I was not going to post anything today and then Mrs. Pike asked me a question. "What do you think about Matt Ryan's contract?" And it got me to thinking and I realized that I had a long conversation with Old Man Pike last night (between flips to the Celts and Sox) about just this topic.
Matt Ryan got PAID yesterday. And paid well. Six years, $72 million with $34 million of that guaranteed. The 23-year old got his birthday present three days late but I think it was worth it. Think about it, this kid could be a total bust and he will still pocket $34+ million. Not bad for spending four plus years at a quality academic institution and playing a game you love.
Let's make no bones about it, this contract is based solely on promise for future performance. I congratulate Ryan on cashing in on a supreme senior season and taking full advantage of the fact that this was (historically speaking) a weak draft at the QB position. No offense to Ryan, Flacco, Henne, and Brohm but none of them was considered a superstar in the Payton Manning or Drew Bledsoe mold that people thought they can be instant winners at the next level. Ryan comes into a situation where it was right man at the right time. He has been involved in no off-field scandals while at Boston College. He's seen as a clean-cut leader who Atlanta is banking on being able to polish the tarnish left behind by a certain dog aficionado.
Don't get me wrong. I think Ryan and the others mentioned above all have the ability to come out and succeed in the NFL. But they should not be getting paid as though they have already achieved that success. These gentlemen are only rookies. The lessons of Ryan Leaf should ring loud and clear. I have stated it before in this blog that for every Manning there is a Leaf and paying these kids (lets face it...that's all they are when they get drafted) more money than other veterans on their teams just upsets the whole balance.
I think it is telling that on the same day that Ryan signs this obscene deal two other events happened that put it into perspective. One was that Dallas resigned Marion Barber for 7 years and $45 million dollars. That is 75% less a year than Matt Ryan. For a guy who has proven himself to be a valuable asset for his team and a player that Dallas is looking at to be the feature back for their system next year. Running backs historically have short careers (throwing your body, play-in and play-out, into a scrum and getting hammered repeatedly will wear you down) and one would think that they should be getting paid more than a QB who can be around the league for many years (look at Vinny Testaverde).
The other event was the owners pulling out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA has no cap to the growing rookie salaries and with the heightened costs of running a franchise the owners rightfully feel a need to create something better then what was devised back in the 90's. It's a very different world and with the economy in the state that it's in, there are no guarantees that there will be the cash flow into the game to maintain rising fuel, food, rentals, and other incidentals that come into play. The rookie salaries need to be curtailed before they get so out of control that teams are actually happy that they are not drafting high so they don't have to pay out this money to guys who may not even make the team.
I'm happy for Matt Ryan. I'm happy that a Boston College grad was drafted highly and was given the attention he deserved for an excellent college career. I hope that he succeeds in the NFL and brings championships to Atlanta (God knows the team needs something post-Vick). But he has not earned the salary that he was given.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Cold but rewarding
About a week ago, I sat at my cubicle and decided to check the Red Sox calendar to see if any seats had gone on sale for the next set of home games. I noticed that there were some bleacher seats for last night's tilt against the Royals. Normally, the bleacher seats are tough to get in this fashion as they are the cheapest actual seats you are likely to get (only the standing room only tickets are cheaper) and they tend to go fast once they get on the market.
So, I scooped a couple up for myself and Mrs. Pike and took a look at the calendar to figure out who was pitching. After all, when you're playing the Royals the only thing to really get excited about is who will be pitching for the Sox. Figuring it out it came to the point that it was going to be Josh Beckett, barring any DL stints or rain-outs.
When the changes came I didn't even think about them. First, Bucholtz goes on the DL with a torn fingernail (seriously?...fingernail?...this is a reason to go on the DL?) and then Friday night it decided to rain in the Boston area and force a double-header on Saturday. This moved the rotation. With the day off Thursday and Buchholtz out, Francona decides not to bring anyone up for the double header and leaves it as Matsuzaka & Wakefield which means Beckett is now set to pitch the finale against Milwaukee.
As I came home from dinner with the in-laws on Sunday night it hit me. "Beckett pitched today. Oh, no. That means....tomorrow night will be...oh crap...Lester." Now to understand my response, you need to know a couple things. I have been to Jon Lester starts before and they always take 5 hours. Why? Because Lester has a nasty habit of throwing more full counts than any pitcher in baseball. No one can give me a valid reason why (though I seem to think it's that he tends to not fool anyone so they don't swing at pitches out of the strike zone and end fouling a bunch off). This results in an average of 20 pitches an inning and he's usually out by the 6th at the latest. Granted he usually has only allowed a run or two and the Sox have a chance to win but it can be a long and painful experience.
