Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Pargoff

This Week's Outrageous Things in Sports

Andrew Pargoff — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:08:56 -0400

After an awfully interesting week in sports, I believe it's only fair we run down the list and go over all that has happened, for those who may have missed any of the current events. From Charles Rogers painfully awful interview on SportsCenter, to Brett Favre lighting it up in the preseason, and all other interesting feats. So sit back, crack open a Busch NA, and enjoy.

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Anderson Silva: No Known Adjectives Do Him Justice

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:38:22 -0400

Going into the highly anticipated Anderson Silva-Forrest Griffin fight, one could only wonder what was to come. Would Griffin make a triumphant comeback and take down the dominant Silva? Would Silva win again?

In the pre-fight interviews, Forrest Griffin's tape came to a close with him saying, "All I know is one of us is going to end up getting knocked out."

That sure was the case. After roughly 90 seconds or so of the two fighters feeling one another out, Silva took over by catching Griffin's leg and sending him to the floor. Griffin got up, only to get taken down soon thereafter, with Silva landing several blows to his head while he laid on the canvas.

Silva then recoiled, and extended an arm as if to help Griffin up from the fall he had just sent him on.

Silva then went on to drop his hands and let Griffin strike him. Griffin only landed three punches tops, but Silva stepped in, almost methodically after a Griffin miss and landed a jab that sent Griffin to the floor. As Silva raced around his body to pounce on him, Griffin threw his hand up to give in.

Silva won. Just like that.

Forrest Griffin was out of the ring and into his dressing room before Silva could even put his hands up to celebrate.

Anderson Silva is as technically skilled as anyone I can remember ever seeing.

I tend to talk a whole lot. So does one of my friends that I watched the fights with. After Griffin threw up his hand and the fight was called, we stared at each other in disbelief, speechless.

Anderson Silva may be a cocky son of a bitch, but it seems unfair to call him cocky, since he backed it up and then some. Forrest Griffin wasn't shipping up to Boston, he was shipping out of the octagon.

Talk about sending a message.

The Pittsburgh Penguins: The Team That Deserved To Win The Stanley Cup

Andrew Pargoff — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:56 -0400

I stand here before you, the BR community, to admit that I was wrong in predicting this year's Stanley Cup Finals. I am the biggest Detroit Red Wings fan I know, and the feeling that I have in the pit of my stomach is one that I have felt only a handful of times before.

Disappointment, shame, confusion, hysteria, disbelief...Trust me, the list continues long beyond those.

I am here saying the Pittsburgh Penguins deserved to win the Stanley Cup.

The Detroit Red Wings could not repeat as champions this year because they lost the most important factor in their Cup run of a year ago—hunger.

The drive, determination, and grit the Red Wings had a year ago before they won the Stanley Cup helped get them there. They needed to prove to everyone that they were the best team in the NHL. It was put up or shut up, and the Red Wings put up in Pittsburgh's backyard.

Fast forward to June 12th, 2009—today. The Penguins start off Game Seven tearing out of the gates outshooting the Red Wings in the first period, 10-6, which before this series, would have been unheard of. But that was not the first time the Penguins had done so in these Finals.

The Penguins manipulated the game's tempo. They set the pace, and the Red Wings managed to sneak in a handful of scoring chances, only to have Marc-Andre Fleury and his swashbuckling mustache turn them away one by one.

The Red Wings didn't want it like Pittsburgh did. That was the difference in this game.

If this was a year ago, I'd say the Red Wings would have had this game in a strangle hold before the second period was over. But this isn't a year ago. The Red Wings had their time with the Cup, and lost that one thing they underestimated—the hunger.

The Penguins, after being handed their walking papers at Mellon Arena last year, knew damn well how it felt to go out on your own home ice, being so close. And I can only imagine how much they are all enjoying their revenge, served with chilled champagne flowing out of Lord Stanley's Cup...except for two Red Wings, and ex-Penguins Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin.

Hossa had a chance to knot up Game Six in last year's Finals with mere seconds left, only to see the puck trickle harmlessly through the crease. He knows how bad it hurt. I can only imagine what is running through his head after his jumping ship to the same team he lost to. Just sickening.

Like I said, I am a die-hard Red Wings fan. In those eyes, this series ripped my heart out and stepped on it with a new pair of RBK skates on. But as a hockey fan, I can say that I just witnessed one of the best seven-game series I can remember.

In my opinion, Marc-Andre Fleury should be the one with Conn Smythe Trophy in his stall. Without his play in Games Six and Seven, the Red Wings are back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions and walk out of Mellon Arena with the Cup, again.

The Red Wings turned it on in the last 10 minutes of the game. They started pressuring. They created fantastic scoring opportunities, peaking with Jonathan Ericcson's one-timer from the blue line. Niklas Kronwall rattled one off the crossbar after that. The Wings even had a handful of scoring chances within the last minute.

A standard NHL game is 60 minutes long. The Detroit Red Wings played their style of hockey for 10 of those. That's a 1/6 ratio.

If only the Red Wings had played the entire game like those last 10 minutes. I think it's sufficed to say the celebration would be in the other locker room. And yes, that does probably mean cars, couches, and whatever else could be found in Detroit would end up engulfed in flames.

Pittsburgh raced to every puck, dug a little bit harder, and it showed. They wanted it more. The Penguins were hungry, and the Red Wings weren't.

The Wings lost their edge the second they won the Cup in 2008.

The Penguins played all year long with a red and white chip on their shoulder, and they brushed it off about an hour and twenty minutes ago.

As I said before, I was wrong. As much as it pains me to admit that, it's the case. So here I am. After it all, the only words I have are congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans. You deserve the Stanley Cup and all the celebrating that comes with it.

But trust me when I say, we'll see you next year.

Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins: Wings Falter As Penguins Force Game Seven

Andrew Pargoff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:09:04 -0400

If you can recall the play that happened with 1:41 remaining in the third period of Game Six, you have the Red Wings' fortunes, or misfortunes for that matter, in a nutshell.

Pavel Datsyuk head-manned a pass to the stick of Dan Cleary to give him a breakaway opportunity. Cleary decked backhand and was rejected by Marc-Andre Fleury. This sums up the Red Wings play in Game Six.

Time and time again.

Henrik Zetterberg had a shot off the post and two other glorious chances to bury the puck; all of which came to no avail. Cleary's botched breakaway echoes that same idea. Johan Franzen's backhand at an empty net was stopped by Rob Scuderi on his knees.

The Red Wings did not convert their scoring chances. You cannot win if you do not do so. Which I'm sure you all already know.

The Penguins did the opposite, and oddly enough, they find themselves back to square one.

The Penguins capitalized on a rebound shot and a wrap around. None of the games' three goals were pretty, but a goal is a goal.

If not for Chris Osgood, the score of this game could've been 10-1.

Fleury made crucial saves at key times though. [See opening lines]

I hate, hate, hate to say this being a die-hard Red Wings fan, but Pittsburgh deserved to win. They controlled a decent majority of the game, and they capitalized.

That says it all right there.

Datsyuk was dishing and dancing, but nothing came to fruition.

If I am Dan Cleary, I'm not getting a wink of sleep tonight. But it's okay, because Game Seven on Friday can be his time for redemption.

Home ice advantage? I don't think that's every rung more true than in this year's Finals.

Well played Pittsburgh, you're better than you were last year. But unfortunately, Marian Hossa will be getting his ring this year.

Red Wings-Penguins: Datsyuk's Return Proves Bad News for Pittsburgh

Andrew Pargoff — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:21:47 -0400

I would like to preface this article by saying Games Three and Four totally turned this series around. The Penguins came back to Mellon Arena and played inspired hockey. Their backs were against the wall and they responded.

The Red Wings looked flat, and the Penguins looked fresh. The Penguins outplayed the Red Wings in all facets of the game; it's as simple as that. Evgeni Malkin piled up points in those two games, while Sidney Crosby joined in on the scoring as well.

I cannot stand Sidney Crosby, and I recently lost just about every ounce of respect for Evgeni Malkin after the debacle that was the last 25 seconds of Game Two, and as much as I hate to say it, Malkin and Crosby led their team to back-to-back wins at home.

I am not going to talk about the officiating. There are no excuses. Pittsburgh handled the Red Wings in both those games.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I would like to say that Game Five is an unfair name for what happened at Joe Louis Arena last night. I'm not sure what exactly to call it, but a game it was not.

