For those of you who remember these two phrases the images of that skier nearly killing himself on the slopes at the beginning of Wide World of Sports broadcasts come to mind (that still sends shivers). But I am referring to last evenings NCAA hockey regional final between Boston College and Miami OH.
Due to the tyranny that is ESPN, I was unable to actually watch the contest since it was only on ESPNU and my cable provider does not carry that station. Despite my multiple requests and inquiries into the status of that upgrade, to this point Big Cable (specifically the members of RCN) has kept me in the dark. Because of this, I kept track of the game via CSTV...um, I mean CBS College Sports (thankfully there are no fines like the Tampa Bay D.... Rays)....Gametracker system. Happily, Gametracker was working and only about 1 or 2 minutes behind the real action. Old Man Pike was watching the game live which necessitated leaving the cell phone in the other room to prevent premature celebrations or disappointments.
As previously chronicled, Mrs. Pike went to Miami OH and is a supporter of their hockey team. She went to the local watering hole to watch the contest on their Direct TV (and cheer for her team without repercussion from me) but I was too nervous to be in public for this one. She returned as the 3-3 game went into overtime. As I sat there in my living room keeping track, at 12:12 of overtime, Gametracker told me what I had been dreading since the game went 3-3, Miami had scored and won the game 4-3. It showed #15 Brian Kaufman had scored assisted by #22 Nino Musitelli. Mrs. Pike was happy and to her credit did not rub it in or anything. She texted her brother (a fellow Miami alum) to celebrate as he was in a location unable to watch the game. I was down but not destroyed as I had figured Miami was going to win as soon as they beat Air Force the day before. I was ready for it. Then the call came.
Old Man Pike (thinking I was way behind on Gametracker) called and said, "Boy, Miami is really carrying the play in overtime" as he knew the true outcome of the game. I was obviously upset about what I thought was a BC loss. We go on for a little and he says, "You don't sound very excited?" At which I replied rather annoyed, "Why should I be excited? Miami won!". His response, "No they didn't, BC won! Whitney just put it in to win!" I was floored. I didn't believe him. I thought he was pulling a trick (not the first time and I have done similar things to him so it wouldn't be without precedent). Then the truth set in as my thoughts jumped. Whitney scored??? He's number 15. Brian Kaufman was #15. I quickly asked, "Did Bertram (#22) assist?" Upon confirmation I realized what had happened. Gametraker had gotten the numbers right but whoever was working the system had put in the wrong team.
Uh oh. Mrs. Pike was staring at me. She could hear my side of the conversation and was looking in disbelief. I told her the news. Gametracker was wrong. BC had pulled it off. All her joy at Miami making their first Frozen Four disappeared in a second and was replaced by anguish. In the blink of an eye our roles had been reversed. By the mistake from Gametracker we had both experienced crushing loss and unbridled exuberance in the span of about 5 minutes. Her grief set in quickly and understandably.
It was an amazing few moments. Neither good nor bad but amazing in the respect that we could both feel these intense extremes of emotion so quickly and so deeply from a mistake. I will never forget it. And now its on to another Frozen Four where once again North Dakota awaits.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
High Cost of Fanhood
So last weekend I thought about going to the Hockey East finals to watch BC take on Vermont. As usual that involved a trip to the Ticketmaster website. As I was looking into buying seats I decided that I did not need the best in the house and thought I could get a couple of upper deck seats on the cheap and still enjoy the game. That's when Ticketmaster messed up my plans.
From the "convenience" charges, to the "building charge", to the e-ticket printing price, they managed to take two $17 tickets and turn them into $60 worth of entertainment (for those of you scoring at home that is an 88% mark-up). I was outraged, I was flabbergasted. I know they charge these things because this is how they make their money but it seemed a little extreme for $17 tickets. Needless to say I declined to succumb to Big Ticket and ended up watching the game in the comfort of my living room.
Once the NCAA field was announced and I found that BC was going to be in nearby Worcester I decided to investigate tickets again. As always the "convenience charge" was still there but for some reason it was actually less than the charge for Hockey East. The tickets were $79 for a two-day pass but the charge was only $8+ instead of $9+. Apparently the "convenience" of buying a $17 ticket is more than buying a $79 ticket. I wish I could say this makes sense but it simply doesn't. How does one justify a greater charge for a cheaper ticket? That's like making poor people pay more taxes than rich people. That would be like a grocery store tacking on a $10 surcharge on all items instead of a profit percentage. It's a crime. Or at least it should be.
From the "convenience" charges, to the "building charge", to the e-ticket printing price, they managed to take two $17 tickets and turn them into $60 worth of entertainment (for those of you scoring at home that is an 88% mark-up). I was outraged, I was flabbergasted. I know they charge these things because this is how they make their money but it seemed a little extreme for $17 tickets. Needless to say I declined to succumb to Big Ticket and ended up watching the game in the comfort of my living room.
