Bleacher Report - Articles by Pat Sullivan

How Wimbledon Won Me Over

Pat Sullivan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:53:07 -0400

End-to-end, fast-paced action. A young underdog pitted against the proven superpower. A strong European presence.

We’re talking about this year’s Stanley Cup Final, right?

Wrong.

Although the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs regularly tops my summer sports highlight list, I must say that my Red Wings’ victory has been usurped by the Wimbledon finals.

Let me begin by saying that I am not a tennis fan by any stretch of the imagination. I have never exhibited any interest in the sport—not even on a casual basis. However, when I sat down with my mom to watch TV yesterday, things changed.

Mother dearest was watching the engagingly brilliant match between favorite Roger Federer and rival Rafael Nadal, who was fresh off a win at the French Open. My first instinct was to snatch the remote control from my unsuspecting mom and change the channel to something a little more entertaining, a little manlier.

My mom resisted, and I was stuck watching Wimbledon. Much to my surprise, I was instantly hooked.

Despite my major tennis ineptitude, I quickly picked up the storyline on both Federer and Nadal. They were pretty much ranked internationally Nos. 1 and 1A, and the Wimbledon match certainly proved as such.

The action, like most tennis matches, had the ball going back and forth, back and forth. Just when I thought either competitor was beat, one came through with a spectacular backhand or forehand.

The rhythm of the match hypnotized while its intensity intoxicated. My Sunday errands were put on hold to watch this masterpiece. I was glued to my couch for hours, stressing over close calls and Nadal’s health.

My knowledge of tennis lacked, but basic concepts temporarily made sense as this war raged on. Rain moved in and it was time for an intermission. I went out, ran my errands, and rushed back home for the final act.

The battle waged on, as Federer came from behind to force a fifth set. The rhythm resumed with increased urgency and intensity. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Finally, Nadal broke through. Once Nadal won the match, he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed with emotion. The same chills I got when the Red Wings won the Cup returned for a midsummer visit. I, too, was paralyzed with emotion.

I never knew tennis could bring such excitement or glory to my home. This match opened my eyes to a sport I once found mundane. I have garnered a new respect for tennis and its competitors.

Rafael Nadal won Wimbledon, and tennis won me.

Red Wings-Penguins: NBC Stands For "Nothing But Crosby"

Pat Sullivan — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:35:28 -0400

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals featured fast paced hockey, hard hits and stellar goaltending. It also featured NBC wetting its collective pants over Sidney Crosby and his beloved Pittsburgh Penguins.

I noticed the trend earlier this season. NBC frequently had Sunday afternoon games that only featured the Penguins. Most of the time, they played those pesky New York Rangers and the games were virtually identical every week.

This began to get to me. As a die-hard Detroit Red Wings fan, I felt the focus should be the NHL’s top team. I did, however, understand the NHL’s marketing tactics.

The Penguins are easily the most popular team in the league. They have some fairly attractive youngsters on their roster and they play a high octane brand of hockey—something fans love.

This favoritism seemed tangible, until the playoffs hit.

Crosby and his cast went from being favorites to being infallible. On NBC, the Penguins could do nothing wrong. Missed passes, poor goaltending and diving were overlooked. Crosby is Jesus incarnate, while Evgeni Malkin is the prophet who speaks in tongues.

NBC has made the Penguins the top team. No team is any match for the Pens when they play on this network.

Game 5 intensified my point. Marc-Andre Fleury mishandled the puck in front of his own net and almost allowed a goal, but any mention of this almost-fatal flaw was positive analysis on his puckhandling. Apparently, Fleury’s stick skills have only improved.

On a power play, Crosby broke his stick, skated back to the bench, received another stick and went back into the play.

Pretty standard, right?

NBC replayed this series in fast motion and dubbed Crosby a hero. He touched the puck twice after receiving his new twig and merely cycled it low after gaining possession.

A similar situation saw Kirk Maltby jet out of the penalty box and stop a Sergei Gonchar slapshot from behind. This was an integral play, but did not manage a single replay.

Both plays were very minute, regular plays.

The Penguins even dominate the commercial bumpers. Crosby’s hit on Brad Stuart is played as the series’ biggest hit, and his first goal in Game 3 may as well be the Cup winner.