The Red Wings started to scoring off roughly midway through the first period on a one-timer from Dan Cleary, who is still adding to his best career playoff campaign.

The play was started as Brian Rafalski moved the puck up to Pavel Datsyuk who crossed the blue line, cut inside and made a quick pass to Cleary, who used the Penguins defender as a screen and shot it past Fleury.

The second period began with Pittsburgh down 1-0, answering back and knotting the score would be huge and turn the momentum around, but Chris Osgood turned dispelled any chances of a Penguins goal on the times he was tested.

Detroit continued its trend of secondary scoring in Game Five. First with Dan Cleary's goal to break the scoreless tie, then a mere 1:44 into the second period, Valtteri Filppula scored to make it 2-0.

Within five minutes of that, Niklas Kronwall made a beautiful play down low, beating three Penguins defenders to notch a power play tally to make it 3-0. Within three minutes of that, Brian Rafalski put a wrist shot past Fleury on the power play once more, making the score 4-0.

Henrik Zetterberg netted the third power play goal of the game for Detroit and his 11th goal of the playoffs to make it 5-0, and that is the score the game ended with.

The Red Wings went 1-10 on the power play in the first four games.

In Game Five, they went 3-9. Continued secondary scoring is the reason why the Red Wings were able to pull off such a victory. Pavel Datsyuk had two assists in his long-awaited return, but Cleary, Filppula, Kronwall, and Rafalski all scoring in Game Five means the worst for Pittsburgh.

A different Red Wings team showed up in Game Five. Not the same group of banged up, tired, seemingly unmotivated group that showed up for Games Three and Four. With the series back at square one, the Red Wings struck first and struck often. They even chased Marc-Andre Fleury out of the game before the second period ended.

I'm not sure if Sidney Crosby has totally regressed from his stellar play in Games Three and Four, but he looked more like Sidney Crosby three years ago, when he slashed Henrik Zetterberg and took a minor for slashing.

But Crosby wasn't alone, Evgeni Malkin should've paid rent in the penalty box with his three minor penalties, including the elbow to Johan Franzen's face.

Maxime Talbot also sat for his cheap shot at Pavel Datsyuk's injured foot, and Pittsburgh "tough guy," Chris Kunitz drops his glove to sucker punch Darren Helm twice while he already has him in a headlock. Real classy, Pittsburgh.

I don't care what you say, but you cannot win games when you take undisciplined penalties as the Penguins did, and it does not say much for your team when they start taking those undisciplined penalties once the game gets out of hand.

That is stupid hockey, and the Red Wings capitalized on those stupid mistakes. When the penalty minutes are 48-14 in any game, which team would you assume would win?

Oh, and did I mention Chris Osgood responded after his two worst games of the Stanley Cup Finals with a shutout? That was a rhetorical question, because I know I didn't. Osgood has built a pretty strong case for a Conn Smythe Trophy nod.

Henrik Zetterberg has been playing better and better and the series has progressed, but it would be great to see Osgood win a Conn Smythe. Even then, people would still find reasons to knock his statistics, record, and rings.

But I can't imagine Pittsburgh is enjoying the uphill battle they face now. This sets the stage for Game Six, and boy, is that going to be one for the ages.

Just think, about this time last year, the Red Wings lost a deflating triple-overtime game at home, only to go into Mellon Arena in Game Six and leave with Lord Stanley's Cup.

Eerie? I'd say so.

Deja vu? You better believe it.

Wings in Six? You're damn right.

Red Wings Up 2-0 As The Penguins Show True Colors at The Game's End

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:29:44 -0400

Secondary scoring is key to lengthy playoff runs.

If you run over the scoresheet from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, you'll happen to notice the Detroit Red Wings did not get goals from Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen, or even Nicklas Lidstrom.

Jonathan Ericsson, Valterri Filpuula, and Justin Abdelkader all notched a tally for Detroit tonight. That makes two goals in two games for former Michigan State Spartan, Abdelkader. What a way to start off your very young and what appears to be a promising playoff career.

The Detroit Red Wings have seen several great storylines play out this postseason.

The raw speed and talent possessed by Darren Helm, who GM Ken Holland noted would be a full-time Red Wings next season, Jonathan Ericsson standing strong on the blueline and performing admirably with Andreas Lilja injured, Valterri Filpuula becoming a setup machine in these playoffs who is in the right place at the right time, Dan Cleary going on a scoring tear through both the Anaheim and Chicago series, and even Chris Osgood; who has had one of his worst statistical seasons to date, has stood the playoff test of time.

"It's the best I've ever seen him play," proclaimed venerable soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

Pavel Datsyuk, a Hart and Selke Trophy finalists, has not performed anywhere near where he should be, but impressive play from Filpuula, Cleary, Abdelkader, Ericsson, and many others have proven to be a viable fill-in during Datsyuk's slump and time out with a foot injury.

But back to the game, Pittsburgh scored their only goal as they normally do, in traffic, off of a rebound, in an ugly manner.

Detroit has been successful because they have not only dominated a majority of the six periods so far, but they have been getting those bounces that made Pittsburgh so fortunate throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

But then Detroit scored, and scored again. Oh wait, Abdelkader picked up his second goal in as many games to give Detroit a 3-1 lead again, deja vu?

Sure as hell seems like it.

Fast forward to the last half minute of the game.

Pittsburgh is scrambling to put shots on Chris Osgood. They do so, grab their own rebound and Malkin fires a wrist shot on Osgood. He gloves it, only to have Maxime Talbot proceed to spear Osgood's glove hand and stomach region. Osgood embellished the play a bit, but what Talbot did was a penalty.

Justly so, Brad Stuart and Henrik Zetterberg shoved Talbot and gave him the business to the side of the net. As Zetterberg shoved Talbot, in comes Malkin swinging at Zetterberg pulling him away from the scrum, only to start throwing punches at Zetterberg's head, while Malkin's stick remained in his hand.

Malkin did land a few punches, but Zetterberg gained control only to have the referee attempt to contain him. This is happening while Malkin is still swinging his fists at Zetterberg.

I may be a bit biased, as I have never like Sidney Crosby, or the Penguins for that matter.

The Red Wings beat them with Hossa last year, signed him this season, and for that reason enough, was motivation to hand the Penguins their walking papers. But the display put on tonight, of classless, bush league hockey is despicable. I always liked Malkin, but tonight, he lost my respect. He looked like a headcase out there, swinging at Zetterberg while his stick was still in his hand.

The sight of seeing Crosby hunched over sitting on the ice in tears again was motivation enough to root the Wings on. But now, after tonight, and that disgusting display of "sending a message" or "lighting a fire," or whatever the hell you want to call it, it got that much more serious.

I hope Malkin skates with his head up at all times, because you can beat Niklas Kronwall and Stuart are invisioning a bullseye right where that Penguins logo once was.

I had previously picked the Red Wings in five, but to hell with that now.

It would make it that much sweeter to go into Mellon Arena, and walk out with the Cup after a game on Pittsburgh's home ice for the second straight year.

So, I'm sorry Sid the Kid, Gino just signed a death sentence for himself, and the rest of you cowardly, flightless birds.

Chris Osgood, I'm glad you'll be getting that Conn Smythe trophy this year.

Red Wings-Blackhawks, Game Four: The Statement Game Detroit Needed

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:30:04 -0400

The Detroit Red Wings came back from a 3-0 deficit in Game Three, only to lose in a devastating manner early into overtime.

Sami Pahlsson made a fantastic play with a backhand pass to Patrick Sharp, who found the back of the net to send the United Center into a frenzy.

This all happened without Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings looked lost in that first period, as Chicago worked the puck and found the back of the net on a few lucky bounces and good team hockey.

The Red Wings scored three goals in 4:23 late in the second period. A stalemate in the third led to overtime, where it took just under two minutes for the aforementioned play to take place.

This sets the stage for Game Four on Sunday afternoon. Not only is Pavel Datsyuk still out of the Red Wings' lineup, but Captain and future first-ballot Hall-of-Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is also an injured scratch.

That overtime loss that surely left a horrible taste in the Red Wings mouths. If they lose Game Three without Datsyuk, they surely lose Game Four without Datsyuk andLidstrom, right? As an optimist, even I found it hard to believe the Red Wings would turn the tables after Game Three.

