Second verse, same as the first.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Before I get back to the grind that is known as apartment packing, I thought it was worth it to check in here at Army of the Ohio after I got an e-mail today from a friend of mine, as well as ran in to this entry by Paul over at Kukla's Korner. In it, the SportsBusiness Journal reveals to us all that the NHL and ESPN -- the self-crowned Worldwide Leader in Sports -- are in the preliminary stages of talks that could bring the league back to Bristol.
Suffice it to say, this definitely got me sitting upright in my recliner after a rather boring summer.
If the comments in Kukla's post are any indication, the possibility of returning to ESPN -- or rather, ESPN2 -- brings about highly mixed feelings, ranging from pleasure to outright disgust. Not that that should come as a surprise to anyone out there or anything.
My thoughts on the matter? Well, it's hard to say right now, considering just how many hurdles need to be gotten over before this would even happen. The preliminary discussions are about putting games on ESPN2 only as soon as the 2008-09 season, for one, meaning NBC will have one full season to bury the NHL with its watered down, Mike Milbury-hosted coverage. Additionally, Versus owns all exclusive rights to the NHL when it comes to cable coverage, meaning they would have to give the green light for this to happen.
Then there's the matter of if any of the games would get coverage on ESPN, and not just ESPN2. Also, would ESPN/ESPN2 only cover the number of games that NBC was obligated to cover under their contract with the NHL? And would all of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals then be stuck all the way on ESPN2? I'm not about to make the presumption that once the Finals roll around, they'd actually air it on ABC ... that's way too much of an optimistic view there.
So for the moment, it's an extremely ugly mess that needs some untangling before any serious considerations or opinions put out by the average fan can be considered legitimate.
Still ... it's an unfortunate reality that if the NHL wants to cling to whatever claim it has left to being the 4th major sport in the United States, ESPN is a necessity. And considering Versus' inability to grab any headline sports to cover outside of the Tour de France and obscure Division I-A football conferences, it would be in its best interest to give the NHL the green light here, so long as Versus gets a bit more coverage in return. The article in SBJ even mentions that they'd like something akin to ESPN's partnership with TNT and their sharing of cable coverage of the NBA.
With that, I am out. I still need to pack up some of my jerseys hanging on the walls in here, along with some portraits. Man, moving is such a pain ... but it'll be so worth it once I'm done.
Suffice it to say, this definitely got me sitting upright in my recliner after a rather boring summer.
If the comments in Kukla's post are any indication, the possibility of returning to ESPN -- or rather, ESPN2 -- brings about highly mixed feelings, ranging from pleasure to outright disgust. Not that that should come as a surprise to anyone out there or anything.
My thoughts on the matter? Well, it's hard to say right now, considering just how many hurdles need to be gotten over before this would even happen. The preliminary discussions are about putting games on ESPN2 only as soon as the 2008-09 season, for one, meaning NBC will have one full season to bury the NHL with its watered down, Mike Milbury-hosted coverage. Additionally, Versus owns all exclusive rights to the NHL when it comes to cable coverage, meaning they would have to give the green light for this to happen.
Then there's the matter of if any of the games would get coverage on ESPN, and not just ESPN2. Also, would ESPN/ESPN2 only cover the number of games that NBC was obligated to cover under their contract with the NHL? And would all of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals then be stuck all the way on ESPN2? I'm not about to make the presumption that once the Finals roll around, they'd actually air it on ABC ... that's way too much of an optimistic view there.
So for the moment, it's an extremely ugly mess that needs some untangling before any serious considerations or opinions put out by the average fan can be considered legitimate.
Still ... it's an unfortunate reality that if the NHL wants to cling to whatever claim it has left to being the 4th major sport in the United States, ESPN is a necessity. And considering Versus' inability to grab any headline sports to cover outside of the Tour de France and obscure Division I-A football conferences, it would be in its best interest to give the NHL the green light here, so long as Versus gets a bit more coverage in return. The article in SBJ even mentions that they'd like something akin to ESPN's partnership with TNT and their sharing of cable coverage of the NBA.
With that, I am out. I still need to pack up some of my jerseys hanging on the walls in here, along with some portraits. Man, moving is such a pain ... but it'll be so worth it once I'm done.
Labels: ESPN, NBC, Versus, You Don't Know Jack
The Columbus sports market: serious business.
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Ohio State University might not be something that a Blue Jackets' fan or the Jackets' organization as a whole has to worry about when it comes to competing for the city's recreational money, let alone recognition. It's a reality that no matter what happens with the Blue Jackets, win or lose, the Buckeyes will continue to reign supreme when it comes to the attention they garner from the city and surrounding community.
However as I watched the final seconds tick down on Saturday afternoon as I -- amazingly -- sat through the full Arena Football League National Conference Championship game, and saw my own Columbus Destroyers beat the Georgia Force, I realized that the Blue Jackets have other competition to worry about ... and they need to start worrying about it soon.
For those not in the know, the Columbus Destroyers have always been a modest draw when you compare it to how the rest of the AFL teams do in terms of attendance figures. Their attendance ever since they arrived from Buffalo has had an average of somewhere around 10,000 to 12,000 ... which isn't half bad for Nationwide Arena, which fills to 17,171 for Arena Football games.
To put into perspective just how big of a deal this is that they've gotten to the ArenaBowl for the first time in their history, keep in mind that they've now run roughshod over the two best teams in the AFL in consecutive weeks: the Dallas Desperados (15-1), and the aforementioned Force (14-2). Now they face the San Jose SabreCats (13-3) two Sundays from now for the championship.
And did I mention the Destroyers finished the regular season with a 7-9 record?
While it's true that due to their seeding not a single one of their three playoff games (their first was against the Tampa Bay Storm) was played in the confines of Nationwide Arena, and it's also true that this is ... well ... simply Arena Football, you can't ignore the negative ramifications this could have on the Blue Jackets, who will most likely be spending this upcoming season trying to stand pat with their current roster, before they might open up the checkbook in 2008-2009 once players such as Adam Foote and Sergei Fedorov are off the payroll.
Forgive me if I use the same tried and true excuse that the Red Wings had been beating people to death with during the playoffs as to why they had attendance issues, but the economy plays a factor here in Columbus. People here probably aren't going to have enough money to fund trips to both a mediocre Blue Jackets' team and a Columbus Destroyers team that could very well come back to Columbus with the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy held up proudly over their heads.
There's also the fact that another sports team here in Columbus is starting to bounce back, and with a good push could make their own respective playoffs as well; the Columbus Crew.
