By Paul Gotham
Taking time here on the ‘un-official’ holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday to ponder a sampling of topics going on around the sports world.
The NHL getting it right this time
The last time the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins met, the NHL took a little heat. Critics spewed about the league’s perpetual inability to highlight its marquee games. Instead of putting that game on a major network on a Sunday afternoon, NHL rising stars, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, dueled on a Thursday night. To make matters worse, the game was pitted opposite the Lakers – Cavs/ Kobe-LeBron match-up.
Today, as sports fans settle in for a long winter’s viewing, they can catch the NHL’s finest on display. Props to the Penguins for doing their finest post man impersonation. Given the record snow fall in the nation’s capital, the Penguins will have to make the trek despite rain, or SNOW, or sleet, or hail, or lots of snow. Wonder if the NHL will be grabbing people off the streets to make sure the seats are full.
The NHL has to figure out a foil to the Kobe-LeBron ad campaign. I love the latest puppet ads with Bryant and James. “LeBron, did you hear that? My shoes started the fire.” That is great stuff.
More frozen pond
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in existence for over 90 years. Jean-Sebastien Giguere needed two games to etch his name into Leaf lore.
Acquired in a trade on January 31st, Giguere got his first start two days later. The netminder made 30 saves on 30 shots to shutout the New Jersey Devils, 3-0. Four nights later, Giguere repeated the feat shutting out the Senators, 5-0. Giguere is now the first goalie in Leaf history to earn shutouts in his first two starts.
Now, Giguere will need to prove he is worthy of mentioning with Johnny Bower, Turk Broda, and other great Leaf goalies of the past. Of course, Leaf fans would probably be happy to just get out of the Eastern Conference basement.
A small dose of irony for Buffalo Sabre fans when considering Giguere’s feat. Buffalo is 5-0 against the Leafs this year, including a shutout win back in November. Meanwhile, the Sabres are 0-4 against the Senators.
Buffalo fell for the fourth consecutive time Saturday night. There is reason for concern that Sabre netminder, Ryan Miller, is in need of some rest. The timing is poor considering Miller will be between the pipes for Team USA in the upcoming Olympics. Buffalo currently sits in third place in the conference with a 12-point buffer from the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Sabres schedule after the Olympics is less than kind – at Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, and at the Rangers in the first week of March.
Did any other Sabre fans just gulp?
Kobe passes West
With 44 points Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, Kobe Bryant passed Jerry West on the all-time Laker scoring list. There was some rumblings from Pau Gasol and Phil Jackson that this was not exactly a happy occasion. The two expressed relief in putting the record behind them, so they could focus on team pursuits. This wouldn’t be the first time Kobe put self in front of the team
Maybe I need my antenna adjusted, but I am having a difficult time putting Kobe ahead of Mr. Clutch on my personal pantheon of NBA greats. Okay, Kobe has 25,246 points as opposed to West’s 25,192. It’s important to note that West played 932 games. Kobe has suited up for 999. Something tells me points were more difficult to come by in West’s time. Certainly, money was a lot more difficult when West made his way. I’m thinking Jerry was not afforded as much time to train in the off-season. He probably needed to work jobs to make ends meet.
Nonetheless, I still love the Kobe commercials. Did I mention that already?
Measure of an MVP
We are about to find out the value of Chris Paul. The Hornets’ point guard is out for a month, and the team is already two games out of the playoffs. It does not look good for the Cajun Kings.
Props to Hornets for pulling out the Mardi Gras home colors – nice touch.
Much ado about Phil
Scott McCarron apologized. Phil Mickelson accepted. And a wedge has been put in the bag.
I’m still scratching my head.
McCarron accused Mickelson of gaining an unfair advantage with a club that other tour members use.
I’m not even going to pretend that I know much about golf, but the USGA only allows Ping wedges made prior to 1990?
1990?
Am I wrong in suggesting that there have been some significant advancements in the technology of golf equipment since 1990?
Terry loses the ‘C’
No one knows what goes behind closed doors, and soccer proved golf is not alone in sex scandals.
England’s coach, Fabio Capello, announced this week that John Terry has lost his team captaincy. This after allegations became public of Terry’s affair with teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend.
The situation increased on the weird scale when it unearthed a scandal within the U.S. team from over a decade ago. Now we find out why John Harkes was cut from the 1998 U.S. team: he had an affair with Eric Wynalda’s wife.
Ya just never know.
Winter Olympics anyone?
Who’s looking forward to the Games? I know I will make time to watch the athletes. Time for a confession: I enjoy curling. I know it’s crazy, but there is something hypnotic about it.
Got any rebounds and putbacks? Post them here.
And in the Kobe vs Jerry West debate, remember that West didn’t have the advantage of the 3 point line. Wonder how many more points he’d have … being one of the purest jump-shooters to ever play.
EXACTLY!!!!!
The word of the week is “cajones.” Let me use it in a sentence: “Sean Payton deserves the Super Bowl MVP for having the cajones to onside the second half kickoff.” GREAT game!
Two more things:
1) As explosive as the Saints are on offense, their DEFENSE put them in position to win all year long and that contiuned to ring true tonight.
2) I hope San Diego is happy with the jackass QB they decided to keep over Brees. Not only is Brees the BETTER player, but he is a better man and just what a city like NO needed.