Marian Hossa has recently been labeled as "soft." This may be due to his unbelievable hot streak during last year's playoffs, and the performance so far this postseason not matching up to that. But he answered his critics with a shorthanded goal off a Chicago turnover in the first period.

As we've seen in this series, a one-goal lead is not as safe as one would like. Hell, neither is a three-goal lead, given what occurred in Game Three.

As the period came to a close, Johan Franzen carried the puck up the near-side boards, and made a great play, using the Blackhawk defenseman's legs as a screen to net one over Cristobal Huet's blocker side.

As the Red Wings took a two-goal lead into the intermission, all seemed good, as the Red Wings took advantage of a few turnovers and mishaps on the part of the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks' biggest enemy in Game Four was themselves. Ben Eager and Kris Versteeg both took questionable penalties on more than one occasion, resulting in Red Wings power plays, and the Red Wings capitalizing on those power plays. Ben Eager took two 10-minute misconduct penalties and Kris Versteeg another.

During the second period, Versteeg took a cross-checking penalty that Chicago killed off. As Versteeg was heading back to the bench after leaving the penalty box, he took another penalty before the play had come to a halt. This ill-tempered behavior is what hurt the Blackhawks—that, and timely scoring from the Red Wings.

Chris Osgood, was tested only 19 times. That may not be much, but another reason why the Red Wings succeed is because they block shots and force opponents to make decisions before they want to. Osgood was tested only 19 times, but he gave up only one goal. Osgood played to his best when his number was called.

Jonathan Toews cracked Osgood's shutout with a power-play goal off his own rebound in the second period. As Chicago cut the lead to 3-1 in Detroit's favor, they may have had their own thoughts about a three-goal comeback in mind—but the "soft" Marian Hossa closed all thoughts of that out with a goal a mere nine seconds later.

If you've ever watched Hossa for an entire game, you more than likely are shocked to see how fast he is when he turns it on and takes it to the outside. He protected the puck with only one hand on his stick, and carried it deep near the crease and put the puck low to the blocker side of Huet.

When you chase a team's goaltender out of the game, it is always a good feeling. Huet was sent to the bench before the second period's end, but was back in the game to start the third period.

The game slowed down a little bit, but it was kept interesting. Chicago could not seem to keep their heads and continued to take stupid penalties—two of which happened to end up with Henrik Zetterberg finding the back of the net.

This was a statement game. This is scary for the three teams that aren't the Detroit Red Wings. To be able to handle a team and win 6-1 without your Hart Trophy and your Norris Trophy candidates sends a message.

I don't care whether or not The Golden Boy and Gino Malkin are playing well together. The Detroit Red Wings are on a war path heading straight to the Stanley Cup Finals. If they meet the Pittsburgh Penguins for a rematch of last year, I can't imagine it would even be a series.

The Detroit Red Wings signed away the best playoff player the Penguins had last year and their backup goaltender, Ty Conklin, who kept Pittsburgh afloat while Marc-Andre Fleury tended to an injury.

The Detroit Red Wings are licking their chops, almost tasting the champagne spilling out of the Stanley Cup one more time. It's not a done deal. I'm not saying they should call the Finals off—but regardless of what Versus, NBC, Barry Melrose, or anyone else thinks, the Detroit Red Wings are unmatched in the NHL at this moment.

The Penguins are good, the Penguins are very good. The Detroit Red Wings are deeper and better.

End of story.

Red Wings-Blackhawks: Detroit Downs Chicago To Take 1-0 Lead and Finish Strong

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:33:31 -0400

As a hockey fan, I love nothing more than seeing an Original Six matchup in the Western Conference Finals.

It's good to see Chicago competitive again in the Central Division. However, the young combination of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are just that—young. Too young.

The Detroit Red Wings likely are the poster franchise in all of sports. They have a laundry list of players with years of playoff experience, the best scouting department in all of sports, players with unmatched skill sets, and the deepest team of any I've seen this year.

Pavel Datsyuk has been slumping, and so has Marian Hossa, but what is better than seeing Dan Cleary take a turnover from blueline to blueline and rip a wrist shot over the glove of Ed Olczyk's seemingly favorite nickname in the playoffs, "The Bulin Wall," Nikolai Khabibulin?

I won't get started on NBC's infatuation with the Blackhawks. But sadly, that pales in comparison to their love for "The Golden Boy," Sidney Crosby. Why he was interviewed for the Blackhawks-Red Wings game is beyond me. But then again, you can't go too long without Sidney Crosby, right? I digress...

Mike Babcock has a problem that 29 other coaches in the NHL would love to have. He has full lines that most of the time can outplay an opponent's top line. Players listed as Babcock's second and third line would be second or first line players on most other NHL teams.

Secondary scoring is what sets the Red Wings apart from other teams. Datsyuk hasn't been getting it done. Hossa has been lying dormant lately. However, Mikael Samuelsson and Darren Helm have been stepping up, and Johan Franzen is proving that the Wings' investment in him was well worth it.

If your big guns aren't scoring, most teams falter. Remember when Alexander Ovechkin wasn't scoring against the Rangers early in Washington's first-round series? In case you don't, the Caps were down three games to one, before Ovechkin went on a tear he carried into the second round.

The Red Wings don't have to worry about that. They have a guy who can beat you on any given line during any given game.

I have stood behind Chris Osgood since he came to the Wings. When he gave up the deciding goal against San Jose in the first round in '94. When he allowed the goals from outside the blue line (I still hate you, Jamie Langenbrunner). When he had one of his worst statistical seasons this year, and everyone was saying how Conklin should start in the playoffs, Babcock stuck with his guy.

Osgood has three Stanley Cups—two as a starter, and one behind Mike Vernon. He is second in GAA in these playoffs with a stellar 2.06 GAA. I did get nervous when Kris Versteeg rattled one off the connector early into the contest, but the Wings settled down.

Osgood saw a higher number of shots than he normally does, making 30 of 32 saves. He was sensational, except for his misplaying of the puck when Adam Burish caught him napping and snuck one in to take a 1-0 lead.

The Red Wings are going to win this series because they held Kane and Toews to zero shots until the third period. ZERO! Even with Toews' very impressive sideburns. What happens when a team shuts down your top two players? Unless you are the Red Wings, you tend to lose.

The Red Wings didn't even take a penalty until the third period. If the Red Wings can keep playing clean hockey and get their offense on all cylinders, look for Chicago on the golf course late next week.

Seeing Dan Cleary interviewed before the game, it was obvious there was no animosity towards the Blackhawks for letting him go after he was drafted by the organization. However, it seemed to be a good omen, as he scored two very pretty goals in Game One. I bet it felt pretty sweet to hit the back of the net twice against the team that cut him loose years ago.

I've said this for a week now: Red Wings in five.

I've been hearing for a while how interesting it would be to see a Wings-Pens rematch in the Finals. Why would that be interesting? The Red Wings beat the Penguins, then signed their best playoff scorer and the backup goalie that carried them over a long stretch of the regular season.

I do hope to see that, however. Seeing Sidney Crosby slouched over on the boards in tears for a second straight year would be "two" good.

And Patrick Roy as the next Colorado Avalanche coach? Talk about restoring a rivalry...

The Most Annoying Things in Sports [To Me, At Least]

Andrew Pargoff — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:43:11 -0400

After a long night of watching SportsCenter and listening to Stan Verrett and Neil Everett turn a PGA Tour Quail Hollow Championship highlight into "Open Mic Night" at the Apollo, I feel it is only fair that I share with you things in sports that really irk me. I'm going to take you from the hardwood of the NBA to the outfield grasses of the softball field behind your favorite neighborhood bar. So strap yourself in and enjoy. Thanks for reading.

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Red Wings: 9-2-2 Isn't Good Enough? Detroit Can't Seem to Fight Off Naysayers

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:23:42 -0500

Here we are, more than a month into the NHL season and the Detroit Red Wings sit second in the Western Conference with a 9-2-2 record. Who would've known the reaction they get would be one of disappointment. It befuddles me to hear and read the talk of the Red Wings apparent inability to blow out opponents on a nightly basis.

Newly added winger Marian Hossa got off to a slow start, but has been on a tear in the past eight games or so. Pavel Datsyuk has been putting up solid numbers, making plays night in and night out.

Henrik Zetterberg has found the back of the net since returning after a short hiatus. Brian Rafalski started the season off red hot breaking the Detroit Red Wings Defense record for most consecutive games with a point to start a season. He has slowed a little in the past handful of games however.