Yes, those plucky Columbus Crew, who a good while ago I had just left for dead with an amused chuckle, as they had all of one win, and a plethora of ties and losses. Now, suddenly, they're right behind the logjam in the standings that is fighting for the last spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs.
So suddenly you now have a successful AFL team, an on-the-rise MLS team, and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were already King of the Hill in Columbus. Regardless of the fact that the NHL is still a "big four" sports league (though that's up for debate nowadays, sadly), a poor on-ice product isn't going to help bring in those fans, keep that attendance respectable despite how bad the team has been, and help with any sort of rebound when it comes to the Jackets' revenue issues over the past two seasons.
But, hey ... maybe the Jackets will surprise us all, make a strong run deep into the season, and somehow manage to draw the eyes of Columbus sports fans away from the Crew and the Destroyers. Though I'd only expect such a thing if they were still in the playoff running as far as early March. If not? Well, when you add on the news from months ago to expect a lesser renewal rate on PSLs, this could turn out to be one ugly season for Mr. McConnell's pocketbook.
However as I watched the final seconds tick down on Saturday afternoon as I -- amazingly -- sat through the full Arena Football League National Conference Championship game, and saw my own Columbus Destroyers beat the Georgia Force, I realized that the Blue Jackets have other competition to worry about ... and they need to start worrying about it soon.
For those not in the know, the Columbus Destroyers have always been a modest draw when you compare it to how the rest of the AFL teams do in terms of attendance figures. Their attendance ever since they arrived from Buffalo has had an average of somewhere around 10,000 to 12,000 ... which isn't half bad for Nationwide Arena, which fills to 17,171 for Arena Football games.To put into perspective just how big of a deal this is that they've gotten to the ArenaBowl for the first time in their history, keep in mind that they've now run roughshod over the two best teams in the AFL in consecutive weeks: the Dallas Desperados (15-1), and the aforementioned Force (14-2). Now they face the San Jose SabreCats (13-3) two Sundays from now for the championship.
And did I mention the Destroyers finished the regular season with a 7-9 record?
While it's true that due to their seeding not a single one of their three playoff games (their first was against the Tampa Bay Storm) was played in the confines of Nationwide Arena, and it's also true that this is ... well ... simply Arena Football, you can't ignore the negative ramifications this could have on the Blue Jackets, who will most likely be spending this upcoming season trying to stand pat with their current roster, before they might open up the checkbook in 2008-2009 once players such as Adam Foote and Sergei Fedorov are off the payroll.
Forgive me if I use the same tried and true excuse that the Red Wings had been beating people to death with during the playoffs as to why they had attendance issues, but the economy plays a factor here in Columbus. People here probably aren't going to have enough money to fund trips to both a mediocre Blue Jackets' team and a Columbus Destroyers team that could very well come back to Columbus with the Foster ArenaBowl Trophy held up proudly over their heads.
There's also the fact that another sports team here in Columbus is starting to bounce back, and with a good push could make their own respective playoffs as well; the Columbus Crew.
Yes, those plucky Columbus Crew, who a good while ago I had just left for dead with an amused chuckle, as they had all of one win, and a plethora of ties and losses. Now, suddenly, they're right behind the logjam in the standings that is fighting for the last spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs.
So suddenly you now have a successful AFL team, an on-the-rise MLS team, and the Ohio State Buckeyes, who were already King of the Hill in Columbus. Regardless of the fact that the NHL is still a "big four" sports league (though that's up for debate nowadays, sadly), a poor on-ice product isn't going to help bring in those fans, keep that attendance respectable despite how bad the team has been, and help with any sort of rebound when it comes to the Jackets' revenue issues over the past two seasons.
But, hey ... maybe the Jackets will surprise us all, make a strong run deep into the season, and somehow manage to draw the eyes of Columbus sports fans away from the Crew and the Destroyers. Though I'd only expect such a thing if they were still in the playoff running as far as early March. If not? Well, when you add on the news from months ago to expect a lesser renewal rate on PSLs, this could turn out to be one ugly season for Mr. McConnell's pocketbook.
Labels: Columbus Crew, Columbus Destroyers, You Don't Know Jack
Blindsided!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
So here I am, all settled in after a long but gratifying weekend where my mom stopped on over for a visit (and in the process reminded me that I need to do a better job keeping my apartment tidy ... pfft, mothers), and I was about to get to work on making some dinner and getting to my evening exercising before preparing for the next two, long, work-filled days before the NHL Entry Draft.
I hop on over to Sitemeter to check on my traffic, and what do I find?
Good golly, Miss Molly! I've been Zerg Rushed!
I feel ... I feel so claustrophobic!
I also have the sneaking suspicious that I might have to make an extra batch of Betty Crocker brownies (or ten) for the blogger gathering on Friday, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.
Bad jokes and equally bad references to real-time strategy video games aside, a metric ton of 'Thank you!' to Paul at Kukla's Korner for linking to both me and Drew at End of the Bench in your blog post at NHL.com, as well as to Trade Rumor-meister general Spector over at Spector's Hockey, where I'm getting absolutely barraged from. I'm definitely feeling positively over whelmed right about now ... but again, positively!
But, yeah. Okay. Honestly, I sort of feel like the guy caught with his trousers down at his ankles, because I wasn't at all ready to post anything today, instead readying to post on Wednesday like I said I would on Friday. But let me toss out a few things before I go and make sure I don't overcook my chicken breasts on the grill:
Scott Howson was officially introduced as the GM of the Blue Jackets on Friday, and Jackets' fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief that no last-minute change of heart came to hit Howson a la Bob Murray. Now all people in Columbus have to do is hope that he doesn't pull a Billy Donovan, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen.
I was able to see Howson's press conference in full, and liked what he had to say when he was answering questions from the modest contingent of media that was there. Although he did what was expected in dancing around some questions, you had the feeling that he takes this opportunity very seriously, and will be going about the evaluation of the franchise, both in terms of the players and the front office, in an efficient manner.
This includes, of course, what to do with former Doug MacLean hires such as Jim Clark and Don Boyd (who both interviewed for the GM position as well), the majority of the scouting staff, assistant coaches Gord Murphy and Gary Agnew (and it is given that Hitchcock will have a fair share of say in what happens with them), and the like. But with the draft just a measly 72 hours away from now, it'd be folly to do a giant shake-up now. Save that for after the draft, either during the free agency period, or just before the start of the pre-season.