Once the NCAA field was announced and I found that BC was going to be in nearby Worcester I decided to investigate tickets again. As always the "convenience charge" was still there but for some reason it was actually less than the charge for Hockey East. The tickets were $79 for a two-day pass but the charge was only $8+ instead of $9+. Apparently the "convenience" of buying a $17 ticket is more than buying a $79 ticket. I wish I could say this makes sense but it simply doesn't. How does one justify a greater charge for a cheaper ticket? That's like making poor people pay more taxes than rich people. That would be like a grocery store tacking on a $10 surcharge on all items instead of a profit percentage. It's a crime. Or at least it should be.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Marital Split
Marriage is about compromise and sometimes about competition. I have often sworn that I could never marry a BU fan because our interests would just get in the way of each other. My marital bliss is looking to be tested again. Should BC and Miami both get past their first round opponents (a foregone conclusion for Miami but a much tougher hill to climb for BC) they will face each other in the second round of the playoffs.
This will be the third time in three years that BC will play Miami. Two years ago they faced off in the first round in Worcester, MA and BC won 5-0. Last year, they faced off in the second round and BC won 4-0. Should they make it past Minnesota (again, a BIG "if"), another white-wash is not likely. Miami has too much strength and scoring power but it will be interesting.
Two years ago, Mrs. Pike wore a Miami shirt with her BC jersey on her lap. By the time it was 3-0 the BC jersey was on she was in the Eagles camp. Last year, she kept the Miami gear on for most of the game. This year, she cannot attend the game. But I think she will be pulling more Miami than BC because we have seen BC in the Frozen Four the last two years and I think she wants to see her team make it finally. I cannot say that I agree with her sentiment but I will cheer for them should it turn out that way.
I must admit, if you believe in fate it seems like BC is destined to make the Frozen Four again. Why you may ask? Just look at the potential Frozen Four opponent. Should they survive the Midwest regional, North Dakota waits. BC has played them three years in a row, knocking them out twice in a row and having played them in both the 2000 and the 2001 national title game. It's as regular as the seasons. NCAA hockey tourney means BC versus North Dakota.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Random Mus(e)ings from the Weekend
- I must say that over the weekend John Muse looked every bit the prized recruit we heard about coming into the season. He was in position, he moved well, he made spectacular saves and made all the ordinary saves. The two goals he allowed were not really his fault (especially considering he was actually IN the net for one of them) and he helped keep Providence from gaining any momentum when their desperation set in. Now if he can keep that up, there is no telling how far this BC team can go.
- After tumultuous starts to the season, and flirtations with the NCAA tourney, for both BU and Vermont this Friday's semifinal game is do-or-die for both of them. As you can see, to the right, they are both on the bubble and a loss Friday will definitively shut the door on the loser. Clarkson getting knocked out of the ECAC tourney was the worse possible outcome for BU and Vermont. Either team may actually have to win Hockey East to get in, nevermind winning Friday.
- Did you see Gerbe's penalty shot? If not go to YouTube and check it out. While you're there check out the person he was emulating, former BC standout Ryan Shannon. Shannon did the same thing in the AHL All-Star game a couple years ago and then attempted it against Marty Turco (got stoned by a great stick save) while he was with Anaheim and scored on it earlier this year against a very irate Nikolai Khabibulin (who owns one of the coolest hockey names of all time). Whether or not you think that he stopped and therefore the goal should not have counted (Cam says he stopped but it didn't really matter), it took guts to try it and great skill to actually score it. It not for his recent ice cold play, that alone could have won him the Hobey.
- Speaking of the Hobey, if Kevin Porter doesn't win it will be the biggest upset in history. He is the best player, on the best team. He leads the nation in points. He is a leader, a clean player, and someone who can change a game in an instant. With all due respect to Nathan Gerbe, Chad Kolarik, Ryan Jones, and Jeff Zatkoff none of them has done what Porter has. He has elevated his team and deserves this award to recognize that.
- Disturbing news, a Central Florida freshman WR died in practice today. There is way too much of this going on. Something isn't right. Maybe the media is covering it more but I don't think so. I think these kids put themselves through so much just to have a shot at making the big time that they overexert and in some cases take supplements (both legal and illegal) that push them beyond what their body should be doing and these deaths are a direct result. I don't know what can be done to prevent this. Medical staffs are highly trained but I think some of the things kids do to get in shape or to be faster or jump higher is not seen. It makes me question whether or not the ability to buy items like those sold in GNC stores might be making kids bulk up faster than their body is built to take it. They are still kids and someone needs to find a way to help them.
- Continuing on the scary trend front. Tom Pohl from U of Minnesota nearly lost his life when an illegal elbow took off his helmet and his head hit the boards and cracked his skull. After watching Patrice Bergeron's injury on TV and seeing other people carted off on stretchers, it seems as though the game of hockey is getting rougher and people are getting hurt more often. There is an alarming number of illegal hits and stomps (Chris Simon & Chris Pronger, I'm talking to you) that are causing or could potentially cause serious injury. Pohl was taken out by a high elbow, as we Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Alberts. In the need to get on Sportscenter and make the biggest impression, players are exceedingly trying to not just level people but knock them out. One of these times someone is not going to get up.