The Red Wings defense has been suspect thus far in the 2008-'09 season.

There have been more giveaways than I can count on both hands by the normally rock solid Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. Even the favorably skilled puckhandler Chris Osgood has coughed the puck up against the Maple Leafs in the season's opening game.

The Red Wings aren't blowing teams out, that is definitely true. But they are getting the job done. At 9-2-2, no one should be reading or writing about how the Red Wings are struggling and aren't the juggernaut everyone thought they would be. THEY'RE 9-2-2! That's pretty damn good.

Yes, the defense has been suspect. Veterans like Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall will all correct the error of their ways soon enough.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the ridiculous number of James Norris Trophies won by the Red Wings Captain, Nicklas Lidstrom. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer, still a threat on offense, and could go down as the best defenseman of all time. The wrinkles will get ironed out.

The goaltending has not been stellar either. With a save percentage below .900 and a GAA of nearly 3.00, Chris Osgood isn't living up to his season last year. However, following up an All-Star season going 27-9-4 with a GAA of 2.09 and a save percentage of .914 isn't an easy task. But let's be real: he is 6-1-2. Wins are what count.

I really can't understand this. The Red Wings are somehow disappointing at 9-2-2? With the new NHL rules, how can they not score 8 goals a night? [DISCLAIMER: Those thoughts are not mine, but ones I have read and heard over the early part of this season]

Head Coach Mike Babcock said in a recent interview that "If you would've told me we'd be a .500 team to this point, I'd be happy with that."

So how do you think he feels at 9-2-2? Impressed; Proud; Relieved a bit.

But you can bet he doesn't show it. He pushes the Red Wings as hard as any coach in the National Hockey League. He challenges his players to excel. And they do just that.

Here's what matters in the long run: Winning. What's the difference between an 8-0 win and a 2-1 win? To be honest, purely just statistics. I would rather the Red Wings win 50 games and have every one be decided by two goals or fewer.

The Red Wings have had seasons where they blow teams out during the regular season and get used to that. In those seasons they faced the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. I don't want to talk about that.

What 2-1 wins do is give you that edge. They keep you skating at all times, digging for every puck, taking full advantage of every second out on the ice. All that game takes is one bounce and it's a whole different game. You're on your toes. When you're up four goals, you coast, you don't hustle as much. The close games keep you in a much more playoff-type mindset.

The Red Wings are fine. Damn fine.

What have they done 9 out of 13 games so far? Win.

What will they continue to do at an alarming rate? Win.

The Detroit Red Wings win. A lot.

You don't have to believe me, just ask their Presidents' Trophies.

What Happened to All the Tony Romo Haters? Where Did You All Go?

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:22:40 -0500

It's funny that I haven't read an article about the resurgence of Brad Johnson's career in 2008. How Brad Johnson comes in for an injured Tony Romo and wins games. After all, it was a countless number of people on this very web site bashing Tony Romo.

Things like Tony Romo is merely a product of his environment. After all, the Dallas Cowboys have the league's largest offensive line by a wide margin. Also, the Dallas Cowboys have Marion Barber III and Felix Jones in the backfield. They have one of the top three tight ends in the NFL in Jason Witten.

I forgot to mention they have Terrell "I love me some me" Owens, Patrick Crayton, Roy E. Williams (whom Romo has not played with to date), Miles Austin, and company to throw the ball to.

Tony Romo is just a average quarterback with the luck of playing for a team where he is surrounded by talent. I haven't heard that since he went down with the injury to his throwing hand against Arizona. You know why? Because Brad Johnson took over for him and has not played even mildly well. I understand Brad Johnson got a win, but he also has two losses now if I'm not mistaken. TO THE ST. LOUIS RAMS? Tony Romo wouldn't lose to the Rams, I'm sorry. I don't care what anyone else says.

Brad Johnson's passer rating is 50.5, compared to Romo's 103.5. I know that is one of the least important statistics in sports, though. Tony Romo's mobility is something that is missed. Romo was sacked seven times before his injury. In three games, Johnson has already been sacked EIGHT times.

Romo is 128 for 200 with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Johnson is 41 for 78 with two touchdowns and five interceptions. Not only is Romo more efficient at quarterback, he's more prolific, he can make the big play on his own, he can make plays with his feet, and he does not have to be in the pocket to make a big play. You know the Cowboys miss him. How much does Terrell Owens miss him? He hasn't had a big game since Romo's been out.

They even benched Johnson for Brooks Bollinger yesterday. If the Cowboys are so good, how come Johnson can't do what Romo managed to do for all that time?

Yes, Romo is prone to turn the ball over at a slightly higher rate than the next starting quarterback, and he has not won a playoff game, but his career is young. This won't be his year since the Cowboys are likely done and out of the playoff hunt, but he will win playoff games. He'll go back to more Pro Bowls, and he'll do more Pepsi commercials.

This proves why Tony Romo is one of the most, if not THE most, valuable players, to his team, in the NFL. I'm not talking about the award. I'm saying honestly, in my belief, Tony Romo is more valuable to the Dallas Cowboys than everybody outside of Tom Brady to the Patriots, Peyton Manning to the Colts, LaDanian Tomlinson to the Chargers, and maybe a few more.

This is to all those Tony Romo haters, who have all seemingly disappeared since Brad Johnson has struggled to manage an offense that should put up 30 points a game. Not a surprise, but come out of hiding at least. I miss reading the belligerent rants of the Tony Romo hater.

A Midsummer Classic: The Real MLB All-Star Game of 2004

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:38:30 -0400

July 12 truly was a night for baseball. At 9 PM EDT, millions of American television viewers turned to ESPN for the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrities Softball game. Actually, the only ones still watching were the people who were too stupid to figure out the Century-21 Home Run Derby was over.

The Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrities Softball game is the greatest rivalry in all of sports. Yankees vs. Red Sox? Red Wings vs. Avalanche? Lakers vs. Celtics? Packers vs. Cowboys? Nothing comes close to the intensity of celebrity softball.

Teams were managed by ESPN employees Harold Reynolds and Kenny Mayne. Kenny led the N.L. and Harold was at the reigns of the proverbial A.L. sled. All-Star lineups were inevitable, as rosters were packed with stars of yesterday and today.

Nick Lachey (better known as Jessica Simpson's ex-husband), Jimmy Kimmel, Cesar Cedeno, Leeann Tweeden, Dave Winfield, Ozzie Smith, and Will Clark. Wait a minute, Will Clark? Will Clark, as in the career .265 hitter that played for the Giants and Rangers? That Will Clark? Unfortunately it was him.

Oh yeah, Miss America was there too. No one caught her name because everyone was too busy checking her out as she ran down the first-base line. Did I mention that A-Rod was playing, too? No, no, not Alex Rodriguez, Adam Rodriguez, of CSI: Miami fame. I myself didn’t even know that CSI: Miami was still on the air, but apparently it is.

The game was marred by the fact that some of the players were too old for the mostly teenage audience. Most kids see Rollie Fingers and think, “Look at the fag with the handlebar mustache,” and not, “Look at the 300-game winner.” This game was a travesty.

An example being that the play of the game goes to Rollie Fingers for the diving grab in center field to end the National League threat in the bottom half of the first inning. If you replay the catch in slow motion, you wonder how he did not break his leg. Yes, Rollie Fingers was the center fielder. Now if that doesn’t lead you to stop reading this article, I don’t know what will.

Making his first start in over 10 years, Goose Gossage was shelled in the game’s first three innings, giving up 12 runs to the National League squad. Gossage’s pitching makes Rod Beck look like a hot commodity. Things were not looking good for Harold and the A.L., as his team faced a seven-run deficit going into the top of the fourth.

I do not know what Manager Harold Reynolds was thinking, as he left Gossage in to pitch to the N,L, in the fourth inning. And after former Houston Astros manager Larry Dierker hit a moon shot, scratch that, hit a pop out in any normal baseball field, but since they move the fences in for this, it was called a home run. Yes, a ball hit out of the infield is just about all you need to be trotting around the bases in Houston’s Minute Maid Park.

And if you watch the tape of the bottom of the fourth, and you listen real close, you can hear Harold Reynolds announcing his resignation as Baseball Tonight co-host and Nationwide ESPN affiliate. He was quoted saying, “Hey, maybe if I quit my job, I won’t have to manage this damn team anymore.”