Then there is the speculation about both Adam Foote and Sergei Fedorov, whose contracts leave the Jackets in a bind in terms of their own, team-enforced salary cap. The general consensus seems to be that Foote, at $4 million for this year, might not be worth buying out at two-thirds value over the course of two seasons. Fedorov, however, has a $6 million contract that wraps up this year, meaning a two-thirds buyout spread over this year and next equals $2 million per year against the salary.
Here's the million dollar question, though: is there anyone out there on the free agent market that ...
-Is a capable center.
-Can be bought for about $4 million a year.
As it stands, the Jackets are in desperate need of a centerman who is of a higher quality, but it's already been beaten in to our heads that a Daniel Briere, a Chris Drury, or even a Scotty Gomez is just not within the Jackets' salary. So where do you look for a poor man's version of these players?
Then there's the search for a top tier defenseman, but I don't even want to get in to that just yet.
Anyway, I've got to get going. I still have dinner to make and eat, exercise to do, and one or two other errands to run before it gets to be too late. The draft gathering is still set for 4:30 PM on Friday at the Bud Light Arena Pub, in the rear of the pub. And if that doesn't work? Once again, re-converge outside of the R-Bar at 4:45 PM ... but trust me, I'll be as shocked as a fly hitting a bug zapper if the BLAP isn't a possibility.
I hop on over to Sitemeter to check on my traffic, and what do I find?
Good golly, Miss Molly! I've been Zerg Rushed!
I feel ... I feel so claustrophobic!
I also have the sneaking suspicious that I might have to make an extra batch of Betty Crocker brownies (or ten) for the blogger gathering on Friday, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.
Bad jokes and equally bad references to real-time strategy video games aside, a metric ton of 'Thank you!' to Paul at Kukla's Korner for linking to both me and Drew at End of the Bench in your blog post at NHL.com, as well as to Trade Rumor-meister general Spector over at Spector's Hockey, where I'm getting absolutely barraged from. I'm definitely feeling positively over whelmed right about now ... but again, positively!
But, yeah. Okay. Honestly, I sort of feel like the guy caught with his trousers down at his ankles, because I wasn't at all ready to post anything today, instead readying to post on Wednesday like I said I would on Friday. But let me toss out a few things before I go and make sure I don't overcook my chicken breasts on the grill:
Scott Howson was officially introduced as the GM of the Blue Jackets on Friday, and Jackets' fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief that no last-minute change of heart came to hit Howson a la Bob Murray. Now all people in Columbus have to do is hope that he doesn't pull a Billy Donovan, but I'm pretty sure that won't happen.
I was able to see Howson's press conference in full, and liked what he had to say when he was answering questions from the modest contingent of media that was there. Although he did what was expected in dancing around some questions, you had the feeling that he takes this opportunity very seriously, and will be going about the evaluation of the franchise, both in terms of the players and the front office, in an efficient manner.
This includes, of course, what to do with former Doug MacLean hires such as Jim Clark and Don Boyd (who both interviewed for the GM position as well), the majority of the scouting staff, assistant coaches Gord Murphy and Gary Agnew (and it is given that Hitchcock will have a fair share of say in what happens with them), and the like. But with the draft just a measly 72 hours away from now, it'd be folly to do a giant shake-up now. Save that for after the draft, either during the free agency period, or just before the start of the pre-season.
Then there is the speculation about both Adam Foote and Sergei Fedorov, whose contracts leave the Jackets in a bind in terms of their own, team-enforced salary cap. The general consensus seems to be that Foote, at $4 million for this year, might not be worth buying out at two-thirds value over the course of two seasons. Fedorov, however, has a $6 million contract that wraps up this year, meaning a two-thirds buyout spread over this year and next equals $2 million per year against the salary.
Here's the million dollar question, though: is there anyone out there on the free agent market that ...
-Is a capable center.
-Can be bought for about $4 million a year.
As it stands, the Jackets are in desperate need of a centerman who is of a higher quality, but it's already been beaten in to our heads that a Daniel Briere, a Chris Drury, or even a Scotty Gomez is just not within the Jackets' salary. So where do you look for a poor man's version of these players?
Then there's the search for a top tier defenseman, but I don't even want to get in to that just yet.
Anyway, I've got to get going. I still have dinner to make and eat, exercise to do, and one or two other errands to run before it gets to be too late. The draft gathering is still set for 4:30 PM on Friday at the Bud Light Arena Pub, in the rear of the pub. And if that doesn't work? Once again, re-converge outside of the R-Bar at 4:45 PM ... but trust me, I'll be as shocked as a fly hitting a bug zapper if the BLAP isn't a possibility.
Labels: front office, insanity, nhl draft, You Don't Know Jack
Give me a chaser of caffeine with a side of Tylenol, stat!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ugh ... I feel like I have a hangover the size of China, complete with human rights violations to the tune of someone banging on my head with a pole. And I haven't even drank since New Years, either. Maybe it's just a case of the Mondays, in which case I can hopefully shake off this nagging "blah" feeling soon.
I'm going to keep this update short today, just because I have a bit of an apartment cleaning that needs taking care of, coupled with some grocery restocking, as well as the fact that I really need to get a new computer keyboard. This keyboard -- which I've had for 5 years now along with my computer -- is finally starting to fall apart, and it's become a task to try and use the space bar, which is in its death throes due to the spillage of orange juice on it the other morning. I swear, I'm normally not so clumsy!
GM candidates coming out of the woodwork
With Bob Murry withdrawing his name, the only real candidate for the Blue Jackets' GM job who is regularly brought up appears to be Oilers' assistant GM Scott Howson; but that doesn't mean that one or two other names haven't been thrown around as well, if only because it makes speculation prior to the draft all the more interesting.
Earlier today, as first linked to on Kukla's Korner, the Ottawa Sun came out with the rather surprising news that the other Murray, Ottawa Senators' coach Bryan Murray, had recently had his name brought up by the Jackets to possibly speak with. To say the least, his history sure is a long and winding one, when you consider he's had several prior GM stints all the way up to when he became the Senators' coach in 2004. From the Capitals, to the Red Wings, to the Panthers, right up to the Ducks, Murray is not lacking in any experience. Also interesting is that Murray apparently has some direct connections to Doug MacLean, due to his stint in Florida during their Stanley Cup Finals run in 1996.