Upon sitting in my seat, I realize that this is not the best night to have bleacher seats. The temperature is 58 degrees and the wind is blowing full force, straight at the right field bleachers. Mrs. Pike and I decide that should the Red Sox or the Royals get out to a large lead we will probably head home early to get out of the cold. As the game gets under way, I jokingly turn to Mrs. Pike and say, "Lester could have a no hitter through 6 innings and have to come out of the game because he's thrown 120 pitches."
I said that. I swear. I'm not making it up after the fact. I guess it wasn't my night to be someone's jinx.
As the game continued, I started to realize something. Lester was throwing first pitch strikes (to 20 out of the 29 batters he faced it turned out). This is something he can struggle with which will lead to his high pitch counts. I also realize that after the third inning, he's not throwing 15 pitches an inning anymore. Something is going on with Jon Lester tonight.
After the Sox put up 5 in the 3rd, thanks in part to a muffed pop-up by Mark Grudzielanek, I'm thinking that this might be a short night. I make the mental determination after five innings that once Lester allows a hit, then I think it will be time to go, get in my warm house out of the wind and enjoy the rest of the evening.
In the sixth, Mrs. Pike, looks at me with a pleading look of a woman about to turn into an icicle. I explain to her, "I'm not leaving while Lester is pitching so well!" She asks if I am waiting until they take him out and I say yes. At this point she has not realized what is going on. She is enjoying the lead and that Lester isn't taking forever but the cold has allowed her to overlook the zeros on the scoreboard. That realization doesn't come for her until the seventh when people start calling their friends to make sure they are watching and some people behind us keep telling their friend to look at the scoreboard without saying why. And now the night has become extra special.
Innings 7 and 8 go by surprisingly quickly. Both sides getting out easily. This was much appreciated by the Fenway faithful. Even my wife said, "Just let there be three more innings of 1-2-3 for both teams." My chilly fingers and toes agreed!
In the ninth, the place was electric. Suddenly, it wasn't so cold. The wind wasn't blowing as hard and even when Lester allowed the lead off walk you felt like he was going to pull it out. I had never seen a no-hitter live and it was a special night. The fact that it was Jon Lester just made it even more interesting and certainly made for a great story. Twenty four hours prior, I had been thinking, "oh crap, Lester" and now I was happy it had been Jon Lester. For one night, at least (and we obviously hope for more good nights from him) he was unhittable.
So, I scooped a couple up for myself and Mrs. Pike and took a look at the calendar to figure out who was pitching. After all, when you're playing the Royals the only thing to really get excited about is who will be pitching for the Sox. Figuring it out it came to the point that it was going to be Josh Beckett, barring any DL stints or rain-outs.
When the changes came I didn't even think about them. First, Bucholtz goes on the DL with a torn fingernail (seriously?...fingernail?...this is a reason to go on the DL?) and then Friday night it decided to rain in the Boston area and force a double-header on Saturday. This moved the rotation. With the day off Thursday and Buchholtz out, Francona decides not to bring anyone up for the double header and leaves it as Matsuzaka & Wakefield which means Beckett is now set to pitch the finale against Milwaukee.
As I came home from dinner with the in-laws on Sunday night it hit me. "Beckett pitched today. Oh, no. That means....tomorrow night will be...oh crap...Lester." Now to understand my response, you need to know a couple things. I have been to Jon Lester starts before and they always take 5 hours. Why? Because Lester has a nasty habit of throwing more full counts than any pitcher in baseball. No one can give me a valid reason why (though I seem to think it's that he tends to not fool anyone so they don't swing at pitches out of the strike zone and end fouling a bunch off). This results in an average of 20 pitches an inning and he's usually out by the 6th at the latest. Granted he usually has only allowed a run or two and the Sox have a chance to win but it can be a long and painful experience.
Upon sitting in my seat, I realize that this is not the best night to have bleacher seats. The temperature is 58 degrees and the wind is blowing full force, straight at the right field bleachers. Mrs. Pike and I decide that should the Red Sox or the Royals get out to a large lead we will probably head home early to get out of the cold. As the game gets under way, I jokingly turn to Mrs. Pike and say, "Lester could have a no hitter through 6 innings and have to come out of the game because he's thrown 120 pitches."
I said that. I swear. I'm not making it up after the fact. I guess it wasn't my night to be someone's jinx.
