&!!!" It was priceless. (This was even better than the inevitable "Safety School!" chant at the Harvard fans as they left dejected...classic!)
- After Gerbe's headfirst slide in game 1, it seemed only appropriate that Petrecki should make a feet first slide across center ice as the team mobbed him. That was just pure joy right there. For those of you who remember the 2004 Beanpot, you will remember a BC player actually jumping clear over the celebration pile after Ryan Murphy scored the OT winner to beat Sean Fields (who was other worldly that night).
- This was the first time in a long time that I have gone to the consolation game. I was impressed by the sheer number of Northeastern fans that were there. It's too bad that the refs closed their eyes at the end of the game. That kind of support for a team that has struggled of late (and played themselves out of the tournament as you can see in the space to the right) deserved to be rewarded. I'm not surprised that the BU faithful did not show up. It's tough to get to the Garden on a Monday for a 5pm game and when that game is a consolation game it makes it even tougher...trust me, I know.
- Not sure what, but something should have been done when the linesman inexplicably was in the middle of the blue line and took out Nick Petrecki on a play that lead to the third Harvard goal. What was he thinking? He should have been on the opposite side of the line. You almost never see the linesman because they are always along the boards or just dropping the puck. What he was doing, in the middle of the blue line, with an offensive rush coming at him is a question that will never be answered.
- Scary thought. Four of Harvard's five goals were wrist shots that found space over Muse's shoulders. They were clearly aiming for that all night and it showed and there was nothing Muse could do about it. He is not a large goaltender as Clemmensen, Kaltieinen, and Schneider were before him. When he goes down there is a lot of space to shoot at. I have faith in Coach Logue that he saw the same thing and will be finding a way to help Muse make the proper adjustments. Harvard is not a goal-scoring team. If he leaves that opening for a team like North Dakota, Miami, or New Hampshire, they'll put up a 10 spot.
- That being said, this was the 6th time this season BC has allowed 4 or more goals. They are 2-4-0 in those games. This was the 15th time this season they have scored 4 or more goals. They are 15-0-0 in those games and 79-0-1 in games when they score 4 or more since Oct. 2003 when they lost 6-4 to North Dakota in Grand Forks. They have yet to win a game this season where they have scored less than 4 goals (0-6-7).
- Nothing was funnier than when the jumbotron centered on Mike Brennan in the third when he got called for cross-checking and the camera centered on his face just as he was saying "What the f$%^?" The BC students, upon seeing this, promptly erupted into a load cheer and started chanting "What the f%^&! What the f%^&!!!" It was priceless. (This was even better than the inevitable "Safety School!" chant at the Harvard fans as they left dejected...classic!)
- After Gerbe's headfirst slide in game 1, it seemed only appropriate that Petrecki should make a feet first slide across center ice as the team mobbed him. That was just pure joy right there. For those of you who remember the 2004 Beanpot, you will remember a BC player actually jumping clear over the celebration pile after Ryan Murphy scored the OT winner to beat Sean Fields (who was other worldly that night).
- This was the first time in a long time that I have gone to the consolation game. I was impressed by the sheer number of Northeastern fans that were there. It's too bad that the refs closed their eyes at the end of the game. That kind of support for a team that has struggled of late (and played themselves out of the tournament as you can see in the space to the right) deserved to be rewarded. I'm not surprised that the BU faithful did not show up. It's tough to get to the Garden on a Monday for a 5pm game and when that game is a consolation game it makes it even tougher...trust me, I know.
- Not sure what, but something should have been done when the linesman inexplicably was in the middle of the blue line and took out Nick Petrecki on a play that lead to the third Harvard goal. What was he thinking? He should have been on the opposite side of the line. You almost never see the linesman because they are always along the boards or just dropping the puck. What he was doing, in the middle of the blue line, with an offensive rush coming at him is a question that will never be answered.
- Scary thought. Four of Harvard's five goals were wrist shots that found space over Muse's shoulders. They were clearly aiming for that all night and it showed and there was nothing Muse could do about it. He is not a large goaltender as Clemmensen, Kaltieinen, and Schneider were before him. When he goes down there is a lot of space to shoot at. I have faith in Coach Logue that he saw the same thing and will be finding a way to help Muse make the proper adjustments. Harvard is not a goal-scoring team. If he leaves that opening for a team like North Dakota, Miami, or New Hampshire, they'll put up a 10 spot.