But let's put some things in to perspective here; Murray's still under contract up until July 1st, for one, meaning that unless the Senators decide on a total lark to allow him to talk to the Jackets, he would not become the general manager -- if he even accepted the job -- until after the draft. Regardless of Mike Priest's comments about how he is in no rush to install a new GM before said draft, this still leaves the Jackets in a high risk situation, where if Murray decides at some point after the draft to re-sign with the Senators, and the Jackets were sitting on their hands waiting for his contract to expire, they've suddenly lost out on having another GM properly in place for the draft, such as Howsen.
Also, and this is just my own opinion here ... why would Murray want to leave such a perfect place in Ottawa, where he has the opportunity to finally win a Stanley Cup at some point before it's too late, for a team that most likely won't be seeing the playoffs for another two seasons? Murray's 64 years old, and has had to deal with the sting of losing three SCF series ... one with Florida, one with Anaheim, and now one with Ottawa. Ottawa is the only real opportunity he has at the moment to reverse this misfortune of his, and do so before he decides to retire.
Either way, it seems like a real long-shot.
Meanwhile, The Dispatch reported over the weekend that while the Jackets continued their search for a GM, one former Blue Jacket has rather eagerly and happily thrown his hat in to the ring: former coach Dave King.
Now, it's worth noting that Kinger has no GM experience in the NHL, but that doesn't mean that he's not an interesting person to consider, nor has he not had his opportunities to be a GM, either. As Aaron Portzline reports, for example, King was offered the position of GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the 90s (for you newer hockey fans, they're the Colorado Avalanche now), but turned it down because he preferred to coach at the time.
Where's King been lately? Not in the NHL, to say the least. He's been over in Europe and Russia, coaching different teams since his dismissal from the Jackets in 2003.
Although the Dispatch article cites a Blue Jackets' source who has nothing but high praise for King, and Michael Arace had even posted on his blog in the middle of May that bringing King back in some sort of capacity -- and even considering him for GM -- would be a sound idea, the organization has been very mum on any kind of thoughts or official comments about if Kinger is even being considered ... which leads me to believe he isn't.
Having arrived in Columbus a whole two years after King was fired, it's hard for me to really get a feel for how he may have been such an apparently great coach during those tough, early years as an expansion team coach. Many comments and thoughts on King that I read from other Jackets' fans seem to indicate that he was really loved, and he did everything he possibly could with nothing more than a mash-up of discarded players from other teams, and could have done even more had he not been fired by MacLean.
Does nostalgia play a role in this? Perhaps. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have him in for an interview, if he was able to get from Siberia to here as soon as possible.
And that's all I got for today. Now to find some Advil.
I'm going to keep this update short today, just because I have a bit of an apartment cleaning that needs taking care of, coupled with some grocery restocking, as well as the fact that I really need to get a new computer keyboard. This keyboard -- which I've had for 5 years now along with my computer -- is finally starting to fall apart, and it's become a task to try and use the space bar, which is in its death throes due to the spillage of orange juice on it the other morning. I swear, I'm normally not so clumsy!
GM candidates coming out of the woodwork
With Bob Murry withdrawing his name, the only real candidate for the Blue Jackets' GM job who is regularly brought up appears to be Oilers' assistant GM Scott Howson; but that doesn't mean that one or two other names haven't been thrown around as well, if only because it makes speculation prior to the draft all the more interesting.
Earlier today, as first linked to on Kukla's Korner, the Ottawa Sun came out with the rather surprising news that the other Murray, Ottawa Senators' coach Bryan Murray, had recently had his name brought up by the Jackets to possibly speak with. To say the least, his history sure is a long and winding one, when you consider he's had several prior GM stints all the way up to when he became the Senators' coach in 2004. From the Capitals, to the Red Wings, to the Panthers, right up to the Ducks, Murray is not lacking in any experience. Also interesting is that Murray apparently has some direct connections to Doug MacLean, due to his stint in Florida during their Stanley Cup Finals run in 1996.
But let's put some things in to perspective here; Murray's still under contract up until July 1st, for one, meaning that unless the Senators decide on a total lark to allow him to talk to the Jackets, he would not become the general manager -- if he even accepted the job -- until after the draft. Regardless of Mike Priest's comments about how he is in no rush to install a new GM before said draft, this still leaves the Jackets in a high risk situation, where if Murray decides at some point after the draft to re-sign with the Senators, and the Jackets were sitting on their hands waiting for his contract to expire, they've suddenly lost out on having another GM properly in place for the draft, such as Howsen.
Also, and this is just my own opinion here ... why would Murray want to leave such a perfect place in Ottawa, where he has the opportunity to finally win a Stanley Cup at some point before it's too late, for a team that most likely won't be seeing the playoffs for another two seasons? Murray's 64 years old, and has had to deal with the sting of losing three SCF series ... one with Florida, one with Anaheim, and now one with Ottawa. Ottawa is the only real opportunity he has at the moment to reverse this misfortune of his, and do so before he decides to retire.
Either way, it seems like a real long-shot.
Meanwhile, The Dispatch reported over the weekend that while the Jackets continued their search for a GM, one former Blue Jacket has rather eagerly and happily thrown his hat in to the ring: former coach Dave King.
Now, it's worth noting that Kinger has no GM experience in the NHL, but that doesn't mean that he's not an interesting person to consider, nor has he not had his opportunities to be a GM, either. As Aaron Portzline reports, for example, King was offered the position of GM of the Quebec Nordiques in the 90s (for you newer hockey fans, they're the Colorado Avalanche now), but turned it down because he preferred to coach at the time.
Where's King been lately? Not in the NHL, to say the least. He's been over in Europe and Russia, coaching different teams since his dismissal from the Jackets in 2003.
Although the Dispatch article cites a Blue Jackets' source who has nothing but high praise for King, and Michael Arace had even posted on his blog in the middle of May that bringing King back in some sort of capacity -- and even considering him for GM -- would be a sound idea, the organization has been very mum on any kind of thoughts or official comments about if Kinger is even being considered ... which leads me to believe he isn't.
Having arrived in Columbus a whole two years after King was fired, it's hard for me to really get a feel for how he may have been such an apparently great coach during those tough, early years as an expansion team coach. Many comments and thoughts on King that I read from other Jackets' fans seem to indicate that he was really loved, and he did everything he possibly could with nothing more than a mash-up of discarded players from other teams, and could have done even more had he not been fired by MacLean.
Does nostalgia play a role in this? Perhaps. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have him in for an interview, if he was able to get from Siberia to here as soon as possible.
And that's all I got for today. Now to find some Advil.
Labels: GM search, You Don't Know Jack
Just give him even more money; maybe he'll like Columbus then.