Unfortunately for him, his contract states he must manage the American League team in the Legends and Celebrities game for seven years. That is word for word in Section 12, Paragraph Five, Line Seven of the contract.

As a sad attempt to pull in more viewers, Bill Rancic fired the umpire and brought in 18-time WNBA All Star Sheryl Swoopes to umpire. I know all of you are thinking, “How does this sideshow clown not know his 15 minutes have been up for roughly a month?”

I was asking myself the same thing. But, clinging to the only thing that made him famous, he let the umpire go with Trump’s catch phrase, an emphatic “You’re fired!” This was too much to bare, and then I thought to myself, “It’s only the fourth inning!?!?” This game was so sad. I missed Adam Carolla, Jim McMahon and Chris Chelios, the stars of last year’s game.

I chuckled as Gary Thorne read, “It is prohibited to copyright this broadcast without the express, written consent of Major League Baseball.” Who, in all honesty, who tape this for posterity’s sake? No one. That is about the moment where I was near tears.

And then I recalled the Academy Award Nominated A League of Their Own. “What are you crying about? There’s no crying in baseball!” The tears came to a halt as I have tremendous respect for Tom Hanks and all of his works of cinema.

All you could do was roll your eyes whenever you heard Rick Sutcliffe talk. The man may have been a good pitcher, but come on, watching this game is bad enough. Listening to him in addition is like insult to injury.

No one seemed to notice as Harold Reynold put all 26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in place of his team. His team did even worse with the Pirates playing. A minor highlight for the Pirates, Jason Kendall reached base due to a throwing error from Miss America.

The game was delayed 14 minutes as Kendall removed first base and asked for the ball saying, “This is my first hit since the ’98 season. This stuff [First base and the ball] is going into a case in my bedroom. I, I just can’t believe it. I’m takin’ the whole team out for dinner tonight.” Well, with his salary I hope they’re using the McDonald’s $1 Menu to its fullest extent.

The game got a little heated as Gossage threw at the head of Cesar Cedeno in the fifth inning. Goose’s reasoning was as follows, “Well, he was already 6-for-6 against me, so I thought I’d spook him by givin’ him a little chin music.” The only thing it accomplished was breaking Cesar’s tailbone as he fell to the ground to dodge the bright yellow ball.

As Cesar was being carried out on a stretcher, he held his hand up, and gave the thumbs down sign to the whole stadium. Which most likely means he’s in Intensive Care right now. Oh well, I’d rather have seen Willie Mays anyways.

Another N.L. victory means one thing. Who will be filling Harold Reynolds place? Maybe Sparky Anderson? Wayne Fontes is desperate for work, he’s a candidate. Hell, Don King has even thrown his hat into the ring, no pun intended. So, as the game came to a close, I can sadly say I was relieved to turn on channel 69 and see Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Challenge.

The Dodgers Are Here to Play: Los Angeles Has Two Baseball Teams After All

Andrew Pargoff — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:51:32 -0400

Everything came full circle at about 1 a.m. EDT Sunday night; that's actually ironically enough when the clock struck midnight in Chicago. The Cubs' season was over in an instant. The team with the best record in the NL proved that record means nothing come playoff time.

Maybe it was the Curse of the Billy Goat. Maybe the Cubs just got outplayed. So long, Sweet Lou, Alfonso Soriano, and Carlos Zambrano. We'll see you again next year. Man, I bet Jeff Samardzija wishes he chose football right about now.

There are a vast array of fantastic storylines that look so fitting in Dodger blue. Whether it is Joe Torre getting back to the playoffs after leaving the Yankees or Manny Ramirez setting something off that brought the Dodgers back into playoff talks and contention.

What about Rafael Furcal coming back off an injury and reclaiming his spot in the lineup? This list could go on and on, but all I know is that the LA Dodgers are a playoff baseball team. They say it's not always important how or why you get hot. The key is when you get hot. The Dodgers chose just the right time to do so.

I know how much some people hate to hear it, but Ramirez has had a definite positive impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's played outstanding baseball since he arrived in LA. He's been quoted saying "It's like a vacation here." Looks like ManRam plays better when he's having fun.

The Dodgers started this series off in Chicago and trailed for the first four innings of the series, but after James Loney's grand slam in the fifth inning, they never looked back.

The Dodgers were helped tremendously by strong starts from Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. Their bullpen shut down the Cubs for the most part, except for the ninth inning of Game Two, when they were already up, 10-0.

The Dodgers will need the veteran starters to continue the trend of dominance if they wish to further their successes this postseason. Relievers Jonathan Broxton and Cory Wade pitched brilliantly in each of the three games in the NLDS. It was even nice to see Greg Maddux get some time in the series.

The Dodgers offense has seen solid production from Loney, Russell Martin, and, you guessed it, Ramirez. Ramirez is second in postseason NL batting average at .500, tied for first in postseason home runs with Pat Burrell of the Phillies with two, and Loney and Martin are first and second in postseason RBI with six and five, respectively.

The Dodgers offense outscored a normally potent Chicago Cubs offense by a total of 20-6. That includes the ball Ramirez took a golf club to and sent 17 rows into the bleachers.

Torre said it best himself: "It's been a great ride so far, but we still have eight games left to win."

He's right there, and I'll be watching as that number shrinks until eventually there won't be any games left to win.

What a ring that has to it: The 2008 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Goodnight.

Ryan Howard Is Great, but Manny Ramirez Is the Greatest

Andrew Pargoff — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:19:35 -0400

What a story.

Some say Manny was sandbagging in the month leading up to his trade. Sure, he made some bonehead plays in left field and wasn't hitting home runs at the rate he had been all season, but he was hitting around .400 in that month.

So there he went. Manny Ramirez does look fresh in his Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. He reps Wayne Gretzky, wearing 99 just like "The Great One" did for the Los Angeles Kings.

I'll lay some stats on you:

In 100 games for the Boston Red Sox this season, Ramirez batted .299 with 20 home runs and 68 runs batted in.

In 49 games for the L.A. Dodgers, Manny has batted .395 with 16 home runs and 51 runs batted in.

The stats suggest that Ramirez may have been laying low and not playing hard so he could receive the trade he apparently wanted so badly. But he will be the only one who could ever answer that question, so end all those rumors.

He brought the Dodgers back and catapulted them into first place in the NL West. The Diamondbacks did falter a bit, but Ramirez brought an energy to this team incomparable to anything I've seen in recent years.

He's liked by his teammates, ownership, the fans; but what's not to like? He's spring boarded his team into World Series talks. And I know, the NL West isn't the strongest division in baseball. If you think it is, just ask Hank Steinbrenner. But so be it.

Sure, Ryan Howard's freakish second half of the 2008 season is very impressive. Ryan Howard leads the NL with 46 home runs and 141 runs batted in. He is ninth in slugging percentage at .534 and 10th in runs with 101. He may only be batting around .250, but he comes through in the clutch when the Phillies need him to. ManRam, however, does the same thing in L.A.

It's sickening how good Manny Ramirez is. Just think if he spent the whole season in L.A. He would be on pace to hit 48 home runs and drive in 150 runs. He would be slugging around .680 and batting somewhere near .360 while his runs scored would total 102, as of today. Oh yeah, and his on base percentage is hovering at .500 right now, which means he gets to first base every other at bat.

It's not fair, but the Dodgers got a steal. I can't wait to see them reign victorious in a less-than-thrilling National League and see them test their mettle against a loaded American League. Whether it be the Dodgers interstate rival L.A. Angels of Anaheim, the new look Rays of Tampa Bay, the White Sox/Twins, or the Red Sox, it's going to be a great series.

Who wouldn't love to see Manny back in Boston, only this time wearing the opposing team's jersey. Dodgers-Red Sox?!? I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Dodgers-Angels? Vlad and ManRam compete in a "who can club the ball farther?" contest.

Dodgers-Rays? ManRam shows Evan Longoria what it's like to be a World Series MVP—again.

All I'm saying is, Manny being Manny is better than any other player being any other player. Let him grow his hair out, wear any number he wants, leave his jersey unbuttoned, hell, I'll shine his shoes.

He is the best player in baseball. Hands down.

Top 10 Worst Gimmicks in WCW History

Andrew Pargoff — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:34:35 -0400

This article is a little overdue, since the WCW was bought out and shut down a mere eight years ago. But after watching some hilarious YouTube clips last night, I figured it had to be done. In no particular order, the 10 worst gimmicks in WCW history.