- That being said, this was the 6th time this season BC has allowed 4 or more goals. They are 2-4-0 in those games. This was the 15th time this season they have scored 4 or more goals. They are 15-0-0 in those games and 79-0-1 in games when they score 4 or more since Oct. 2003 when they lost 6-4 to North Dakota in Grand Forks. They have yet to win a game this season where they have scored less than 4 goals (0-6-7).
Third time's a charm!
The third time I have seen them win the Beanpot!
Thank you, Nick Petrecki!!
(By the way, was I the only one who thought it was funny when they were announcing the MVP that Petrecki started going to the table before someone grabbed him to point out that even though he put in his first 2 collegiate goals, Brian Gibbons was MVP with his two game performance...gotta love the freshmen!)
Monday, February 11, 2008
"Underdog"? But they won by 40!
In the world of sport, I find the underdog is always worth rooting for (with some key exceptions to you New York Giant and Michigan State fans). Last night I watched a couple of great basketball games where #4 UCLA feel to a less than stellar Washington Huskie team and #3 UNC needed a complete collapse at the foul line by Clemson to overcome a 15-point second half deficit (where they never led until the first overtime) to win in 2-OT.
While watching these games I was flipping over to some women's college b-ball game on ESPN2 and I realized that the upset seems very common in the women's game. When we're talking about upsets we're not talking about #20 beating #10 in nip an tuck game, we're talking about a top ten team getting blown out, at home, by an unranked opponent. Can someone explain this?
The worst massacres happen early in the season when the pollsters clearly were overestimating or underestimating teams and it takes a few weeks for things to settle down and for the cream to rise. This happens in all college sports from women's b-ball to D-I football (or FBS if you must...but that is whole other topic). You think a freshman will make a difference and they don't or maybe the loss of that key senios hurt team chemistry more than you thought, whatever the reason it is all a bit of a guessing game out of the gate so yuo need time to let things really set in and you get to know who the true players are.
But in women's basketball (and I will confine it to just women's basketbal not women's sport in general), there seems to be no settling down. Right to the very end highly-ranked teams get annihilated by those who are technically "underdogs". It's staggering. Are the pollsters just that bad at assessing women's talent? With the plethora of former players and coaches who are on these sports programs giving intelligent and insightful breakdowns of the women's game that notion seems highly unlikely.
You almost never see this type of destruction in the men's game. Rarely does a team ranked considerably lower win by ten points, nevermind the occasional 40 point blowouts I see in the women's game. While on the topic of blowouts, its also odd that some of the higher eschelon teams (yes, Mr. Auriema, I'm talking about you) seem to take pleasure in beating teams by 70. You never see this in the men's game unless UNC is playing Chaminade out in Hawaii. But its a routine happening in women's b-ball and not just in Storrs, CT.
I think they are linked I think the same thing that allows teams to win by 70 allows teams to beat "favorites" by 40. I just can't place my finger on it. Do women basketball players just enjoy sticking it to their opponents more than male athletes? I find that hard to believe, knowing the attitudes of some of the male athletes today. It's not a talent issus when the "underdog" wins because they are supposedly the worse team...that's why they are the underdog.
Do women fold under the pressure of a large deficit? UNC was down 15 last night but put it together and came up with a big win. I find it hard to believe that the women's team would have just folded their tent and ended up losing by 30. An athlete is an athlete and they all have competitive fires that will not go out just because they are losing by double-digits.
It is one of the great mystery of sports. And what makes watching it so much fun. You never know what to expect.
While watching these games I was flipping over to some women's college b-ball game on ESPN2 and I realized that the upset seems very common in the women's game. When we're talking about upsets we're not talking about #20 beating #10 in nip an tuck game, we're talking about a top ten team getting blown out, at home, by an unranked opponent. Can someone explain this?
The worst massacres happen early in the season when the pollsters clearly were overestimating or underestimating teams and it takes a few weeks for things to settle down and for the cream to rise. This happens in all college sports from women's b-ball to D-I football (or FBS if you must...but that is whole other topic). You think a freshman will make a difference and they don't or maybe the loss of that key senios hurt team chemistry more than you thought, whatever the reason it is all a bit of a guessing game out of the gate so yuo need time to let things really set in and you get to know who the true players are.