- More for you after the weekend. Lots of playoff hockey and basketball to watch.
- After tumultuous starts to the season, and flirtations with the NCAA tourney, for both BU and Vermont this Friday's semifinal game is do-or-die for both of them. As you can see, to the right, they are both on the bubble and a loss Friday will definitively shut the door on the loser. Clarkson getting knocked out of the ECAC tourney was the worse possible outcome for BU and Vermont. Either team may actually have to win Hockey East to get in, nevermind winning Friday.
- Did you see Gerbe's penalty shot? If not go to YouTube and check it out. While you're there check out the person he was emulating, former BC standout Ryan Shannon. Shannon did the same thing in the AHL All-Star game a couple years ago and then attempted it against Marty Turco (got stoned by a great stick save) while he was with Anaheim and scored on it earlier this year against a very irate Nikolai Khabibulin (who owns one of the coolest hockey names of all time). Whether or not you think that he stopped and therefore the goal should not have counted (Cam says he stopped but it didn't really matter), it took guts to try it and great skill to actually score it. It not for his recent ice cold play, that alone could have won him the Hobey.
- Speaking of the Hobey, if Kevin Porter doesn't win it will be the biggest upset in history. He is the best player, on the best team. He leads the nation in points. He is a leader, a clean player, and someone who can change a game in an instant. With all due respect to Nathan Gerbe, Chad Kolarik, Ryan Jones, and Jeff Zatkoff none of them has done what Porter has. He has elevated his team and deserves this award to recognize that.
- Disturbing news, a Central Florida freshman WR died in practice today. There is way too much of this going on. Something isn't right. Maybe the media is covering it more but I don't think so. I think these kids put themselves through so much just to have a shot at making the big time that they overexert and in some cases take supplements (both legal and illegal) that push them beyond what their body should be doing and these deaths are a direct result. I don't know what can be done to prevent this. Medical staffs are highly trained but I think some of the things kids do to get in shape or to be faster or jump higher is not seen. It makes me question whether or not the ability to buy items like those sold in GNC stores might be making kids bulk up faster than their body is built to take it. They are still kids and someone needs to find a way to help them.
- Continuing on the scary trend front. Tom Pohl from U of Minnesota nearly lost his life when an illegal elbow took off his helmet and his head hit the boards and cracked his skull. After watching Patrice Bergeron's injury on TV and seeing other people carted off on stretchers, it seems as though the game of hockey is getting rougher and people are getting hurt more often. There is an alarming number of illegal hits and stomps (Chris Simon & Chris Pronger, I'm talking to you) that are causing or could potentially cause serious injury. Pohl was taken out by a high elbow, as we Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Alberts. In the need to get on Sportscenter and make the biggest impression, players are exceedingly trying to not just level people but knock them out. One of these times someone is not going to get up.
- More for you after the weekend. Lots of playoff hockey and basketball to watch.
Friday, March 14, 2008
I'm on the (non-sports related) List!
There comes a time in everyone's life when they want to be on a list. To get into a club. To win tickets for a Red Sox/Yankees game. To meet a celebrity. My list is not so ambitious. I just wanted to be on the list to receive a paycheck.
I have been contracting at my company for three months and I promised myself that I would not pull a Jeff Hardy and screw up my chance to get the Big Push. It worked, and on March 1st I was hired (YAY, Cam!). But in the world of corporate America nothing is ever that easy. I think I may have come across the dumbest HR person in the world to handle my hiring. This woman would make the airline representative who talks to David Spade in "Tommy Boy" look like a genius ("Hi, I'm Earth, have we met?" " I don't think so").
It started in my first meeting with her. She supplied me with all the paperwork to fill out and I asked her about how quickly my medical insurance would kick in since I had some things that needed to be taken care of quickly. She informed me that it would take 24-48 hours after the paperwork was submitted to get a number I could use, and 7-10 days later to get the actual card. This sounded fine with me. But then I heard no follow-up. Three days later I asked where my medical info was. No response. Then a week later, I asked again and was told that now she would submit my paperwork. Not when I first asked about it. Or even the second time, but now when it was getting close to me having to reschedule appointments!
The second hit was that since I am starting in March my vacation time gets prorated. Makes sense. I get 15 days and 3 personals. This is a total of 18. Missing 2 months means I lose 1/6 of those days or 3 days so I should have 15 total (always good at math as I may have mentioned when discussing Hockey East playoff combinations last week). But somehow I was only down for 13.5 days. HUH? Apparently, since I did not start on the 1st (which was a Saturday!) I was not counted has having worked in the month of March. When I asked my dim-witted HR person about this she said that the system calculates on the 1st of the month. I asked, "Wasn't the 3rd (first business day) effectively the first of the month?" I was told "No" because the first was a Saturday. So I asked if that meant even though I am working the entire business month of March that I was not getting credit for that and was losing 3 months of the year for vacation day calculation. Dim-wit said, "Yes". I informed her in my best sarcasm, "That makes sense." And she agreed. Apparently they don't teach sarcasm at Dim-wit's school. Come to find out I just needed a special override to get past the auto calculation of the system but she was not going to tell me that.