I understand the NHL could really benefit from the Penguins winning, but this is ridiculous.

It’s primitive: Penguins good, Red Wings bad.

How many times was Marian Hossa’s first-period tally replayed? Approximately twice as many times as Jir Hudler’s game-winner.

Bias in the media doesn’t just exist in politics, it’s prevalent in our game too. I’ve had it with NBC—the Nothing But Crosby network. I can no longer find objective hockey. The Penguins may as well sign Mike Milbury and his NBC counterparts’ paychecks.

What will NBC focus on when the Red Wings lift the Stanley Cup? Surely a teary eyed Crosby will be interviewed as the Wings’ celebration is cut short.

If NBC keeps this bias up, will we even know if the Red Wings won?

How Strong Are the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Pat Sullivan — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:23:17 -0400

The Pittsburgh Penguins will face off with the Philadelphia Flyers in an all-Pennsylvania Eastern Conference Final. But don't be fooled. They're not contenders.

The Penguins appear to have all the ingredients to win the Stanley Cup.

They possess a superstar captain in Sidney Crosby, top goal scorers in both Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa, a cornerstone defenseman in Sergei Gonchar, and a stable goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury.

This lineup seems destined to win the Cup, but are the Penguins really that good?

Pittsburgh went untested in the first round, sweeping a decrepit Ottawa Senators team. In the second round, they eased by the New York Rangers in five games. Neither team tested Fleury. Malkin was able to dangle around the lackluster defense.

Philadelphia is not a willing opponent. Despite shining in the first two rounds, Flyers goaltender Martin Biron is still unproven.

The Penguins will have no trouble shutting down Daniel Briere and R.J. Umberger. The Pens' explosive offense will destroy Philadelphia's sketchy defense.

The Eastern Conference will be a breeze for the Pittsburgh Penguins. But don't expect the same result in the Stanley Cup Final, where they will face either the Dallas Stars or the Detroit Red Wings.

Don't let the media fool you. The Penguins are not as brilliant as they appear. Many media outlets have duped fans into believing the Pens are contenders.

Yes, they have many attractive talented players, namely Sidney Crosby and the mysterious Russian, Evgeni Malkin. But outside of these strapping young bucks, the Pens are a mediocre team.

They play in the soft Eastern Conference, where hitting takes a backseat to slick moves, and offense is key. Teams with one quality line dominate the play. This is what the NHL and its fans want to see.

The identifiable players are succeeding, and the game possesses a high tempo. This is why the Penguins get the most nationally televised games of all the NHL teams.

The Western Conference is a different story. A balanced defense propels teams like Anaheim and Detroit. The impenetrable defense of many Western Conference teams slows the play and makes for a traditional, slower game.

Naturally, fans are turned off by the conservative game, but such conservatism wins championships.

The Penguins lack defensive depth, and this will be fatal once their top line is shutdown. The West prides itself in shutdown players that are invisible on the score sheet but can't be missed on the ice.

Players without post-game media scrums will destroy Crosby's Cup dreams.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, with their high scoring methods and marketable players, will garner much attention. But they will ultimately fall in the Stanley Cup Finals to a Western Conference team with a good defense and ugly players.

NHL: Detroit-Colorado Rivalry Losing Its Lustre

Pat Sullivan — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:41:09 -0400

The Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche rivalry has lost its bite.

Since the gruesome 1997 brawl between the two teams, there have been many altercations. Mike Vernon and Chris Osgood have made it a Red Wings' goaltender rite of passage to fight Patrick Roy, and Claude Lemieux may never be able to visit the Motor City again.

The on-ice violence fueled the rivalry and made for very exciting games. But as the battling components of both teams filter out into hockey oblivion, the rivalry is all but gone.

The two franchises that alternated Stanley Cups from 1996 to 2002 have gone their separate ways. The Red Wings are still annual contenders, while the Avalanche have drifted into mediocrity.

The talent gap is apparent in the lopsided games. The Wings have pounded the Avs in the current installment of this "rivalry," the Western Conference Semifinals.

Fans were very excited to embark upon this installment, but the dry play has left them disappointed. This series has forced both teams' fans to realize that there may never be another seven-game thriller, filled with fighting goalies, major penalties, and intense emotion.