Monday, June 04, 2007
A whole bunch of things to touch on after a crazy weekend, but let's start off with the more important Blue Jackets news.
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Prima donna Zherdev strikes again
You know, I just can't help but feel disgust after seeing what Nikolai Zherdev's "adviser" Sasha Tyjnch told Aaron Portzline and The Columbus Dispatch over the weekend. But then the other thing I feel is this great sense of apathy.
Zherdev backers will quickly jump to his aid, I'm sure, saying how this isn't Z making these comments but just an adviser of his who may be looking to stir the pot. To them, I say that unless I see Zherdev comes out publicly and states that he wants to play for the Blue Jackets, then there's nothing defendable here. What Zherdev and his camp don't seem to understand is that he is not in any position to start "suggesting" a trade. Z, as most people will recall, is not coming off one of his best seasons ... 10 goals in all, when this kid is supposed to be such a brilliant goal scorer?
At one point, Tyjnch says this about Zherdev's mind-set:
But, Sasha Tyjnych said, Zherdev is spending this summer with the mind-set that he'll remain with the Blue Jackets.
Being of the mind-set that one will remain a Blue Jacket, and wanting to play for the Blue Jackets, are two wholly different things based off of manipulative semantics. Much like when one says they apologize "if they offended you", compared to when someone says they apologize "for offending you", if that makes any sense.
Remember that months ago, there was an article that The Dispatch published concerning the opinion of other players in the Blue Jackets' organization on Zherdev, too, where at least a handful of unnamed CBJ players denounced Zherdev's behavior, while at the same time lamenting his work ethic. It's that very work ethic which has also led to Z being benched at times during the season, as well as chased off of the ice during practice skates not just by Ken Hitchcock, but also Gary Agnew.
I've heard plenty about how Hitch has thrown Zherdev under the bus at several occasions, including during the town hall meetings that took place back in late April and throughout May. Here's the thing, though ... Hitch has also called out other players, too. But the thing is that with those other players, such as Pascal Leclaire, he wasn't outright venomous or offensive. And that's because, in my humble opinion, Hitch knew that those players were doing the best they could to play better, more responsibly, and conform to a system which is supposed to help this team. Zherdev, instead, has tried to play the maverick ... the cowboy who plays by his own rules.
Does he, or his advisers, really think they'll be able to swing a favorable trade? Considering his poor production this past season, the Jackets' would be fortunate to get a 2nd round pick for this upcoming draft for him. And if I was team management, I wouldn't want to let go of Zherdev unless the team that he was going to gave the Blue Jackets, at the least, a 1st round pick and said they'd take responsibility for every penny left on his salary. This team could use an additional $2-3 million off of the books prior to the start of free agency to put to a better, if not long-term replacement tucked away in the FA market in a month.
Let Zherdev rot, I say. Like I said, unless he comes out publicly and states something contrary to Tyjnch's comments, then I have no reason to believe that Z isn't actively looking for a trade. Then again, I recall hearing how he wasn't doing too hot at learning the English language despite the requirements in his contract that he make a concerted effort to do so, so maybe that'd be expecting too much from him, right?
Blue Jackets' RBK Edge jerseys to be unveiled at the NHL Entry Draft
While Bethany broke this news last week, I wanted to wait until there was some sort of news link or word from a direct source that the Blue Jackets would be unveiling their own version of the RBK Edge jerseys at the NHL Entry Draft. Most signs had been pointing towards trying to get them ready for an unveiling, but nothing was officially announced until the end of last week, when the Jackets did so on their website.
It's my understanding, though, that this will only be an unveiling, which will take place just prior to the start of the draft itself onstage inside of Nationwide Arena. Unless I hear otherwise, the current plan is to take pre-sales for the jerseys at the draft. Even so, I'm happy to hear about this, and excited, too!
So this now means that at least two teams -- the Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals -- have publicly announced that they'll be unveiling their new jerseys at the draft. Does anyone out there know of any other teams that have announced the same? It'd be a shame if only 2 of a whole 30 teams were doing so, and while I'm sure there's some teams just not announcing it until the draft edges closer, you never know.
GM search wraps up; waiting on the final decision
In the article posted to earlier concerning Zherdev, there's also a mention of how Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets' director of player personnel, has either had his second interview today, or did so yesterday. Bob Murray was also in during the time between games 2 and 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, meaning that by the end of today, all of the final four candidates will have gotten their opportunity to show Mr. Mac (majority owner John McConnell) and Mike Priest why they should be his beloved team's head hockey man.
So what do we do now? Well ... we wait. And we wait, and we wait. And the longer we wait, the more that you get the feeling that the previous speculation about Murray being the top candidate is no mere speculation. I have no problem with that ... nothing like a little SCF to keep me pre-occupied while waiting for the Blue Jackets' knight in shining armor to come to the rescue, right?
Drew enacts Plan Alpha Delta Omega; bloggers plan to converge on Columbus faster than a blitzkrieg
... or at least that's what I hope will happen, now that Drew's gotten a plethora of e-mails sent out, we're seeing a lot of interest in a blogger get-together. Unfortunately for The Sailor, I don't have enough money to buy a round of frosty (or even warm) brewskis; but I did recently buy some yeast recently while attempting to make my own homemade pizza from scratch (dough making and all), so maybe I can dabble in some beer making of my own!
Or not. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for the death of anyone due to my own adventures in beer fermentation. Oiy.
I'm going to do my damndest to update anything that needs updating on that big post on the blog by the end of this week. Additionally, with the draft itself 18 days away, we still have some time to try and pick the perfect spot for people to gather at. If the other CBJ bloggers such as Sarah, Beth, Herringbone (even though he's stuck all the way in Seattle), or Tyler (or even the more Columbus/OSU-centric bloggers) want to help in the brainstorm process when it comes to picking the gathering place, then go nuts! The help would be appreciated!
Beyond my own NHL Entry Draft Primer, Sarah at Neutral Zone Trap has also done an amazing job herself at giving a massive rundown about Columbus, where to go, what to do, and everything else you can think of. Considering she's been here longer than me, I'd say she does a much more bang up job than I do when it pertains to covering all the bases on things you can partake in beyond just the draft while you're here.
Lastly, the Blue Jackets have been kind enough to put up a page on their website where you can get a good rundown on what to expect during the draft, and when things will be going on, so check it out!