To get into my building you need an access card. Since I started working as a contractor I have been using essentially a visitor's pass. Once I was in the system, HR was supposed to notify Facilities and I would then get a real employee pass. They moved my boss and I in my building and when I spoke with the Facilities Manager he had no idea I had even been hired (this was of course a week and a half after filling out my paperwork). So no notification email had ever been sent. In addition, I have had to bypass HR to get set up on the various employee related systems are work (IT & A/P reimbursement).
So, you can see how I was expecting not to receive a paycheck today (today being the first pay period since my hire). I got news the checks were in. I rushed down to the front desk reception and while she was not handing them out yet, I saw she had a list. This list showed all the people who have checks sent. What did I see, my name emblazoned on the page. I was on the List!!! I WAS ON THE LIST!!! Apparently miracles happen and not just at Lake Placid.
I have been contracting at my company for three months and I promised myself that I would not pull a Jeff Hardy and screw up my chance to get the Big Push. It worked, and on March 1st I was hired (YAY, Cam!). But in the world of corporate America nothing is ever that easy. I think I may have come across the dumbest HR person in the world to handle my hiring. This woman would make the airline representative who talks to David Spade in "Tommy Boy" look like a genius ("Hi, I'm Earth, have we met?" " I don't think so").
It started in my first meeting with her. She supplied me with all the paperwork to fill out and I asked her about how quickly my medical insurance would kick in since I had some things that needed to be taken care of quickly. She informed me that it would take 24-48 hours after the paperwork was submitted to get a number I could use, and 7-10 days later to get the actual card. This sounded fine with me. But then I heard no follow-up. Three days later I asked where my medical info was. No response. Then a week later, I asked again and was told that now she would submit my paperwork. Not when I first asked about it. Or even the second time, but now when it was getting close to me having to reschedule appointments!
The second hit was that since I am starting in March my vacation time gets prorated. Makes sense. I get 15 days and 3 personals. This is a total of 18. Missing 2 months means I lose 1/6 of those days or 3 days so I should have 15 total (always good at math as I may have mentioned when discussing Hockey East playoff combinations last week). But somehow I was only down for 13.5 days. HUH? Apparently, since I did not start on the 1st (which was a Saturday!) I was not counted has having worked in the month of March. When I asked my dim-witted HR person about this she said that the system calculates on the 1st of the month. I asked, "Wasn't the 3rd (first business day) effectively the first of the month?" I was told "No" because the first was a Saturday. So I asked if that meant even though I am working the entire business month of March that I was not getting credit for that and was losing 3 months of the year for vacation day calculation. Dim-wit said, "Yes". I informed her in my best sarcasm, "That makes sense." And she agreed. Apparently they don't teach sarcasm at Dim-wit's school. Come to find out I just needed a special override to get past the auto calculation of the system but she was not going to tell me that.
To get into my building you need an access card. Since I started working as a contractor I have been using essentially a visitor's pass. Once I was in the system, HR was supposed to notify Facilities and I would then get a real employee pass. They moved my boss and I in my building and when I spoke with the Facilities Manager he had no idea I had even been hired (this was of course a week and a half after filling out my paperwork). So no notification email had ever been sent. In addition, I have had to bypass HR to get set up on the various employee related systems are work (IT & A/P reimbursement).
So, you can see how I was expecting not to receive a paycheck today (today being the first pay period since my hire). I got news the checks were in. I rushed down to the front desk reception and while she was not handing them out yet, I saw she had a list. This list showed all the people who have checks sent. What did I see, my name emblazoned on the page. I was on the List!!! I WAS ON THE LIST!!! Apparently miracles happen and not just at Lake Placid.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
State of Maine
The University of Maine has fallen on a hard season. They failed to make the Hockey East tourney for the first time probably since UMass joined the league and there were actually teams that did not make the tourney. And then news breaks today that Ben Bishop (their all-conference goaltender) will forgo his senior year and sign with the St. Louis Blues. Considering the conditions of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement this is hardly surprising and I would be even less surprised should 6 ft-7 in defenseman Simon Denis-Pepin did not follow Bishop's lead.
As it currently stands, NHL teams are pushed to sign prospects that they feel they cannot afford to lose after their junior year. With the current CBA, teams lose the rights to players they have drafted on August 16th of the summer after they graduate. The thought was that good players would stay in school for that extra year to allow themselves to sign with a team they wanted as opposed to the team that drafted them. I see this as faulty logic as I feel that most of these kids are happy just to be signed by a pro club and don't really care which one it is. They aren't all Eric Lindros, you know?