As the game continued, I started to realize something. Lester was throwing first pitch strikes (to 20 out of the 29 batters he faced it turned out). This is something he can struggle with which will lead to his high pitch counts. I also realize that after the third inning, he's not throwing 15 pitches an inning anymore. Something is going on with Jon Lester tonight.
After the Sox put up 5 in the 3rd, thanks in part to a muffed pop-up by Mark Grudzielanek, I'm thinking that this might be a short night. I make the mental determination after five innings that once Lester allows a hit, then I think it will be time to go, get in my warm house out of the wind and enjoy the rest of the evening.
In the sixth, Mrs. Pike, looks at me with a pleading look of a woman about to turn into an icicle. I explain to her, "I'm not leaving while Lester is pitching so well!" She asks if I am waiting until they take him out and I say yes. At this point she has not realized what is going on. She is enjoying the lead and that Lester isn't taking forever but the cold has allowed her to overlook the zeros on the scoreboard. That realization doesn't come for her until the seventh when people start calling their friends to make sure they are watching and some people behind us keep telling their friend to look at the scoreboard without saying why. And now the night has become extra special.
Innings 7 and 8 go by surprisingly quickly. Both sides getting out easily. This was much appreciated by the Fenway faithful. Even my wife said, "Just let there be three more innings of 1-2-3 for both teams." My chilly fingers and toes agreed!
In the ninth, the place was electric. Suddenly, it wasn't so cold. The wind wasn't blowing as hard and even when Lester allowed the lead off walk you felt like he was going to pull it out. I had never seen a no-hitter live and it was a special night. The fact that it was Jon Lester just made it even more interesting and certainly made for a great story. Twenty four hours prior, I had been thinking, "oh crap, Lester" and now I was happy it had been Jon Lester. For one night, at least (and we obviously hope for more good nights from him) he was unhittable.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Back to Business
I hadn't realized that it has been a whole week since I had posted. It's funny how the end of the college hockey season and the end of the Bruins season will slow down my sports mind. I guess there is truly no denying that I am and always will be a hockey fan first (though my skating ability would let you know I have never played a second of organized hockey in my life).
On that note lets talk baseball, I've been watching very little of the Red Sox as they muddle their way through the beginning of the season. They are not having terrible start but the losing streaks in between good stretches makes one wonder what we get for the 2008 edition of the Sox. The bullpen is shaking the young kids are acting like young kids and the are a good but not spectacular team.
Buckholtz is struggling as can be expected. The weight of the world is on his shoulders as everyone is looking to see if it was worth passing on Johan Santana to keep him. Personally, I think he could have used the beginning of the year to stay in Pawtucket and work his way to Boston but we'll see how it plays out. At least he's not having the rough start of Ian Kennedy (0-3) or Phil Hughes (fractured rib - out till at least July).
The story of the season so far has been the Marlins & ____ Rays actually consistently winning games. Both are in first place and the Rays are a team record 7 games over .500 (how sad a team history do you have to have when you are excited about being 7 games over .500). Its a lot of fun. Can they keep it up, I doubt it, but if they do it would probably save baseball in Florida and maybe finally get people who aren't fans of the visiting team to watch Tampa Bay home games (other than Dick Vitale that is). It would really be great for MLB as a whole. And it wouldn't bother me in the least. If the Rays were to pull off the miracle and not the Sox. Fine with me as long as its not the Yankees.
A couple of thoughts:
- The Bruins for the first time in a long time showed loyalty to a young player who did well for them by giving Chuck Kobasew a three year deal earlier this week. I look forward to those three years and hope that he continues his progression and finally fulfills some of the promise he showed in his freshman year at Boston College.
- Speaking of BC, I found that Jo-Lonn Dunbar was signed by the New Orleans Saints and Jaime Silva was signed by...the Colts. Of all the teams. If he were to make the squad (BIG "if" by the way) not sure how I could root for him when he came to Foxboro.
- Finally, I've of course been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs and I am really enjoying watching Pittsburgh play. This is great team with scoring depth, good defense, grit, toughness, energy, and a whole slew of young players who they held on to, waited to develop and they are now being rewarded. Though I am a little board of the Red Wings, a Detroit/Pittsburgh final (which looks highly likely considering both teams are up 3-1) could be one hell of a show. Zetterburg, Datsuyk, Crosby, Malkin. The old veterans versus the young kids. Flash, speed, talent, scoring. I don't know what more you could want. If both teams play their best hockey fans are in for a real treat.