But in women's basketball (and I will confine it to just women's basketbal not women's sport in general), there seems to be no settling down. Right to the very end highly-ranked teams get annihilated by those who are technically "underdogs". It's staggering. Are the pollsters just that bad at assessing women's talent? With the plethora of former players and coaches who are on these sports programs giving intelligent and insightful breakdowns of the women's game that notion seems highly unlikely.
You almost never see this type of destruction in the men's game. Rarely does a team ranked considerably lower win by ten points, nevermind the occasional 40 point blowouts I see in the women's game. While on the topic of blowouts, its also odd that some of the higher eschelon teams (yes, Mr. Auriema, I'm talking about you) seem to take pleasure in beating teams by 70. You never see this in the men's game unless UNC is playing Chaminade out in Hawaii. But its a routine happening in women's b-ball and not just in Storrs, CT.
I think they are linked I think the same thing that allows teams to win by 70 allows teams to beat "favorites" by 40. I just can't place my finger on it. Do women basketball players just enjoy sticking it to their opponents more than male athletes? I find that hard to believe, knowing the attitudes of some of the male athletes today. It's not a talent issus when the "underdog" wins because they are supposedly the worse team...that's why they are the underdog.
Do women fold under the pressure of a large deficit? UNC was down 15 last night but put it together and came up with a big win. I find it hard to believe that the women's team would have just folded their tent and ended up losing by 30. An athlete is an athlete and they all have competitive fires that will not go out just because they are losing by double-digits.
It is one of the great mystery of sports. And what makes watching it so much fun. You never know what to expect.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Pain Runs Deep
This weekend was one of the most maddening and painful weekends in quite a while. As a BC, Bruins, and Pats fan, this one hurt.
Friday night, the Eagles have a shot at getting a key win and solidifying their hold on a NCAA spot in hockey. Despite a closely played first period, they found themselves down 2-0 as bounces were not going their way. Then, after outplaying Providence for the next two periods (including a 15-4 shot advantage in the third), they found themselves on the losing end of the game 3-2. Of their 35+ shots many of them were quality opportunities. Matt Price had a golden one late to tie the game but the Providence goalie somehow did the worm (somebody alert Scotty 2 Hotty that his move has been stolen from WWE) and the shot deflected off his leg. The number of juicy rebounds that found BC sticks and somehow ended wide or blocked or deflected was maddening. Over all three periods. But there is still a lot left on the season. The loss ended up not hurting us too bad as Clarkson, Denver, and others had rough weekends, and BC actually moved up from a #10 tie to a solid #9 in the PWR. Not a disaster but painful to watch as a fan. Little did I know this was but the tip of the iceberg for my weekend.
Saturday night, the Bruins had the opportunity to follow-up their impressive showing against Ottawa with a chance to beat the NHL leading Detroit Red Wings. I'm not going to lie to you, I told Pike Sr. the day of the game that I would have been happy with just getting one point out of it because Detriot is that much better and points are important. The B's came out hot and Chuckie (yes, I get to call Kobasew that because I watched him as a super-frosh at BC, and I was at Albany when he made the assist to Kolanos that won the national title in 2001) made a beautiful give-and-go to put them up 1-0 in the first. The Bruins played great tight defensive hockey through two periods and were tied 1-1. But I saw another aggravating sight. It was like a replay of the BC game, juicy rebounds just not finding their way into the net. One of the worst was in the third with the game 2-1, Chuckie gathers behind the net and feeds to Metropolit in front and he's just moving too fast across the crease and gets nothing on it and pops it in the air instead of into a wide open goal. Shortly thereafter, Detriot put it away for a 3-1 win. Again victory was there for the taking and the bounces weren't there. Oh, but the pain was not over.
Last night, the impossible happened. The perfect season was derailed and by a Manning no less. I would have felt better if they were trailing all night. I would have felt better if the Giants outscored them in a shoot-out. I would have felt better if had been Favre & the Packers who beat us. But to lose, to the Giants, in that manner...I felt like the poor guy in Indiana Jones after Mola Ram ripped his heart out and showed it to him, still beating, and lighting on fire. Funny thing, I imagine Rams fans felt much the same back in 2001. There is a dullness to my day that I imagine will not go anywhere for a little while. As one of my co-workers just said, "I woke up this morning and said to myself, 'Did that just happen?'"