I'm out for now. But not before I forget the weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Labels: GM search, jerseys, nhl draft, Nikolai Zherdev, You Don't Know Jack
Arrr! A pirate's matinee movie for me!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Guess I took my sweet time updating this Monday, huh? Whoops! Well, I was out with a friend seeing a matinee showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, so I was a little preoccupied for much of the day. The movie? I liked it ... though it was hard to stay focused when the movie was just shy of three hours in length. That's just way too much for one sitting, especially when it's a sequel or part of a trilogy. That sort of length should be reserved for things like Saving Private Ryan, thank you.
So, a hybrid of revelations and speculation came out of the Dispatch over the weekend, when Aaron Portzline reported that the search had been seemingly narrowed down to four candidates. There are actually more than a couple surprises on such a small list, at least in my opinion.
First, there is the fact that Anaheim Ducks' Bob Murray is one of the final four. It isn't that he's not qualified, because he certainly is when you look at how much of a hand he has had in turning the Ducks into what they are alongside their GM Brian Burke. However it's the fact that he's still being considered even though the Ducks are still playing, meaning that for all intents and purposes, if he's the final choice, don't expect the Blue Jackets to go announcing their new GM until after the Stanley Cup Finals.
The other candidate from outside of the Blue Jackets organization is Neil Smith. Most people would probably recognize Smith's name due to the fact that he was involved in one of the weirder stories of the 2006-07 season, when Charles Wang -- owner of the New York Islanders -- handed him his pink slip after no more than 40 days on the job as Isles' GM. However in those 40 days, he was able to help lay the groundwork with some quick player shuffling and signings for the Islanders to ice a modestly good team, who surprised most everyone in the league when they clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on the very last day of the regular season. Besides that, Smith was also the GM of the most recent Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers' team during the 1994 season, but remember that was way before the salary cap era, with a team which had plenty of money to use if it needed to.
Then comes the in-house candidates, which leaves me a little worried. Don Boyd, director of player personnel, and Interim GM Jim Clark both made the cut to round out the four candidates.
I've already expressed in previous entries my feelings about promoting from within the Jackets' organization. Michael Arace, in his blog, mused:
Okay, fair enough. So maybe both Clark and Boyd had their names tossed out there for the sake of legitimizing the organization. But what I wonder is, if that is the case, do both need to be kept in the mix? While this "final four" label on these candidates is lax in terms of whether someone else can be added or removed from it (Portzline even says a name or two could be added to the list later), it probably leaves many a Jackets' fan -- myself included -- with a sense of dread that this so-called "organizational shake-up" will result in nothing but more of the same. Clark and Boyd might be unique people who are not Doug MacLean, but they were still a part of the very organization that's yet to even sniff a playoff berth, let alone a winning season.
There's still 25 days until the NHL Entry Draft comes to Columbus. The latest the Stanley Cup Finals could last is the 11th of June, leaving an 11 day cushion for Mike Priest to name the new GM if he decides that his pick is Murray, or he simply decides to wait until the playoffs are over to make a possibly bigger splash in the hockey media. We'll just have to see what happens, I guess.
You Don't Know Jack time, and now I'm off to get ready to watch tonight's game!
So, a hybrid of revelations and speculation came out of the Dispatch over the weekend, when Aaron Portzline reported that the search had been seemingly narrowed down to four candidates. There are actually more than a couple surprises on such a small list, at least in my opinion.
First, there is the fact that Anaheim Ducks' Bob Murray is one of the final four. It isn't that he's not qualified, because he certainly is when you look at how much of a hand he has had in turning the Ducks into what they are alongside their GM Brian Burke. However it's the fact that he's still being considered even though the Ducks are still playing, meaning that for all intents and purposes, if he's the final choice, don't expect the Blue Jackets to go announcing their new GM until after the Stanley Cup Finals.
The other candidate from outside of the Blue Jackets organization is Neil Smith. Most people would probably recognize Smith's name due to the fact that he was involved in one of the weirder stories of the 2006-07 season, when Charles Wang -- owner of the New York Islanders -- handed him his pink slip after no more than 40 days on the job as Isles' GM. However in those 40 days, he was able to help lay the groundwork with some quick player shuffling and signings for the Islanders to ice a modestly good team, who surprised most everyone in the league when they clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on the very last day of the regular season. Besides that, Smith was also the GM of the most recent Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers' team during the 1994 season, but remember that was way before the salary cap era, with a team which had plenty of money to use if it needed to.
Then comes the in-house candidates, which leaves me a little worried. Don Boyd, director of player personnel, and Interim GM Jim Clark both made the cut to round out the four candidates.
I've already expressed in previous entries my feelings about promoting from within the Jackets' organization. Michael Arace, in his blog, mused:
The in-house candidates, Clark and Boyd, don’t lack for legitimacy – they know this team, and, in different ways, they are intriguing – but it may be that they’re mentioned as finalists as a matter of good form. If you throw them out now, it’s something of a condemnation of the organization as it stands now.
Okay, fair enough. So maybe both Clark and Boyd had their names tossed out there for the sake of legitimizing the organization. But what I wonder is, if that is the case, do both need to be kept in the mix? While this "final four" label on these candidates is lax in terms of whether someone else can be added or removed from it (Portzline even says a name or two could be added to the list later), it probably leaves many a Jackets' fan -- myself included -- with a sense of dread that this so-called "organizational shake-up" will result in nothing but more of the same. Clark and Boyd might be unique people who are not Doug MacLean, but they were still a part of the very organization that's yet to even sniff a playoff berth, let alone a winning season.
There's still 25 days until the NHL Entry Draft comes to Columbus. The latest the Stanley Cup Finals could last is the 11th of June, leaving an 11 day cushion for Mike Priest to name the new GM if he decides that his pick is Murray, or he simply decides to wait until the playoffs are over to make a possibly bigger splash in the hockey media. We'll just have to see what happens, I guess.
You Don't Know Jack time, and now I'm off to get ready to watch tonight's game!
Labels: GM search, You Don't Know Jack
ARE YOU READY TO UNLEASH THE F'ING FURY!?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Wow. Well ... where to start. How about with the numerous, numerous comments by both mainstream media and bloggers alike on what happened Saturday:
- Off Wing Opinion
- James Mirtle
- Spector
- Kukla's Korner
- HockeyNation
- Gorilla Crouch
- Keith Russell
- Inside the Panthers
- Deadspin
- Hockey Ladies of Greatness
- Allen Muir (SI.com)
- Miami Herald
- Globe and Mail
- Toronto Star
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's many, many other reactions out there, but I get the feeling that most people would prefer I don't turn this post in to nothing more than an archive for every single reaction to Saturday.