11. Chris Jericho: Since it's a top 10 list, I've leave Jericho on the outside, but his interviews and mic time were always a riot, but then again, you shouldn't expect anything less from "The Man of 1,004 Holds."

10. Stevie Ray: The more 'roided up brother of Booker T. They were a long lasting tag team, wrestling under the names Harlem Heat, The Ebony Experience, The Ghetto Blasters, and The Huffman Brothers. Stevie Ray got hurt and was out of action for roughly half a year, and came back after his rehab only to turn on the new WCW Television Champion, his brother Booker T.

Stevie Ray later lost to female wrestler Midnight, in a match to determine whether or not she would stay in Harlem Heat. Stevie Ray lost, and turned on Booker T and Midnight.

9. Lance Storm: This little Canuck was actually the first triple-champion in WCW history. He held the United States Heavyweight Title, the World Cruiserweight Title, and the Hardcore Championship. Being a silly little Canadian, he renamed all three titles the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, 100 KG and Under Championship, and the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title (S.H.I.T.).

Then Storm lost all three titles around the same time, and went back to work at his local hometown Canadian Tire/Tim Horton's combo store.

8. Disco Inferno: An illustrious career for sure. The Disco Inferno won the World Television Title, the World Cruiserweight Title, and was a WCW World Tag Team Champion as a member of the "Boogie Knights" team. Disco Inferno is known for his bell-bottoms, outdated dancing, and feuds with terrible wrestlers like Jacquelyn and Perry Saturn.

7. Buff Bagwell: I still remember Buff Bagwell because I always thought he was former Houston Astros great Jeff Bagwell's younger brother. He always came out with Scott Steiner, maybe he just liked checking out Big Poppa Pump's ass, I don't know, but either way, he was a hack. He did beat "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in a three-round boxing match though.

6. Bam Bam Bigelow: After feuding with Goldberg, Bigelow spent time joining up with Diamond Dallas Page and Chris "THE BADDEST GAY DUDE EVER" Kanyon. These three were known as "The Jersey Triad." After the Triad disbanded, he feuded with Mike Awesome, and lost in an "Ambulance Match" at Starrcade 2000. The highlight of his career was his small role in Ready to Rumble starring David Arquette.

5. Raven: This Seattle garage band look he rocked was adapted by all that joined "The Flock," Raven's stable of wrestlers which included Saturn, Kidman, Kanyon, and other guys that no one really cares about. He won the US Heavyweight Title and the TV Title once each. He always ended his mic time with "Quote the Raven never more." Enough said.

4. Horace: A member of "The Flock," and nephew of Hulk Hogan. Horace came out one night on Monday Night Nitro and Hulk Hogan revealed to all that Horace was his nephew. Then he offered Horace membership in nWo [New World Order] and before Horace could respond, Hulk turned on him, whipping his ass with a steel chair and dragging him off a stretcher and beating him some more. Horace continually had Hulk's back, interfering with The Ultimate Warrior on Hulk's behalf.

3. Ernest "The Cat" Miller: Miller was discovered while teaching karate to Eric Bischoff's son. He took Bischoff up on his offer when he asked Miller if he wanted to wrestle. He claimed he could beat any opponent within two minutes; with his registered weapons [his hands and feet]. His finishing move was a springboard kick called "The Feliner." Sonny Onoo was his manager for the majority of his WCW career.

2. Scott Hall: I don't even know if it was his gimmick, but he always stumbled around and slurred his speech. It seemed almost painful to watch, but then again, knowing Scott Hall, he was probably just drunk.

1. David Arquette: After making the aforementioned Ready to Rumble, he was written into storylines in 2000. He first confronted Eric Bischoff, and he teamed up with DDP and Chris Kanyon. He beat Eric Bischoff with the help of those two, and later in a match where Bischoff teamed with Jeff Jarrett and Arquette teamed with Page, Arquette beat Bischoff.

The stipulations stated whoever got the pin, won the WCW World Heavyweight Title. This is also about the time hell froze over. He lost the belt at Slamboree 2000, where he turned on DDP and helped Jarrett take over as champ. His last appearance on the show consisted of him explaining his "friendship" with DDP and DDP running out and giving him the "Diamond Cutter." A fitting end to an awful championship run.

And I'm spent. Shout out to Tony Schiavone.

Who is Anthony Kim and Where Did He Come From?

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:10:34 -0400

Who is Anthony Kim, you ask? Kim was born in 1985 in Los Angeles, but he now calls Dallas home.

Kim has been thrust into the spotlight this past week for his part in the U.S. Ryder Cup team breaking its winless streak.

It was hard not to take a liking to Kim after seeing his swagger on the course. He was never one to keep his emotions tucked away. Whenever he would hit a big shot, his emotions would be well-worn on his sleeve. Fist pumps galore!

Kim was never afraid to let the crowd, his teammates, or his opponents know how he felt. The crowd fed off of that. Players like Kim celebrating get the crowd into it. So does Boo Weekly riding the pony off the tee box on one hole. The U.S. team had their share of players who kept the spectators loose, which I'm sure they appreciated.

Back to the bigger story, Anthony Kim earned his PGA Tour Card in 2007 after qualifying school. He won the AT&T National and the Wachovia Championship this year. He also tied for seventh place in The Open Championship.

Kim has had an impressive year, earning over $3 million. What would cap that off better than sending the Europeans out empty handed? Nothing.

Kim definitely played a role with his superb play all weekend, winning while paired with Phil Mickelson, and on Sunday when he squared off with Sergio Garcia and won 5 and 4.

So here's to you, Anthony Kim. Keep 'em coming. It's good to get to see the up-and-coming players in golf. Vijay is old, Ernie Els is getting up there, Phil is just Phil.

Oh and a shout out to Boo Weekly. YOU MY BOY, BOO!

This Offseason Couldn't Get Any Worse for Ex-Avalanche Coach Joel Quenneville

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:55:35 -0400

Being a die-hard Red Wings fan, I have been able to see a lot of Joel Quenneville, whether it be during his tenure as the head coach of the St. Louis Blues or the Colorado Avalanche.

Boy, has it been a rough summer for Quenneville. He was informed by the Avalanche that he would be replaced by Tony Granato as the team's head coach in early May. Also, it has come to be known that Quenneville had been arrested in the Denver suburb of Lone Tree on suspicion of driving under the influence. Police Sgt. Dan Seaman [hold your laughter] said that Quenneville's license was confiscated after he refused to take a chemical test.

Which just goes to show you what years of coaching St. Louis and Colorado can do to you. Or you could look at Patrick Roy, who puts hits out on players opposing his "hit man" or son or whatever you'd like to refer to him as.

The only good thing that has ever come out of Colorado was Ray Bourque winning a Stanley Cup. Besides that, absolutely nothing. Oh, I forgot about when they missed the playoffs two years ago. Haha, my fault.

But Quenneville still does have an impressive coaching record. His win-loss record stands at 438-283-77-41, which is well above .500%.

On a more serious note, never drink and drive. Quenneville had a legitimate excuse, he just got replaced by Tony Granato.

Ohio State's Perfomance Against Ohio Spells Trouble For The 2008 Season.

Andrew Pargoff — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:32:59 -0400

Welcome to Columbus, Ohio. Home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a collegiate football juggernaut. Scratch that, a juggernaut within the Big Ten and a whipping boy to SEC teams in recent years.

I'll give them credit where credit is due; they ran the table in a weak conference, which propelled them into the national title game two years running. Once they got their shot at glory, a shot at redemption against LSU, they choked. Thus fueling the experts speaking of how facetious Ohio State's ranking actually was, and still is.

I know everyone was expecting the beating Ohio State gave the ferocious Penguins of Youngstown State during college football's opening weekend. But along with the odds makers and the entire nation, no one expected them to struggle so badly with the Ohio.

Signs point to Chris "Beanie" Wells being out. Thus proving his importance. Maybe Terrelle Pryor's lack of playing time hurt them. But either way, their showing on Saturday was nothing short of awful. If it hadn't been for a muffed punt return, who knows if Ohio State would still be undefeated.

All those Gator fans, Trojan fans, Bulldog fans laugh at Ohio State and the Big Ten. Pitiful performances like ones by Ohio State and Michigan don't help the reputation of the Big Ten one bit.