On that note lets talk baseball, I've been watching very little of the Red Sox as they muddle their way through the beginning of the season. They are not having terrible start but the losing streaks in between good stretches makes one wonder what we get for the 2008 edition of the Sox. The bullpen is shaking the young kids are acting like young kids and the are a good but not spectacular team.
Buckholtz is struggling as can be expected. The weight of the world is on his shoulders as everyone is looking to see if it was worth passing on Johan Santana to keep him. Personally, I think he could have used the beginning of the year to stay in Pawtucket and work his way to Boston but we'll see how it plays out. At least he's not having the rough start of Ian Kennedy (0-3) or Phil Hughes (fractured rib - out till at least July).
The story of the season so far has been the Marlins & ____ Rays actually consistently winning games. Both are in first place and the Rays are a team record 7 games over .500 (how sad a team history do you have to have when you are excited about being 7 games over .500). Its a lot of fun. Can they keep it up, I doubt it, but if they do it would probably save baseball in Florida and maybe finally get people who aren't fans of the visiting team to watch Tampa Bay home games (other than Dick Vitale that is). It would really be great for MLB as a whole. And it wouldn't bother me in the least. If the Rays were to pull off the miracle and not the Sox. Fine with me as long as its not the Yankees.
A couple of thoughts:
- The Bruins for the first time in a long time showed loyalty to a young player who did well for them by giving Chuck Kobasew a three year deal earlier this week. I look forward to those three years and hope that he continues his progression and finally fulfills some of the promise he showed in his freshman year at Boston College.
- Speaking of BC, I found that Jo-Lonn Dunbar was signed by the New Orleans Saints and Jaime Silva was signed by...the Colts. Of all the teams. If he were to make the squad (BIG "if" by the way) not sure how I could root for him when he came to Foxboro.
- Finally, I've of course been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs and I am really enjoying watching Pittsburgh play. This is great team with scoring depth, good defense, grit, toughness, energy, and a whole slew of young players who they held on to, waited to develop and they are now being rewarded. Though I am a little board of the Red Wings, a Detroit/Pittsburgh final (which looks highly likely considering both teams are up 3-1) could be one hell of a show. Zetterburg, Datsuyk, Crosby, Malkin. The old veterans versus the young kids. Flash, speed, talent, scoring. I don't know what more you could want. If both teams play their best hockey fans are in for a real treat.
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Mean Green
So last night I strayed from my usual fair (reruns of Law & Order or CSI and flipping to the Red Sox) and actually watched nearly the entire Celtics playoff game. As you can tell by the small list to the right near the bottom of the page, the Celtics are not very high in my pantheon of Boston-area sports. In fact most times I would watch a New England Revolution game before watching the Celtics. As normally the Celtics season has been over before the Revs begin this has not really ever been an issue. But last night I chose to watch the Celts and as with the earlier playoff games it reminded me why I dislike pro basketball.
I remember the vaguely the Larry Bird era. I was not really following sports so much at that age. I would watch with Old Man Pike and get excited but probably more because he was getting excited than because I was. So the 1986 championship was nice but I don't remember a lot of it. Before BC broke through in 2001, I used to joke that the only team I cheered for to win a title in my lifetime would be the Celtics and I didn't even really remember it (who knew what would happen with the Sox and Pats).
As I grew older I came to love the college game much more. BC's magical run to the Elite Eight in 1994 (including a memorable moment when Dick Vitale actually threw a BC scarf around his neck after they beat the Tar Heels when he said they had no chance) solidified March Madness as my favorite basketball event. I dabbled a little in the NBA when the Celts made a couple runs with Pierce & Antoine Walker/Employee Number 8 ("He made baskets"), but I could never get into the lack of flow with the NBA.
My biggest issue is the refereeing. There is no consistency even within a single game. They will go 5 minutes calling nothing and then the next 5 calling every brush of fabric nevermind actual contact. The haphazard fashion by which rules like travelling and carrying and even the amorphous "illegal defense" is staggering. The star players get all the calls and the rookies get screwed on a regular basis. It's insane. To hear announcers actually say - as they did in the Atlanta series - "Well, if Acie Law wasn't a rookie, that would have been a foul on Posey." And they accept this as if it is OK that this is the state of the NBA.