Maine, however, faces a serious uphill battle for next year. I have no doubt that they will have some talented freshman coming in next year as they always do but they are getting gutted this year. After losing promising young forward Teddy Purcel last year (not to mention the seniors who graduated) people expected a down year and they had one. But I don't think anyone thought it would be this bad. To make matters worse, now they lose Bishop who started all 34 games for the Black Bears this season and played all but 80 minutes. In addition, they lose 7 seniors, including 6 of their top 8 point scorers. If Denis-Pepin were to leave, that would make 7 of 8. Their highest returning point scorer will be Andrew Sweetland who as a freshman finished with 17 points. Not bad for a freshman but when you consider Joe Whitney currently has double that in just assists, this does not create a lot of buzz for next year.
Some might equate this to BC losing 10 seniors and Patrick Eaves after the 2004-05 season. The next season we went to the NCAA finals. There is a big difference here. They technically lost their starting goaltender in Kaltiainen but Schneider was already taking over as a freshman and started the two NCAA games that season. His only loss on the year was the final game to North Dakota where he was victimized by way too many breakaways. They were set in goal for the next season.
In additional, they had three seniors coming back in Collins, S. Gionta, and Harrold that were a central core to that team. Harrold was a bedrock defenseman that they knew they could depend on to provide quality leadership the next year. Gionta and Collins were both high energy guys with NCAA experience. In addition, they had Boyle and Rooney coming back as juniors off of 20 point seasons. There was clear direction on offense, defense, and goaltending for the next season. Maine is lacking in that department, especially if Denis-Pepin were to depart.
Tim Whitehead is not a bad coach. He made last season's Maine team into something much better than they were on paper but Bishop was a big part of their run last year when he was healthy. He will now have to rely on unproven sophomore Dave Wilson or whatever incoming freshman he may have. I would not count them out because sometimes all it takes is the right group of freshman and you can make a run, but he will have his work cut out for him next season.
I have sung the praises of the Orono faithful and their religious support for their hockey team. Let's hope they can keep it up through what looks to be another lean year next year for the Black Bears.
As it currently stands, NHL teams are pushed to sign prospects that they feel they cannot afford to lose after their junior year. With the current CBA, teams lose the rights to players they have drafted on August 16th of the summer after they graduate. The thought was that good players would stay in school for that extra year to allow themselves to sign with a team they wanted as opposed to the team that drafted them. I see this as faulty logic as I feel that most of these kids are happy just to be signed by a pro club and don't really care which one it is. They aren't all Eric Lindros, you know?
Maine, however, faces a serious uphill battle for next year. I have no doubt that they will have some talented freshman coming in next year as they always do but they are getting gutted this year. After losing promising young forward Teddy Purcel last year (not to mention the seniors who graduated) people expected a down year and they had one. But I don't think anyone thought it would be this bad. To make matters worse, now they lose Bishop who started all 34 games for the Black Bears this season and played all but 80 minutes. In addition, they lose 7 seniors, including 6 of their top 8 point scorers. If Denis-Pepin were to leave, that would make 7 of 8. Their highest returning point scorer will be Andrew Sweetland who as a freshman finished with 17 points. Not bad for a freshman but when you consider Joe Whitney currently has double that in just assists, this does not create a lot of buzz for next year.
Some might equate this to BC losing 10 seniors and Patrick Eaves after the 2004-05 season. The next season we went to the NCAA finals. There is a big difference here. They technically lost their starting goaltender in Kaltiainen but Schneider was already taking over as a freshman and started the two NCAA games that season. His only loss on the year was the final game to North Dakota where he was victimized by way too many breakaways. They were set in goal for the next season.
In additional, they had three seniors coming back in Collins, S. Gionta, and Harrold that were a central core to that team. Harrold was a bedrock defenseman that they knew they could depend on to provide quality leadership the next year. Gionta and Collins were both high energy guys with NCAA experience. In addition, they had Boyle and Rooney coming back as juniors off of 20 point seasons. There was clear direction on offense, defense, and goaltending for the next season. Maine is lacking in that department, especially if Denis-Pepin were to depart.
Tim Whitehead is not a bad coach. He made last season's Maine team into something much better than they were on paper but Bishop was a big part of their run last year when he was healthy. He will now have to rely on unproven sophomore Dave Wilson or whatever incoming freshman he may have. I would not count them out because sometimes all it takes is the right group of freshman and you can make a run, but he will have his work cut out for him next season.
I have sung the praises of the Orono faithful and their religious support for their hockey team. Let's hope they can keep it up through what looks to be another lean year next year for the Black Bears.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Greatest Games
With all due respect to the college bowl season which ESPN has dubbed the "Most Wonderful Week of the Year" in seasons past, we are entering the greatest time of the sports year for me. Playoff hockey season. Nothing is better than teams putting everything on the line and playing until someone wins. No more ties (and with BC there have been a LOT of those this year. No more kissing the sister. No more shootouts. Just play until one team has more goals than the other.
