May 15, RIP Derek Boogaard
As you all have heard by now, Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers was found dead in his appartment this week at the age of 28. There’s nothing more sad than the death of a young athlete, and in tribute of Boogaard’s untimely demise, watch his final goal in the NHL. We sure could have used a shot like this in the series with Washington.
May 9, The Talented Mr. Datsyuk Comes Back For Seconds
Hey guys,
One of my favorite teams left in the playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings, won last night to force a game six in their series against the Sharks. After falling behind San Jose 3-0 in the series, we have yet another team trying to finish the dramatic run. Datsyuk gets all the thanks for the eventual game winner of this one. To quote Michael Grabner’s Twitter account (Of the New York Islanders), “How dirty is pavel datsyuk?????..wow,” and yes, he does mean dirty in a good way. Check it out.
May 7, The Ageless Nick Lidstrom Dazzles Again, Keeps Detroit Alive
Hey guys,
I haven’t had a whole lot of time to blog this week since it is the last week of my college life, and I hae been real busy with school work. Once the summer comes around I hope to post more regularly. As you can probably guess this is a pretty busy week for me.
The Detroit Red Wings have always been a team I have deeply respected for the tradition of being one of the original six teams, and their consistency each season. Last night, a member of Detroit’s old guard, Nick Lidstrom, continued to show us why age is just a number. Lidstrom scored what would turn out to be an important third goal on a bouncing puck that he batted into the net. Detroit is behind in the series three game to one, and they need to fight for their playoff life from now on. Check out the goal by this ageless wonder.
May 3, JVR Lives up to Expectations… and Then Some
Hey Guys,
James Van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers is keeping his team in the series, and in the playoffs in general with little help from his supporting cast. JVR is tied for the NHL lead in playoff goals with teammate Danny Briere at seven. The 2010-11 season has been the first of Van Riemsdyk’s professional career, and he is already showing signs of why he was so highly touted all those years ago in the draft. Taken with the second pick overall in the 2007 NHL draft behind only fellow American Patrick Kane, JVR has made it clear that although Kane got they head start, he can hang with the best. Check out this insane goal he scored back when we was playing with UNH:
Last night Van Riemsdyk lit up the scoreboard for the Flyers scoring their only two goals of the game. His first came within 30 seconds of the start of the game. Take a look at the early goal:
I never have had the chance to meet Van Riemsdyk, but we are the same age, and from the same hometown. It’s great to see him out there doing such a fine job at the highest level. Keep it up James.
May 2, Osama is Dead, the Mets Win for New York, & America Unites Again
Hey guys,
So as we all know by now, Osama Bin Laden has finally been brought to justice. Bin Laden was killed in a firefight with Navy Seals, and the world is now a safer place because of it. I fear for the immediate reaction to this event from those who will seek vengeance, but with the central figure of Al-Qaeda eliminated, the terrorist organization will surely never be the same. Throughout history, the death of a people’s leader has led to lamenting, and often the sense of vengeance, but the loss of a leader like Bin Laden can also lead to their decline. Without a unanimous central leader, groups often dissolve and divide in the pursuit of direction. Power grabs will likely be made by multiple figures in Al-Qaeda, which hopefully can destroy their unity and resolve. The organization will surely never be the same now that their leader has expired.
FDNY, NYPD, and the Port Authority Police. Thank you for the sacrifice you made. IMAGE // www.douglasfiredept.com
That being said, as I do on most nights, I was watching baseball when the news broke. The game was between the Mets and the Phillies, and suddenly for me it seemed like the Mets needed to win this one. It was a moment that I felt would cap off a great redemptive night for New Yorkers. The Yankees had won earlier in the day, but the Mets were actually playing when it all went down. I turned off the volume to the game, and threw CNN on the other screen. Though I couldn’t hear what was going on at the game, it was clear that Philadelpians were jubilant and celebratory of the news. I was personally surprised they didn’t pause the game for Obama’s speech. It struck me as funny when Obama was speaking that he said something of the nature of, “we must continue to fight Al-Qaeda and their affiliates,” a line that I heard as, “we must continue to fight Al-Qaeda and the Phillies.”
It was one of those moments that sends chills down your spine as you watched the fans in Citizens Bank Park start a chant of, “USA!” It really reminded me of the baseball world around the time of 9/11, when players, fans, and citizens of the country rallied together in celebration of the American Spirit. With all the things in the country and world that create division among us American citizens, it was refreshing to see the unity that we all seem to harp on only in the face of tragedy and triumph. Whether you’re a conservative, a moderate, a liberal, a Republican, or a Democrat, one thing we all have in common is the love of our land, and the sorrow in our hearts for all the lives lost on the single greatest disaster in American history.