At times, I thought that my bias was because I really only watched Celtic broadcasts (though I may like Tommy Heinson, let's face it, he's not the most unbiased announcer) but I've come to realize that this trend is across the board. Every game I watch plays out the same way. Which is to say that there is no "same way" night in and night out. Actually, come to think of it there is no "same way" quarter in and quarter out. At one point last night, Pierce was fouled so hard he actually had blood drawn and had to leave the game to get it attended to. No foul. In hockey, the first sight of blood and it's automatic 4 minutes. Basketball is supposed to be a sport of limited contact (hence why fouls are called) so to draw blood but no foul is beyond explanation.
I was talking with Old Man Pike as I watched this game and he said to me, "If the Celtics get knocked out I don't think I will watch any other NBA games this season." I feel the same way. Garnett and company have brought some excitement to the Celtics but unfortunately the NBA game itself still hasn't changed.
I remember the vaguely the Larry Bird era. I was not really following sports so much at that age. I would watch with Old Man Pike and get excited but probably more because he was getting excited than because I was. So the 1986 championship was nice but I don't remember a lot of it. Before BC broke through in 2001, I used to joke that the only team I cheered for to win a title in my lifetime would be the Celtics and I didn't even really remember it (who knew what would happen with the Sox and Pats).
As I grew older I came to love the college game much more. BC's magical run to the Elite Eight in 1994 (including a memorable moment when Dick Vitale actually threw a BC scarf around his neck after they beat the Tar Heels when he said they had no chance) solidified March Madness as my favorite basketball event. I dabbled a little in the NBA when the Celts made a couple runs with Pierce & Antoine Walker/Employee Number 8 ("He made baskets"), but I could never get into the lack of flow with the NBA.
My biggest issue is the refereeing. There is no consistency even within a single game. They will go 5 minutes calling nothing and then the next 5 calling every brush of fabric nevermind actual contact. The haphazard fashion by which rules like travelling and carrying and even the amorphous "illegal defense" is staggering. The star players get all the calls and the rookies get screwed on a regular basis. It's insane. To hear announcers actually say - as they did in the Atlanta series - "Well, if Acie Law wasn't a rookie, that would have been a foul on Posey." And they accept this as if it is OK that this is the state of the NBA.
At times, I thought that my bias was because I really only watched Celtic broadcasts (though I may like Tommy Heinson, let's face it, he's not the most unbiased announcer) but I've come to realize that this trend is across the board. Every game I watch plays out the same way. Which is to say that there is no "same way" night in and night out. Actually, come to think of it there is no "same way" quarter in and quarter out. At one point last night, Pierce was fouled so hard he actually had blood drawn and had to leave the game to get it attended to. No foul. In hockey, the first sight of blood and it's automatic 4 minutes. Basketball is supposed to be a sport of limited contact (hence why fouls are called) so to draw blood but no foul is beyond explanation.
I was talking with Old Man Pike as I watched this game and he said to me, "If the Celtics get knocked out I don't think I will watch any other NBA games this season." I feel the same way. Garnett and company have brought some excitement to the Celtics but unfortunately the NBA game itself still hasn't changed.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A new era begins
As expected, Nathan Gerbe left for the riches of the NHL yesterday, signing a 3-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. We all knew that this day was coming and as I stated in an earlier post it truly was the right time for Nathan to leave. He does not leave the cupboard empty but those of us who enjoyed watching him play are a little disappointed that we don't get one more year of one of the most dynamic players in college hockey history.
In Gerbe's freshman year, Mrs. Pike and I went to Bowling Green and Michigan to watch BC in its opening two contests of the season. BC beat BGSU and lost a tight one to Michigan. At BG I was reading names on jerseys. Seeing the new Orpik (Andrew), the new Reasoner (Adam), the highly-touted Bradford and Motherwell, and the Little Guy. By that time, I already knew about Jerry York's ability to find quality in small packages and all I hoped was that he would be another hard working guy who would be fast and create some havoc. Against Michigan he had no points but had a goal and assist against BGSU (but they won that game 9-6, everyone had a goal and assist). You could see his speed and that he wasn't afraid to take or make hits. We loved him instantly.
The first time he made my jaw drop (and everyone else's) was in Milwaukee that same year. In the national Semi-finals against North Dakota (who else), he scored what would end up being the game-winning goal when he faked out two Dakota defenders and went in on Jordan Parise and put home BC's 6th goal of the night (another theme they seem to enjoy replicating against Dakota). The goal was on Sportscenter that night as one of the Top 10 Plays. It was his 11th goal of the season. Not a number that will blow you away but there was something about that move he made that made you think that York had found another very special player.