Tonight there is an opportunity for redemption. Insidecollegehockey.com ran their power rankings today and next to Northeastern it said, "The benefit of the Beanpot is that hockey success on Monday can erase football disappointment from Sunday." This is what I am hoping for. A win tonight and it will be better. The Bruins have many more games to play, BC is still, at this point, in the NCAA tourney. A win over BU is just what I need to make me human again.
Tomorrow I go to the Big Apple on my first business trip for the new company. Not looking forward to it, not a big fan of the solo travel (boring and when something gets messed up as it always does, there is no one to lament with). Also, they are calling for wintery mix and rain for the next two days in Boston & NY. Should be lovely! But should BC lose tonight and continue the heartache of the last four days (did I mention the men's basketball team got smoked twice since Thursday?) the trip will be decidedly more melancholy. If I had a dog, I would be waiting for someone to kick it. Have a lovely Monday. Go Eagles!!
Friday night, the Eagles have a shot at getting a key win and solidifying their hold on a NCAA spot in hockey. Despite a closely played first period, they found themselves down 2-0 as bounces were not going their way. Then, after outplaying Providence for the next two periods (including a 15-4 shot advantage in the third), they found themselves on the losing end of the game 3-2. Of their 35+ shots many of them were quality opportunities. Matt Price had a golden one late to tie the game but the Providence goalie somehow did the worm (somebody alert Scotty 2 Hotty that his move has been stolen from WWE) and the shot deflected off his leg. The number of juicy rebounds that found BC sticks and somehow ended wide or blocked or deflected was maddening. Over all three periods. But there is still a lot left on the season. The loss ended up not hurting us too bad as Clarkson, Denver, and others had rough weekends, and BC actually moved up from a #10 tie to a solid #9 in the PWR. Not a disaster but painful to watch as a fan. Little did I know this was but the tip of the iceberg for my weekend.
Saturday night, the Bruins had the opportunity to follow-up their impressive showing against Ottawa with a chance to beat the NHL leading Detroit Red Wings. I'm not going to lie to you, I told Pike Sr. the day of the game that I would have been happy with just getting one point out of it because Detriot is that much better and points are important. The B's came out hot and Chuckie (yes, I get to call Kobasew that because I watched him as a super-frosh at BC, and I was at Albany when he made the assist to Kolanos that won the national title in 2001) made a beautiful give-and-go to put them up 1-0 in the first. The Bruins played great tight defensive hockey through two periods and were tied 1-1. But I saw another aggravating sight. It was like a replay of the BC game, juicy rebounds just not finding their way into the net. One of the worst was in the third with the game 2-1, Chuckie gathers behind the net and feeds to Metropolit in front and he's just moving too fast across the crease and gets nothing on it and pops it in the air instead of into a wide open goal. Shortly thereafter, Detriot put it away for a 3-1 win. Again victory was there for the taking and the bounces weren't there. Oh, but the pain was not over.
Last night, the impossible happened. The perfect season was derailed and by a Manning no less. I would have felt better if they were trailing all night. I would have felt better if the Giants outscored them in a shoot-out. I would have felt better if had been Favre & the Packers who beat us. But to lose, to the Giants, in that manner...I felt like the poor guy in Indiana Jones after Mola Ram ripped his heart out and showed it to him, still beating, and lighting on fire. Funny thing, I imagine Rams fans felt much the same back in 2001. There is a dullness to my day that I imagine will not go anywhere for a little while. As one of my co-workers just said, "I woke up this morning and said to myself, 'Did that just happen?'"
Tonight there is an opportunity for redemption. Insidecollegehockey.com ran their power rankings today and next to Northeastern it said, "The benefit of the Beanpot is that hockey success on Monday can erase football disappointment from Sunday." This is what I am hoping for. A win tonight and it will be better. The Bruins have many more games to play, BC is still, at this point, in the NCAA tourney. A win over BU is just what I need to make me human again.
Tomorrow I go to the Big Apple on my first business trip for the new company. Not looking forward to it, not a big fan of the solo travel (boring and when something gets messed up as it always does, there is no one to lament with). Also, they are calling for wintery mix and rain for the next two days in Boston & NY. Should be lovely! But should BC lose tonight and continue the heartache of the last four days (did I mention the men's basketball team got smoked twice since Thursday?) the trip will be decidedly more melancholy. If I had a dog, I would be waiting for someone to kick it. Have a lovely Monday. Go Eagles!!
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