You lose your best defensive athlete to the NFL Draft, in Vernon Ghoulston [who is a freak of nature, by the way]. Todd Boeckman has not looked impressive so far this year. Terrelle Pryor was sat down for the better part of the Ohio game because the team was in a dire situation.

The Ohio State University is a fraud. Just wait a few more days to see the best coach in college football Pete Carroll and USC put a lickin' on Ohio State. The jury is out on Ohio State. Terrelle Pryor is the future, but right now, Ohio State is still the same Ohio State. They are the best team in the Big Ten, but that is like being the most heterosexual guy in the Village People; you're still in the Village People. So keep playing the YMCA, young man! Because the scarlet and gray will look more like black and blue. Hold your breath college football fans, because you're going to be exposed to all the smoke and mirrors you can handle.

Detroit Pistons Want Championships; Just Ask Former Coach Flip Saunders

Andrew Pargoff — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:48:20 -0400

As of Tuesday, it became known that Flip Saunders was out after three seasons as Detroit Pistons head coach.

What did he do to deserve this, you ask?

Well, he went 176-70 in three seasons and reached the Eastern Conference Finals each time. If you carried the one, that's a .715% winning percentage.

Enough to get the boot? Joe Dumars thought so.

First, we saw Avery Johnson ousted of Dallas and Mike D'Antoni fired in Phoenix.

Both teams are phenomenal regular season after regular season, but both failed to make deep playoff runs. Maybe it was the trade busts that were Jason Kidd and Shaquille O'Neal for Dallas and Phoenix, respectively.

But back to Saunders.

Before he came to Detroit, he had only reached one Western Conference Finals with Minnesota in several years there. Oddly enough, the last team to put him out of the Eastern Conference Finals was lead by his biggest star in Minnesota, Kevin Garnett.

He reached three in a row in Detroit.

You're at a disadvantage when the Pistons have been doing that for seemingly 10 years now. The franchise wants rings. Even then, if you don't keep winning, the ground below you can turn to quicksand.

Saunders came in before the 2005 season and the Pistons finished with a ridiculous 64-18 regular season record and beat Milwaukee and Cleveland in the playoffs where they lost only a combined four games.

They then came up against a very hot Miami team, lead by Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal and lost in six games. Miami went on to win the NBA Championship.

In 2006, the Pistons regular season record cooled off and they went 53-29. They returned to the playoffs and beat Orlando and Cleveland in the first two rounds, losing a mere two games combined.

They went on to go up against LeBron and some other guys also known as the Cleveland Cavaliers, and lost in six. The Cavs got beat like a red-headed step-child in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs.

This season, the Pistons improved on their regular season record going 59-23.

They once again disposed of Philadelphia and Orlando easily, losing just three games, even closing out the Orlando series without their leader, PG Chauncey Billups.

They met the Boston Three Party in the Eastern Conference Finals, and as the story goes, lost in six games. The Celtics now face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, set to start tomorrow night.

It's interesting, because it seems like the Pistons match-up best against almost every team in the NBA.

They just cannot seem to get over that hump.

Joe Dumars was asked about retooling the roster this off-season and he said, "You're thinking I may shake things up and make some big changes this off-season. You're damn right I am."

Flip Saunders' only curse was that he came to a team that had been spoiled by past successes.

That's how fickle fans can be.

It's crazy to think that once the Bad Boys were gone, the Pistons were the laughing stock of the league for a couple years. They have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA since 2000.

Detroit fans really don't know how good they have it. They won't until it's gone, and that is a shame.

Word has it Saunders is the front runner for the Phoenix Suns coaching job, which he should be.

Good luck to you, Flip. We'll miss you.

Stanley Cup Finals: Detroit Up 2-0 As Michel Therrien Whines

Andrew Pargoff — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:37:12 -0400

If anyone would have predicted the Detroit Red Wings would be up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals getting ready to depart for Pittsburgh and Mellon Arena, I probably would have said I thought so.

But if anyone would have predicted the Red Wings would be up 2-0 with game scores of 4-0 and 3-0, I would have said you're out of your mind.

Game 2 saw more of the same for the Red Wings, who controlled the puck and shut down Pittsburgh's vaunted offense. Game 2 also saw Penguins coach Michel Therrien complain and complain about the Red Wings.

He discussed how Chris Osgood loves to dive, and how he ruined more than one Pittsburgh power play: "Osgood was diving, he's really good at diving, drawing penalties. He hurt our power play," Coach Therrien said. "It's really tough to generate offense with that team. They're good at obstruction. It's going to be real tough. If the rules don't change, they're just good at obstruction."

The Red Wings are nothing more than a bunch of cheaters in Michel Therrien's eyes. He mentioned towards the end of his postgame interview that Nicklas Kronwall also leaves his feet occasionally when he hits.

So let's break this down shall we?

They have a bunch of clutching and grabbing forwards, defensemen that can't help but leave their feet when they hit, and a goalie who flops around like a fish out of water? I guess when you're standing on the opposing bench it may look as such.

I won't lie, some of Kronwall's hits look as though he leaves his feet. The referees haven't called him for charging however. The play with Ryan Malone getting called for goaltender interference was a bit questionable, but when Petr Sykora bumped Chris Osgood behind the net, Osgood was going down either way. You don't bump the goalie after he dumps the puck regardless.

You want to talk about dirty plays? Enter Maxime Talbot, you know, the Penguins forward who failed in his attempt to sleufoot Johan Franzen, fresh off his six-game hiatus.

Or how about Captain Graybeard, Gary Roberts, punching Franzen in the face as he skated by near the Penguins blueline? Or maybe

Roberts picking Pavel Datsyuk out of the scrum to throw punches at him?

That is all the Penguins can do at this crucial point in the series: take cheap shots and hope to spark some life in this team that can't seem to do much of anything.

Game 2 also saw Sidney Crosby complaining to the referees more times than I can count on both hands. I understand that calls may not be favorable, and they may be frustrating, but play the game.

Chris Osgood is on fire, if you haven't noticed (The only way you wouldn't have noticed is if you don't have cable or you live under a rock).

He leads all playoff goaltenders in GAA with 1.38, Sv% with .939, fewest losses with two, and is tied for first with Marc-Andre Fleury in wins with 12 and shutouts with three. Osgood has allowed fewer goals [20] in 15 games, than Washington's Cristobal Huet allowed [22] in seven games.

Johan Franzen returned for Game 2. He made an impact, assisting on a very pretty goal scored by Valterri Filppula, which put Detroit up 3-0.

Secondary scoring has been very key for the Red Wings so far in the series.

Mikael Samuelsson, who only had 11 goals during the regular season and two goals thus far in the playoffs, scored twice in Game 1. Dan Cleary scored a shorthanded goal in Game 1. Brad Stuart started off the scoring in Game 2 with a slapshot that went in off of Fleury's stick.

It is so huge for Detroit to have players like these stepping up and scoring. When that happens, it takes the pressure off of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holmstrom, and Franzen. Zetterberg and Holmstrom have both scored so far in the Finals as well.

Cliche time, I know, I'm sorry. But it appears as though it's now or never for Pittsburgh. They look to turn things around back home in Mellon Arena.

Hopefully Evgeni Malkin will come back from the invisible state he played Game 2 in. They will go back home to the drawing board and look to find a way to get through the superb defense of the Detroit Red Wings.

One last thing: I understand that the officiating may not be at its best, in your opinion. You may believe you see the opposition cheating at every stage in the game. You may think they are out to get you, but for God's sake you're an NHL coach. An NHL coach who has gotten his team to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Take responsibility for what has happened in the first 2 games. Don't blame the refs. It's not like they're the ones who've blanked your team twice in a row. They haven't put up seven goals to your zero.

The Red Wings have though. They will continue to do so, because what they are doing is working right now. Working very well.

So if you're a Pittsburgh fan, look forward to a lot of clutching, grabbing, and obstruction in the neutral zone, what should be open ice charging penalties on Nicklas Kronwall, and Chris Osgood to flop around in his crease the whole game begging for a call.

If you're just a hockey fan in general, look forward to good playoff hockey. You know, the kind with no excuses, just a fast-paced, intense game that most every hockey fan can't help but enjoy.

Looks like the Wings proved me wrong when I said Red Wings in six.

Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins: 2008 Stanley Cup Preview

Andrew Pargoff — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:20:10 -0400

Marc-Andre Fleury was born in 1984. Chris Osgood, 1972.

Sidney Crosby was born in 1987. Pavel Datsyuk, 1978.