Sadly, there is no feasible way to revive what was once the greatest rivalry in sports.

With the National Hockey League's rules promoting a more finessed game, Claude Lemieux-esque players no longer have a place in the NHL.

Brendan Shanahan, Rene Corbet, and the other gritty characters in the 1997 brawl have all been replaced with skilled scorers like Pavel Datsyuk and Peter Stastny. Patrick Roy has been replaced with Jose Theodore, a former Hart Trophy winner.

The ghosts of the rivalry certainly haunt both the Pepsi Center in Colorado and Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. But as much as fans would like to see these hockey spirits on the ice, they will remain in the stands, watching a speedy Red Wings team blow by an average Avalanche team.

Hopefully, one day in the not-so-distant future, this once great rivalry can be rekindled.

The NHL Needs Gary Thorne

Pat Sullivan — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:10:34 -0400

Since the lockout ended, the National Hockey League has been missing something.

Yes, obstruction has vanished from the game and financial liberalism is gone, but something far more noticeable has disappeared: Gary Thorne.

For years, Thorne was the voice of hockey in the United States. His play by play electrified the NHL, even in the flailing obstruction years. The emotion he delivered to television sets across the country has gone unmatched.

When the NHL left ESPN for the Outdoor Life Network (now Versus), Thorne stayed behind and called football, baseball and the occasional college hockey game. He was recently named named the lead play-by-play for ESPN Radio's Major League Baseball Coverage.

It was refreshing to hear Thorne call all of the Frozen Four games. Despite two of the three games being slow paced, Thorne was able to make the tournament exciting.His passion for sports shows in every event he calls and it soothes viewers from the seemingly dry Versus announcers.

His repertoire of classic calls includes his momentous "Detroit wins!" after Steve Yzerman's series clinching goal against St. Louis in Game 7 of the 1996 Conference Semifinals.

His most recent hockey gem came in Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals when Paul Kariya, then a Mighty Duck of Anaheim, was knocked out by an open ice hit from New Jersey Devil Scott Stevens. After being helped off the ice, Kariya returned to blast a slapshot by Devil's goaltender Martin Brodeur, prompting Thorne to proclaim "off the floor and on the scoreboard," a call that will be forever remembered by the handful of viewers watching the ABC telecast that night.

Although he makes an appearance on EA Sports' NHL series, American hockey misses his voice on regular telecasts. Thorne has called some of this generation's finest hockey moments. The NHL needs his gripping voice back.

Thorne makes Little League Baseball exciting. If he can turn fans on to preteens' success and follies, he can get America back into hockey.

New York Rangers Will Leave Pittsburgh Penguins Feeling Blue

Pat Sullivan — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:34:26 -0400

One of the most storied teams in the National Hockey League is taking on one of the hottest in the Eastern Conference Semi finals.

The New York Rangers are set to drop the puck with the Eastern Conference powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. The Pens offer a lineup that boasts Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the league's top players, as well as Sergei Gonchar, a seasoned defenseman shunned from this year's Norris nominations.

Such a lineup seems daunting to the once favored Rangers, but quality goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, and the resurgence of Jaromir Jagr will help to sink the Pens. The major variable, however, is Sean Avery.

In the quarter finals against the New Jersey Devils, Avery singlehandedly changed the NHL rulebook with his unorthodox screening of Devil's goaltender, and Vezina stalwart, Martin Brodeur. Avery's antics raised the ire of Brodeur's Devils and the media. The five game destruction of the Devils can be attributed to Avery.

Avery's next task: Sidney Crosby

Crosby has established himself as the NHL's premiere player. With this stardom comes a voice, a voice that has seemed, well, whiny. "Sid the Kid" can often be seen acting like a child. He frequently pouts about many facets of today's game, including clutching, grabbing and the like. When his wishes are not granted, he slashes, shoves, and gripes.

Avery will agitate Crosby, and with the kid off his game, the Rangers will prevail.

This may seem like flawed logic, because when Crosby went down with an ankle injury earlier in the season, Malkin and others stepped up to give the Pens the top spot in the East.

The difference: Crosby will still be in the lineup, acting like the kid he truly is. His soon to be negative presence in the locker room will pull the Pens down, and Jagr and his Rangers will take the series.