Gerbe's sophomore year was fantastic. He got lumped in as part of the superb sophomore trio with Ferriero and Bradford as they has 47, 46, and 45 points respectively, but his explosiveness made him stand out. Gerbe led the team with 25 goals and it seemed like he was everywhere. Playing with Ben Smith and Bradford on the front line, they were a force to be reckoned with down the stretch and carried BC to their second straight national title game. Gerbe often made jaw-dropping plays and he had become one of the most hated men in Hockey East. Other teams disliked his tendency to embellish penalties (I believe the word "diver" was used more than once) and much like Gionta before him, his tendency to play on the edge of the rules (the other word was "dirty"). But his ability to put the puck in the net, to out-race anyone to a loose puck, and to create scoring chances out of nothing made him a BC fan favorite and endeared him to his supporters.
Finally this year, he continued to elevate his play with the absence of Bradford. His penalty shot is now legendary and his play in the Frozen Four in 2008 will not soon be forgotten by college hockey fans. He took the team on his shoulders (small though they may be) and brought the national championship back to the Heights. It was a great season. Though his cold stretches kept him from winning the individual hardware (one writer said that he was so close in voting to winning the Hobey Baker Award that he "hit the post"), the team's success is what BC fans will always remember about Gerbe.
Now he takes his game to the next level. I hope that Buffalo watches some of these films and gives him a real shot to succeed. I also hope that next year when Buffalo plays New Jersey that Gerbe and Brian Gionta get a chance to sit down and chat about Boston College and about what they did for that school. Gerbe said he came to BC because of Brian Gionta. He leaves the same way Gionta did - hated by the opponents, loved by the fans, and best of all - a champion.
Good luck Nathan - I'll be there for your first game at the Garden.
In Gerbe's freshman year, Mrs. Pike and I went to Bowling Green and Michigan to watch BC in its opening two contests of the season. BC beat BGSU and lost a tight one to Michigan. At BG I was reading names on jerseys. Seeing the new Orpik (Andrew), the new Reasoner (Adam), the highly-touted Bradford and Motherwell, and the Little Guy. By that time, I already knew about Jerry York's ability to find quality in small packages and all I hoped was that he would be another hard working guy who would be fast and create some havoc. Against Michigan he had no points but had a goal and assist against BGSU (but they won that game 9-6, everyone had a goal and assist). You could see his speed and that he wasn't afraid to take or make hits. We loved him instantly.
The first time he made my jaw drop (and everyone else's) was in Milwaukee that same year. In the national Semi-finals against North Dakota (who else), he scored what would end up being the game-winning goal when he faked out two Dakota defenders and went in on Jordan Parise and put home BC's 6th goal of the night (another theme they seem to enjoy replicating against Dakota). The goal was on Sportscenter that night as one of the Top 10 Plays. It was his 11th goal of the season. Not a number that will blow you away but there was something about that move he made that made you think that York had found another very special player.
Gerbe's sophomore year was fantastic. He got lumped in as part of the superb sophomore trio with Ferriero and Bradford as they has 47, 46, and 45 points respectively, but his explosiveness made him stand out. Gerbe led the team with 25 goals and it seemed like he was everywhere. Playing with Ben Smith and Bradford on the front line, they were a force to be reckoned with down the stretch and carried BC to their second straight national title game. Gerbe often made jaw-dropping plays and he had become one of the most hated men in Hockey East. Other teams disliked his tendency to embellish penalties (I believe the word "diver" was used more than once) and much like Gionta before him, his tendency to play on the edge of the rules (the other word was "dirty"). But his ability to put the puck in the net, to out-race anyone to a loose puck, and to create scoring chances out of nothing made him a BC fan favorite and endeared him to his supporters.
Finally this year, he continued to elevate his play with the absence of Bradford. His penalty shot is now legendary and his play in the Frozen Four in 2008 will not soon be forgotten by college hockey fans. He took the team on his shoulders (small though they may be) and brought the national championship back to the Heights. It was a great season. Though his cold stretches kept him from winning the individual hardware (one writer said that he was so close in voting to winning the Hobey Baker Award that he "hit the post"), the team's success is what BC fans will always remember about Gerbe.
Now he takes his game to the next level. I hope that Buffalo watches some of these films and gives him a real shot to succeed. I also hope that next year when Buffalo plays New Jersey that Gerbe and Brian Gionta get a chance to sit down and chat about Boston College and about what they did for that school. Gerbe said he came to BC because of Brian Gionta. He leaves the same way Gionta did - hated by the opponents, loved by the fans, and best of all - a champion.
Good luck Nathan - I'll be there for your first game at the Garden.
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