For those without any idea to what I am talking about when I refer to what happened on Saturday (and if you don't know, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog in the first place), I am referring to NBC's decision to drop the NHL Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 between Ottawa and Buffalo after regulation. Why? Because of The Preakness, of course. Or rather, the 90 minute pre-Preakness pomp and commentary, chalk full of big advertising money and banter about if this is the year that we finally see a Triple Crown winner.
By the way, we won't see a Triple Crown winner this year, if anyone's curious.
I decided to hold back on posting for the length of the weekend, despite the fact that I had several opportunities to post. And believe me, I was really tempted to. I was ready to fly to the computer and launch into a blathering, blithering, mad rant and rave without regard or care for what I said.
But like I said, I held back. I figured that it'd be best to wait and see how other people react first, and take a look at the many different pieces of information that would be put together concerning this decision by NBC. After all, sometimes it's best to let the dust settle -- or at least stop whipping around as much as it was in the past 40 or so hours -- before you make any sorts of declarations.
There's really no real way for me to put in to text how I feel about this. I'm sort of at a loss for how to lay out what I want to say in the text medium of communication. As a result, I'm going to finally make a podcast again. A mini-podcast, but a podcast nonetheless. Sometimes expressing an opinion through verbal methods is the only way to make a more powerful point, and this seems to be one of those times where it's all but required.
You know the drill for downloading these for consumption. And if not, simply type in the three-letter code at the top right, wait 45 seconds, then click to download.
>> Podcast of the Ohio #3 <<
It's ranty, and it tends to jump from one thought to another. And it's also over 7 minutes in length. But I just couldn't find a better way to express exactly the type of response I wanted to convey.
I'm out for the day. Here's your weekly You Don't Know Jack!
Labels: nbc hates hockey, podcasting, ranting, You Don't Know Jack
Rick Nash's father was a steamroller.
Monday, May 14, 2007
What's that? You thought I was not going to post today, since it was the middle of the afternoon and I still hadn't updated? Well, you thought wrong! For that, I have to smack you with a You Don't Know Jack!
So the IIHF World Championships came and went, and on Sunday Team Canada was crowned the champions of the world with a 4-2 win over Finland. Hip, hip, hooray!
As a Jackets' fan, the focus that you'll find here will be on Game MVP/Tournament MVP Rick Nash. I was lucky enough to catch the 3rd period via a TSN feed (thank you to the fine folks at HFBoards for posting it up), and see that absolutely staggering and amazing goal that Nasher pulled out of his magic hat to seal the deal against the late surging Fins. For those who didn't see it, check this baby out:
I mean ... good God, man! Look at that! He's being bear hugged and piggy backed on his way to the net!
But highlight reel goals that seal gold medal victories in world championships aside, let's also look at Nasher's numbers: He tied for the most goals on Team Canada with Matthew Lombardi ... he had the 2nd most points for Team Canada (only behind Lombardi) ... and this here is the real kicker for his statistics: he had the best +/- rating of anyone on Team Canada.
Let that sink in, folks. The player who, in past seasons, has been lambasted for poor defense (one look at his +/- in both his rookie and sophomore years can tell you why he was lambasted), led Team Canada in +/- rating for this tournament. You can't ignore this, especially when you consider the possible influence that defensive-minded coach Ken Hitchcock had on him prior to the end of the Blue Jackets' season.
By the way, let's not forget Jason Chimera, who looked like he was having the time of his life at the Worlds. He must have drowned Nasher and Shane Doan with more champagne than I've ever even drank in my whole life (which is actually pretty easy to beat) during the locker room celebration. And besides just partying up a storm, he actually played a damn good game, at one point leading the team in +/-, and finishing with a respectable 6 points.
So the IIHF World Championships came and went, and on Sunday Team Canada was crowned the champions of the world with a 4-2 win over Finland. Hip, hip, hooray!
As a Jackets' fan, the focus that you'll find here will be on Game MVP/Tournament MVP Rick Nash. I was lucky enough to catch the 3rd period via a TSN feed (thank you to the fine folks at HFBoards for posting it up), and see that absolutely staggering and amazing goal that Nasher pulled out of his magic hat to seal the deal against the late surging Fins. For those who didn't see it, check this baby out:
I mean ... good God, man! Look at that! He's being bear hugged and piggy backed on his way to the net!
But highlight reel goals that seal gold medal victories in world championships aside, let's also look at Nasher's numbers: He tied for the most goals on Team Canada with Matthew Lombardi ... he had the 2nd most points for Team Canada (only behind Lombardi) ... and this here is the real kicker for his statistics: he had the best +/- rating of anyone on Team Canada.
Let that sink in, folks. The player who, in past seasons, has been lambasted for poor defense (one look at his +/- in both his rookie and sophomore years can tell you why he was lambasted), led Team Canada in +/- rating for this tournament. You can't ignore this, especially when you consider the possible influence that defensive-minded coach Ken Hitchcock had on him prior to the end of the Blue Jackets' season.
By the way, let's not forget Jason Chimera, who looked like he was having the time of his life at the Worlds. He must have drowned Nasher and Shane Doan with more champagne than I've ever even drank in my whole life (which is actually pretty easy to beat) during the locker room celebration. And besides just partying up a storm, he actually played a damn good game, at one point leading the team in +/-, and finishing with a respectable 6 points.
Moving back to news in Columbus and on the Blue Jackets organization itself, the interview process looks to be officially started as of this week, with internal interviews of Don Boyd and Jim Clark on tap for the early part of it, followed by external, non-CBJ employee interviews to come later in the week. Michael Arace churns out a good list (and the odds of landing) each of the several candidates that are supposedly on Jackets' President Jim Priest's list.
I still find myself wondering about the apparent love that former Kings GM Dave Taylor is getting. I've already pointed out one issue in that while he's supposedly a good GM, his Kings' teams fell out of playoff contention in his final three years as GM. Maybe Arace will spot this and go into a little detail about what he likes about Taylor on his own blog -- that is, if he does like him, and isn't just reporting Taylor as the favorite based off of rumblings around the league or in Columbus or anywhere else.
Outside of that, I got nothing else for you today. I have some groceries to buy and some laundry to do. So off with you, now! Go on, shoo!
Labels: GM search, international hockey, You Don't Know Jack
Meanwhile, in Russia ...
Sunday, May 06, 2007
In Democratic America, you can beat Rick Nash.
In Soviet Russia, Rick Nash can beat you. Handily.