There is nothing better than watching two teams slug it out for 60 minutes and then have to go into overtime to move on. The tension, the excitement, the heartbreak, the elation. The ending of a good overtime playoff hockey game has got to be one of the greatest moments in sports. I remember Peter Nedved ending a 4OT game for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I can still picture him now on his knees with his arms raised in the air as the puck went in. It was early in the morning but all who cared were still there and still hoping. Krys Kolanos in 2001, Tom Ashe in 1994 in the Beanpot, Maine v. UNH in the 1999 Frozen Four.
If you want someone to see what hockey is all about, take them to an overtime playoff hockey game and if they aren't converted to being a hockey fan, they don't have a pulse.
There is nothing better than watching two teams slug it out for 60 minutes and then have to go into overtime to move on. The tension, the excitement, the heartbreak, the elation. The ending of a good overtime playoff hockey game has got to be one of the greatest moments in sports. I remember Peter Nedved ending a 4OT game for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I can still picture him now on his knees with his arms raised in the air as the puck went in. It was early in the morning but all who cared were still there and still hoping. Krys Kolanos in 2001, Tom Ashe in 1994 in the Beanpot, Maine v. UNH in the 1999 Frozen Four.
If you want someone to see what hockey is all about, take them to an overtime playoff hockey game and if they aren't converted to being a hockey fan, they don't have a pulse.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Change happens
So yesterday I wrote about the INCH Hockey East column. What I didn't tell you was that I emailed the author and told him his mistake. He was good natured in his reply telling me that all these various scenarios were going to be the death of him. When I looked at the article again this morning, he had changed it to remove the original reference to BC being denied home ice if they swept Northeastern.
See, sometimes when the unwashed masses speak, people listen.
See, sometimes when the unwashed masses speak, people listen.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Open Mouth, Insert Keyboard
So, as a college hockey fan, during the season I make a point of reading articles on USCHO.com and Insidecollegehockey.com (otherwise known as INCH...please no jokes, this is a family-friendly post). Every week INCH and USCHO run their weekly previews of the various games coming up and normally these are published late Thursday and I read them Friday morning.
Due to the extreme mess in Hockey East (teams 2-7 can end up in so many different combinations it's not even worth going through it), INCH ran their Hockey East Notebook a day early (plus with the Providence v. BU game tonight I guess they wanted to get it out before then). Part of this column runs a mini story on some interesting piece (in this case the standings and the excitement of the final weekend) and then they have little blurbs called "Stick Salute" and "Bench Minor" for things they feel are really good and really bad in the individual conference.
This week's "Bench Minor" berates the announcers on NESN for their off-the-cuff erroneous generalizations on the playoff hopes for Maine during the broadcast of the Maine v. Vermont game last week. Apparently, they overstated the importance of the game and how Maine would be eliminated if they lost and "control their own destiny" if they won (not sure where this phrase started but it is one of the most overused sports cliches right up there with "walk-off").
I bring this up for a very particular reason. In the body of the article, when analyzing the chances of the various playoff bound teams to get home ice, he mentions that even with a sweep this weekend against Northeastern, BC would not be guaranteed home ice. Apparently, the author did not take his own advice from "Bench Minor" and decided to make a statement without doing the math first.
Currently BC has 27 points. They are tied for 4th with Providence and BU is second with 29 points (for purposes of this discussion, Vermont is irrelevant because in the case of a sweep of NU what Vermont does makes no difference to BC's home ice). With a sweep, BC finishes with 31 points and at least 4th place. Guaranteed. Let's do the math.
Providence plays BU this weekend which means only one team can get 4 points. If Providence sweeps, Providence ends in a tie with BC at 31 points and BU finishes behind BC, hence guaranteeing at least 4th. In any other scenario, PC finishes under 31 points and hence behind BC and BC still gets home ice. Hence, a sweep this weekend by BC guarantees at least 4th place. After poking fun at NESN broadcasters for making incorrect statements about Maine's playoff scenarios, I guess the author should have taken out a calculator before writing about BC's.
Luckily for you, my loyal reader, I am here to save you and point you to the light. BC sweeps then we have one more weekend of hockey at Conte Forum. Of course, whether or not anyone will show up is the question that remains.
Due to the extreme mess in Hockey East (teams 2-7 can end up in so many different combinations it's not even worth going through it), INCH ran their Hockey East Notebook a day early (plus with the Providence v. BU game tonight I guess they wanted to get it out before then). Part of this column runs a mini story on some interesting piece (in this case the standings and the excitement of the final weekend) and then they have little blurbs called "Stick Salute" and "Bench Minor" for things they feel are really good and really bad in the individual conference.