VIDEO: Philadelphia Reacts to the News of Bin Laden’s Death
This is my petition to make September 11, a national holiday. The most somber day in American history should be commemorated as a National Day of Remembrance. A chance for us all to remember just how lucky we are, and a chance to celebrate the lives of those lost on 9/11, rather than lament the tragic nature of their final day.
I know that I have already featured this video in previous posts, but this really seems like an appropriate time to rehash the memories of life immediately after 9/11. Check out these two videos, one of President George W. Bush’s visit to Yankees Stadium on game 3 of the 2001 World Series with some really awesome interactions between Jeter and the Commander in Chief. The other video I wish I could embed, but i simply can’t. It is of the Mets first game back after the tragedy. I urge you to check it out. It really was an amazing time for American unity.
April 30, Kobe Posterizes Okafor
Hey guys,
So the big dunk in the NBA this week was Kobe’s over Emeka Okafor. Its been awhile since I have seen Kobe get up for a dunk like this. Certainly hasn’t been many times since Kobe turned in his number eight for the three times better number 24. Check out the dunk that got the basketball talking heads talking this week.
April 29, The 2011 NFL Draft Ends the Era of 2006 Draftees
Hey guys,
So with last night’s draft, there were two things that stuck out to me as a Tennessee Titans fan. The first of course would have to be the Titans selection of Jake Locker at eighth overall. I’m not going to kill this pick, though I do feel there’s a good chance we could have picked him in the second round. Locker is a tough guy, and I’m excited to have him as the quarterback of the future. As a fan, you have to trust the new regime, and they seem to like this kid so much that they didn’t want to risk him being drafted before their second round pick. Would it have been nice to trade down in the first round, so the Titans could add some draft picks to the arsenal? Absolutely. But like I said, I’m going to trust Munchak’s vision.
Another pick that did not shock me at all, as a matter of fact I thought there was no way it would not be made. The pick was by the New Orleans Saints selecting Mark Ingram 28th overall. The fact that Ingram fell so far was pretty crazy. There were a few teams I was sure would select him. It seemed like he would be a good fit for the Giants, but they did well for themselves without.
The story that intrigued me about these selections is that they effectively ended the careers of Reggie Bush and Vince Young in New Orleans and Nashville respectively. I remember in the 2006 draft a lot of people criticized the Texans for passing up on Bush, and selecting Mario Williams, but right now it looks like they knew what they were doing.
To commemorate the end of these ’06 draftees’ tenure with their first teams, take a look at the highlights of Bush and Young in college. They truly were amazing on the collegiate level.
April 28, Lightning Advance
Check out the highlights of last night’s game seven between the Lightning and Penguins. The Lightning will face the Capitals in the second round.
April 27, A Good Night for Vancouver
Last night the Canucks played the seventh game of their series with the Blackhawks, and it turned out to be a classic.
Vancouver struck early in the first period on a goal by Alex Burrows from Ryan Kessler and Mason Raymond. After Burrows broke the ice the game went by without any goals until the final two minutes of the third period when Jonathan Toews put a shorthanded second chance opportunity behind Luongo. The play was all the work of Toews by carrying the puck into the zone and creating the opportunity. It really looked like Chicago was destined to pull off the comeback after winning three straight games to force the game seven, then forcing overtime late in the third.
The fans and players in Vancouver looked pretty miserable after that one.
Five minutes into overtime, Chris Campoli missed on a pass from Chicago’s zone, and when the puck came back to him just seconds later he tried to clear it. Burrows stepped in front and batted the puck down to his stick. With no one to beat but Corey Crawford, Burrows carried the puck to the front of the net, and ripped a slap shot from just outside the hash marks to beat Crawford over his right shoulder.
Once and for all the Canucks took care of business against the Blackhawks. They had been knocked out by Chicago the previous two seasons.
April 26, Stanley Cup Playoffs
Hey guys,
As you may remember, I made my predictions for the Stanley Cup playoffs a few weeks ago, and the strength of my picks ride on two teams that are both alive, but both are trending in opposite directions.
Tampa Bay was my representative from the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup finals, and after falling behind 3-1 in the series, their chances seemed bleak. After winning game five 8-2, and game six 4-2, they are still alive. The fate of that series will be in the hands of a game seven in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.
In the Western Conference, my Stanley Cup finals representative is the downward trending Vancouver Canucks. After jumping out to a 3-0 series lead, the Canucks surrendered the next three games, and they find themselves with their backs against the wall in a do or die game seven. The series will be settled tonight as the Canucks look to fend off one of the worst playoff collapses in NHL history. It should be a great game to watch.
With my two finalists in jeopardy, both facing do or die game sevens, take a look at what happened in each game six to make these seven game series’ possible.
Dan Smith’s Game Winner in OT of Game Six
Dominic Moore’s Amazing Pass to set up a Bergenheim goal