And apparently so can Fredrik Norrena, Jason Chimera, and David Vyborny.
While Nash struggled through much of the NHL season, he's been lightning in a bottle for the Canadian team at the Worlds since, having 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) over 5 games and sharing the point total lead on the team with Chicago Blackhawks prospect and young firecracker Jonathan Toews.
Meanwhile, Chimera is just a point behind Nasher with 5 so far (1 goal and 4 assists), and is also tied for the best +/- on the team with a +5, alongside Florida prospect Cory Murphy.
And that's just when looking at the Jackets' players with Team Canada. Meanwhile, Vyborny has shown a strong outing with the Czech. Republic, with 6 points so far (1 goal, 5 assists), which ties him for third on the team. Keep in mind that unlike the Canadian team, only 10 of the 24 players on the roster hail from NHL teams right now (though you could make that 11 if you want to count Jackets' cast-off Jaroslav Balastik, who despite his wicked wrister and shootout prowess, was waived and went back to Europe during the season ... Balastik has 0 points in the tournament so far, by the way).
Also on the Czech. team, ol' Rusty Klesla has been largely ... well ... average. 1 point in his 3 games played, and par for the course in the +/- department.
Lastly, over with the Finnish team, Norrena has been ... Norrena. The Norrena we expect from international play, at that. Save for the one loss in which ol' Freddy No allowed a whopping 5 goals, his two wins handily gotten via shutout performances just make him look all the more amazing right now. While Kari Lehtonen of the Atlanta Thrashers has the better Save Percentage (.931 to .948) and Goals Against Average (1.67 to 1.0), Freddy's faced more shots per game (24 to 19.3) and has one more shutout to his credit.
So, yeah. Thanks to the good graces of working inside of a hockey arena for an NHL team, one of the perks is that I am actually able to watch the Team Canada games since we have a TSN feed in The Blueline. Were it not for that, I'd probably be going mad from working during, for example, WNBA games. Ugh.
As for why I've been missing since two Wednesdays ago? Well ... what can I say, you know? I've been busy with physical therapy, work whenever I am not at physical therapy, and exercise to get back in to playing shape if I am not therapy-ing or at work.
In Soviet Russia, Rick Nash can beat you. Handily.
And apparently so can Fredrik Norrena, Jason Chimera, and David Vyborny.
While Nash struggled through much of the NHL season, he's been lightning in a bottle for the Canadian team at the Worlds since, having 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) over 5 games and sharing the point total lead on the team with Chicago Blackhawks prospect and young firecracker Jonathan Toews.
Meanwhile, Chimera is just a point behind Nasher with 5 so far (1 goal and 4 assists), and is also tied for the best +/- on the team with a +5, alongside Florida prospect Cory Murphy.
And that's just when looking at the Jackets' players with Team Canada. Meanwhile, Vyborny has shown a strong outing with the Czech. Republic, with 6 points so far (1 goal, 5 assists), which ties him for third on the team. Keep in mind that unlike the Canadian team, only 10 of the 24 players on the roster hail from NHL teams right now (though you could make that 11 if you want to count Jackets' cast-off Jaroslav Balastik, who despite his wicked wrister and shootout prowess, was waived and went back to Europe during the season ... Balastik has 0 points in the tournament so far, by the way).
Also on the Czech. team, ol' Rusty Klesla has been largely ... well ... average. 1 point in his 3 games played, and par for the course in the +/- department.
Lastly, over with the Finnish team, Norrena has been ... Norrena. The Norrena we expect from international play, at that. Save for the one loss in which ol' Freddy No allowed a whopping 5 goals, his two wins handily gotten via shutout performances just make him look all the more amazing right now. While Kari Lehtonen of the Atlanta Thrashers has the better Save Percentage (.931 to .948) and Goals Against Average (1.67 to 1.0), Freddy's faced more shots per game (24 to 19.3) and has one more shutout to his credit.
So, yeah. Thanks to the good graces of working inside of a hockey arena for an NHL team, one of the perks is that I am actually able to watch the Team Canada games since we have a TSN feed in The Blueline. Were it not for that, I'd probably be going mad from working during, for example, WNBA games. Ugh.
As for why I've been missing since two Wednesdays ago? Well ... what can I say, you know? I've been busy with physical therapy, work whenever I am not at physical therapy, and exercise to get back in to playing shape if I am not therapy-ing or at work.
But don't worry, what few loyal readers I still have after my 10 day hiatus (hey, at least several other CBJ bloggers have been silent over a similar span of time recently, too! Beth and Sarah don't count, as they can and have fallen back on other teams and/or sports to follow, which I should have been doing). I've found a way for me to get in near-daily posts, all thanks to the wonders of my friend Jack.
... as in YOU DON'T KNOW JACK!
For those who have never heard of this, YDKJ was a game I got hooked -- no, addicted -- to as a teen. Me and my best friend back in New Jersey played this as much as we could together, since the questions were just oh-so-hilarious. Nothing says "Funny!" like a smarmy host mocking you for not knowing your high culture and pop culture (and mocking you even more if you do).
But Jellyvision, who makes YDKJ, has apparently now decided to branch in to something more daily instead of just the occasional game made, which they haven't made a full version of since 2003. Now they have a daily Dis or Dat! And who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth when they allow you to embed their daily Dis or Dat in to your own blog, right?
So enjoy, readers! Because I intend to at least embed the daily Dis or Dat each time one comes out, even if I have nothing of worthwhile merit to touch on when it comes to hockey or the Blue Jackets. But then again, maybe now that I'll have something to post daily, those ideas spinning around my head may come out easier.
... as in YOU DON'T KNOW JACK!
For those who have never heard of this, YDKJ was a game I got hooked -- no, addicted -- to as a teen. Me and my best friend back in New Jersey played this as much as we could together, since the questions were just oh-so-hilarious. Nothing says "Funny!" like a smarmy host mocking you for not knowing your high culture and pop culture (and mocking you even more if you do).
But Jellyvision, who makes YDKJ, has apparently now decided to branch in to something more daily instead of just the occasional game made, which they haven't made a full version of since 2003. Now they have a daily Dis or Dat! And who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth when they allow you to embed their daily Dis or Dat in to your own blog, right?
So enjoy, readers! Because I intend to at least embed the daily Dis or Dat each time one comes out, even if I have nothing of worthwhile merit to touch on when it comes to hockey or the Blue Jackets. But then again, maybe now that I'll have something to post daily, those ideas spinning around my head may come out easier.
Labels: international hockey, statistics, You Don't Know Jack