This week's "Bench Minor" berates the announcers on NESN for their off-the-cuff erroneous generalizations on the playoff hopes for Maine during the broadcast of the Maine v. Vermont game last week. Apparently, they overstated the importance of the game and how Maine would be eliminated if they lost and "control their own destiny" if they won (not sure where this phrase started but it is one of the most overused sports cliches right up there with "walk-off").
I bring this up for a very particular reason. In the body of the article, when analyzing the chances of the various playoff bound teams to get home ice, he mentions that even with a sweep this weekend against Northeastern, BC would not be guaranteed home ice. Apparently, the author did not take his own advice from "Bench Minor" and decided to make a statement without doing the math first.
Currently BC has 27 points. They are tied for 4th with Providence and BU is second with 29 points (for purposes of this discussion, Vermont is irrelevant because in the case of a sweep of NU what Vermont does makes no difference to BC's home ice). With a sweep, BC finishes with 31 points and at least 4th place. Guaranteed. Let's do the math.
Providence plays BU this weekend which means only one team can get 4 points. If Providence sweeps, Providence ends in a tie with BC at 31 points and BU finishes behind BC, hence guaranteeing at least 4th. In any other scenario, PC finishes under 31 points and hence behind BC and BC still gets home ice. Hence, a sweep this weekend by BC guarantees at least 4th place. After poking fun at NESN broadcasters for making incorrect statements about Maine's playoff scenarios, I guess the author should have taken out a calculator before writing about BC's.
Luckily for you, my loyal reader, I am here to save you and point you to the light. BC sweeps then we have one more weekend of hockey at Conte Forum. Of course, whether or not anyone will show up is the question that remains.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Contractually Speaking
Jonathan Papelpon is unhappy. Not because of playing time or the team's play or his own performance. He is unhappy with his pay. This is not a new dilemma in the world of sport but sometimes when you look into the facts you realize that they don't have a reason to be upset.
People often complain about the amount of money that professional athletes receive considering that they are playing a game as their profession. But there are some things that need to be taken into account when assessing this. This is still their job. I understand that it may not be as important as being the mayor or developing cures for cancer but it is still their chosen profession that they are looking to be able to enjoy and retire from someday. For most players this professional is surprisingly fleeting. Whether by injury (Carl Pavano) or self destructive behavior (Len Bias, anyone?) or just because they aren't good enough to stick around (hello, Brian Rose). These athletes need to be able to take what they can get while they can get it.
In addition, salaries are driven by the amount of money that is put into the profession. When you think about your jobs you realize that how much you make depends on how much the company around you makes and how long you have been with the company. Athletes are the same. Why are baseball salaries so much higher than hockey ones? Because the obscene amount of money that the teams and the league get from TV contracts and merchandise and ticket sales.
But something that some of these athletes forget (I'm talking to you Mr. Papelpon) is that your talent is not the sole determining factor in your salary. Years of service plays a large role. Two guys who put up identical numbers in contract walk years will not get the same deal if one is a two year player (Pap) and one is a 10 year player (Rivera). Pap talks about wanting to set the bar for the future of people in his position. But his position is a transient one at best. How many closers have a few fantastic years and then fade into the sunset (John Rocker & Mitch Williams come to mind). Because it is a stressful position that wears on a player. Not many can be the Lee Smith, Mariano Rivera, or Trevor Hoffman who can continually do the job for years on end. Papelpon needs to understand this. And he needs to understand that he requires a couple more years under his belt of continued success (which I feel confident he will have) before he can start talking about be the bar setter for closer contracts.
People often complain about the amount of money that professional athletes receive considering that they are playing a game as their profession. But there are some things that need to be taken into account when assessing this. This is still their job. I understand that it may not be as important as being the mayor or developing cures for cancer but it is still their chosen profession that they are looking to be able to enjoy and retire from someday. For most players this professional is surprisingly fleeting. Whether by injury (Carl Pavano) or self destructive behavior (Len Bias, anyone?) or just because they aren't good enough to stick around (hello, Brian Rose). These athletes need to be able to take what they can get while they can get it.
In addition, salaries are driven by the amount of money that is put into the profession. When you think about your jobs you realize that how much you make depends on how much the company around you makes and how long you have been with the company. Athletes are the same. Why are baseball salaries so much higher than hockey ones? Because the obscene amount of money that the teams and the league get from TV contracts and merchandise and ticket sales.
But something that some of these athletes forget (I'm talking to you Mr. Papelpon) is that your talent is not the sole determining factor in your salary. Years of service plays a large role. Two guys who put up identical numbers in contract walk years will not get the same deal if one is a two year player (Pap) and one is a 10 year player (Rivera). Pap talks about wanting to set the bar for the future of people in his position. But his position is a transient one at best. How many closers have a few fantastic years and then fade into the sunset (John Rocker & Mitch Williams come to mind). Because it is a stressful position that wears on a player. Not many can be the Lee Smith, Mariano Rivera, or Trevor Hoffman who can continually do the job for years on end. Papelpon needs to understand this. And he needs to understand that he requires a couple more years under his belt of continued success (which I feel confident he will have) before he can start talking about be the bar setter for closer contracts.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Happy Returns
Up until Randy Moss signed last night, many people had chalked up this off-season as a big loss for the Patriots. I am inclined to disagree. People mention that the loss of Stallworth, Gay, and Samuel is some awful news. Though it is not what we were hoping for in our fondest dreams of keeping one of the greatest teams in NFL history together, it was inevitable.