Evgeni Malkin was born in 1986. Henrik Zetterberg, 1980.

There is really no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins are the young, up-and-coming team in the NHL, while the Detroit Red Wings are the crafty veterans with a revamped playing style.

It also is no secret that either team is the best in their respective conference.

So many story lines play a part in this outstanding Stanley Cup Finals matchup.

It pits Detroit's Chris Osgood, who has played phenomenally since coming in to replace "Father Time" Dominik Hasek, against Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh's first round draft choice years back, who had not performed as expected until this season.

In Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, the Detroit Red Wings have two of the 10-best forwards in the world. In Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins also have two of the best forwards in the world.

An interesting factor will be how the play of Johan Franzen counteracts that of the red hot Marian Hossa.

Malkin had an MVP season in Pittsburgh, stepping up while Crosby was injured, scoring almost two points a game in his absence. It just so happens that his countryman Alexander Ovechkin brought the lowly Washington Capitals back to the playoffs, and will win the NHL's Hart Trophy.

The knock on Detroit was that they are soft. Don't ask Barry Melrose or Don Cherry, who both seem to have a strong distaste for the Red Wings on most nights, but Detroit has had a physical presence in the playoffs.

Selke Trophy candidates also happen to be linemates in Detroit, and they have both had a physical presence in the playoffs. Nicklas Kronwall hits everything that moves, and Dallas Drake is being Dallas Drake and roughing up opponents.

Pittsburgh is more of the same, however. Malkin is a big boy, who knows how to hit and use his size to his advantage. Ryan Malone and Jarkko Ruutu are also components to Pittsburgh's physicality.

When it looked as though Philadelphia needed to come out in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals hitting hard and digging for the loose pucks, it turned out that Pittsburgh came out banging and wearing Philadelphia down.

These teams are scary good. Marc-Andre Fleury is finally realizing his potential, and he has looked very, very tough with a 1.70 GAA in these playoffs.

Chris Osgood may only see 20-25 shots a game on most nights, but when the Red Wings need him most, he makes the big save[s]. If you would like evidence of that, please watch the last 12 minutes of game six of the Western Conference Finals.

Both teams can be deadly on offense. Crosby knows just where to put the puck, and he has gotten several fortuitous bounces in the first three rounds. Malkin is almost always in the right place at the right time. Hossa was a huge pickup for Pittsburgh, and he is playing his best hockey at the best time.

Conversely, Pavel Datsyuk is amazing with the puck, and he always comes out of the corner with it. Zetterberg finds the back of the net often, and he and Datsyuk play off of each other so well.

With a long layoff, only time will tell how Johan Franzen's play affects the series.

Both teams have the ability to steal games on the road, and both teams have been seemingly unbeatable at home for the most part.

Thinking about this series makes me feel like a nine year-old boy on Christmas morning. This is going to be some excellent hockey. It is only good news for the NHL, who gets to see their golden boy in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This is going to be a long, hard-fought, physical series. With that being said, it is also going to be a series filled with skilled players, pretty goals, and a thick reel of highlight footage.

Game 1: Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 3

Game 2: Detroit 5, Pittsburgh 3

Game 3: Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 3

Game 4: Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 2

Game 5: Detroit 5, Pittsburgh 2

Game 6: Pittsburgh 2, Detroit 4

Detroit Red Wings in 6.

Call me crazy, because I probably am.

Yes, Pittsburgh is good. Pittsburgh is great, actually. Crosby and Malkin have played outstanding. So has Marian Hossa and Jordan Staal. Their goaltender has stood on his head for stretches.

But if there is a team who can bring down the high-flying Penguins [this pun actually was intended, because penguins are a flightless bird], it's Detroit.

They have Nicklas Lidstrom, who has more Norris Trophies than he knows what to do with. They have the best defensive forwards in hockey. They have a goalie who has silenced most every critic who said he was finished. They have two of the six leading scorers this season. They have a "Mule" who is scoring goals at a ridiculous pace.

The way the Red Wings dismantled the Avalanche in four was laughable. The way they handled the Stars in the first three games of that series was too. Then came a godsend. The Stars beat up on the Red Wings good in those next two games.

Like they asked Lidstrom after game six, "Was it better to have faced adversity now rather than in the Cup Finals?"

That answer would be a resounding yes.

Waiting in the "Red" Wings: Chris Osgood's Patience Rewarded in Detroit

Andrew Pargoff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:52:25 -0400

2 goals in 9 seconds; 2 goals in 11 seconds; 2 goals in 32 seconds.

Those are the spans of time it took the Nashville Predators to score a pair of goals in three of the six games their series with the Detroit Red Wings lasted.

Now every goalie will oft be rattled by a fluke goal, such as the one Dominik Hasek saw carom off a stanchion right into the slot where it was buried into the Red Wings net. Every so often, that happens right? Now twice in a row, we're on thin ice [damn, there is another play on words]. But three times? Maybe the geriatric Hasek is losing more upstairs than he is in his athleticism.

Don't get me wrong, Hasek is not the goalie he was when he put the Buffalo Sabres on his back and carried them to the Stanley Cup Finals. He isn't the goalie he was when he won the Stanley Cup in Detroit in 2002. But he still has the ability to steal a game. His unorthodox style still baffles NHL opponents, even more so than his horrible accent.

But the time struck midnight on the 40-something year old Hasek. His inability to stay focused after a weak goal called for a changing of the guard. Head Coach Mike Babcock decided to yank Hasek late in Game 4. Osgood came in and did not let a goal in during his tenure. He only let up a single goal in Game 5. Osgood does not make the Sportscenter Top Plays list, but he does his job. He does it damn well. He is in position so he never has to make that ridiculous save. The Red Wings outshoot opponents nightly. They had 52 shots at the end of regulation in their overtime win against the Predators, and 44 shots in Game 6.

Osgood, again got the start in Game 6, and faced 20 shots. He stopped every single one of them, blocking out any hopes of a Nashville comeback when they had managed to "Make something out of nothing," as Preds' Head Coach Barry Trotz praised, in the games prior to this one.

As we saw happen so easily to Hasek, a lucky bounce, a fluke goal, is what got Dan Ellis off his game. If only for a second, it is what the Red Wings needed to end any thoughts of a Game 7. Lidstrom got the puck off the draw from Henrik Zetterberg and took a shot from behind the red line that bounced a few feet in front of Ellis. With the warm temperatures and the rough ice in Nashville, the puck took a fortuitous bounce over the glove side of Ellis. And what made that goal even worse was that Nashville had begun a power play with that same drop at center.

The Red Wings never looked back as they found the back of the net again off a one-time goal scored by Jiri Hudler, assisted by Darren Helm. Darren McCarty was a key factor in that play, heading to the net, and in doing so, took two Nashville skaters with him, leaving Hudler wide open.

The Red Wings scored an empty net tally when Brian Rafalski caught a backhand intended as a dump-in around his blue line, took a stride up, and fired the puck into the middle of the net.

It goes to show what a class act Chris Osgood is. He never complained about not being the "starter." Never before has a two-goalie rotation worked in the playoffs. Just ask the 1997 Philadelphia Flyers, who split time between Ron Hextall and Garth Snow. Osgood stepped up in the regular season when Hasek was hurt and performed beautifully. Hasek came back, and Babcock gave him the job he had been told was his. Osgood never told the media how he was upset. He restated that he knows his role on this team, and when "Babs" tells him it's his time, it's just that.

Ozzie, as he's known in Hockeytown, is looking great going into the second round. With a sterling .982 save percentage, his appears to be at the peak of his game. The Red Wings do not know who they will face yet, but it is known that Osgood will start the series. It appears as though they'll ride him until he falters, which doesn't seem likely right now.

However, I haven't done one player, in particular, justice. He stood across from Hasek and Osgood in the Predators goal, and that is Dan Ellis. He gave his team a chance to win most every game. In 6 games, he faced 240 shots. You're reading that right, the Red Wings averaged 40 shots a game over the course of the series. He let in only 15 goals, which is a goals against average nearing 2.5. Now if there is one person who did not get a fair shake in this series, it's this kid. He stood on his head, giving the undermanned and undermatched Predators a shot every night. Hats off to Dan Ellis. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him in years to come.

And thank you to Chris Osgood, whose recent play brings back memories of 1998. Let's see you do it again, Chris.

And the laughable thing is, this guy is our backup.