Stallworth and Samuel were gone the minute that the season ended. Though the Pats may have attempted to throw money at them, no one really thought that these two guys were coming back. Samuel was bitter from the get-go over what happened in free agency last year and there was no way that he was going to resign. Stallworth had dropped to 4th on the depth chart at wide receiver and the amount of money that he was going to ask for is too much to spend on your 4th receiver. With Moss & Welker, the Pats still have their most potent weapons and Kelley Washington has been resigned as well. Don't forget that the Pats are still looking to resign Gaffney. A corps of Moss, Welker, Gaffney, Washington, and maybe even Chad Jackson (remember him) is more than adequate to be Brady's Bunch.
The loss of Gay is perhaps the biggest one the team has to face. They are now without arguably their two best corners from a year ago. They will either need draft help or maybe a draft-day trade as the free agent corner market is not the most robust this year. Outside of that, the Pats have not had the worst off-season. I have no doubt that the higher-ups in the organization recognized that Samuel & Stallworth were gone and have been planning for that for some time. It's the nature of the business, players come and go and the teams that can foresee these moves and plan strategically in advance are the ones that maintain success as the Pats have done since 2001.
Few observations on the weekend while I was in the Valley:
- Hockey East is wide open. The teams from 2 through 7 can end up in so many different combinations that its not even worth trying to sort them out. And this is with only two regular season games left. Some would say it is parity but I think that the quality in the conference has dipped considerably. Everyone is not raising themselves up but rather all the teams (with the exception of UNH) seem to be moving toward the middle. Which is why they only have 2 teams in the tourney while the WCHA has 8.
- Scariest team in NCAA hockey right now - North Dakota. They are a juggernaut that looks like they may not lose again. The last team I saw go on a run like this was the 1998 BC team that lost in the first round of the Beanpot and then did not lose again until Michigan in double OT.
- Just when you thought the Bruins were out to prove something they hit the wall and got smoked by Washington. Looks like Cristobal Huet brought a little of that Montreal luck with him to Washington. Montreal has owned the Bruins this year and has pounded them a few times. The game last night reminded me of those poundings. Or maybe its just playing Huet on Versus (6-1 loss, 8-2 loss, 10-2 loss). Scary.
Stallworth and Samuel were gone the minute that the season ended. Though the Pats may have attempted to throw money at them, no one really thought that these two guys were coming back. Samuel was bitter from the get-go over what happened in free agency last year and there was no way that he was going to resign. Stallworth had dropped to 4th on the depth chart at wide receiver and the amount of money that he was going to ask for is too much to spend on your 4th receiver. With Moss & Welker, the Pats still have their most potent weapons and Kelley Washington has been resigned as well. Don't forget that the Pats are still looking to resign Gaffney. A corps of Moss, Welker, Gaffney, Washington, and maybe even Chad Jackson (remember him) is more than adequate to be Brady's Bunch.
The loss of Gay is perhaps the biggest one the team has to face. They are now without arguably their two best corners from a year ago. They will either need draft help or maybe a draft-day trade as the free agent corner market is not the most robust this year. Outside of that, the Pats have not had the worst off-season. I have no doubt that the higher-ups in the organization recognized that Samuel & Stallworth were gone and have been planning for that for some time. It's the nature of the business, players come and go and the teams that can foresee these moves and plan strategically in advance are the ones that maintain success as the Pats have done since 2001.
Few observations on the weekend while I was in the Valley:
- Hockey East is wide open. The teams from 2 through 7 can end up in so many different combinations that its not even worth trying to sort them out. And this is with only two regular season games left. Some would say it is parity but I think that the quality in the conference has dipped considerably. Everyone is not raising themselves up but rather all the teams (with the exception of UNH) seem to be moving toward the middle. Which is why they only have 2 teams in the tourney while the WCHA has 8.
- Scariest team in NCAA hockey right now - North Dakota. They are a juggernaut that looks like they may not lose again. The last team I saw go on a run like this was the 1998 BC team that lost in the first round of the Beanpot and then did not lose again until Michigan in double OT.
- Just when you thought the Bruins were out to prove something they hit the wall and got smoked by Washington. Looks like Cristobal Huet brought a little of that Montreal luck with him to Washington. Montreal has owned the Bruins this year and has pounded them a few times. The game last night reminded me of those poundings. Or maybe its just playing Huet on Versus (6-1 loss, 8-2 loss, 10-2 loss). Scary.
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