Bleacher Report - Articles by Crowd Coach

A Creative Look at WWE Bragging Rights

Crowd Coach — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:43:33 -0400

Hey all,

How was everyone's summer?? Mine turned out pretty good, what with the freshness of the new Stanley Cup Champions, and the great signings to Ottawa and Toronto.

Unfortunately, the season hasn't favoured Toronto at all so far, them being the final team in the NHL without a win.

But that's not what this article is about. This is my look at WWE Bragging Rights, thoughts on how creative could handle the winners of the PPV following the show Sunday, and one fan's concerned opinion on the state of WWE Creative. Here we go.

Now, ever since people realized we only had three legitimate World champion contenders on WWE's main brand for the last three years or so, there have been those who have taken potshots at the monkeys in the back writing up the storylines.

Some have even tried to do it better, which I'll be looking into in a moment. But let me start with what I think about the state of WWE Creative.

It bites. At least in terms of the overall look of RAW. However, when you stop and think, it isn't horrible. John Cena is not my favourite wrestler. Despite that, he has earned his keep the last few years, and the people who were in his booing section are now all but gone.

The PG thing seems to be working in that respect. I've noticed something else about Cena recently. He's still doing the Superman thing, just not as much.

He did lose at HIAC, which was one of the reasons I only got half my predictions right. But, besides that terrible performance, he has shown me he CAN wrestle, he has guts, and is a pretty good leader when it comes to talking and doing the community thing.

Whenever he isn't champion for a year, I seem to like him a bit more. Weird, eh??

Triple H and Randy Orton is over. Or at least it should be. I think they have squeezed all they can out of the feud and it's time for both to move on.

But now the problem becomes, who takes over the mantle?? My vote would be for MVP. He has the ability to talk, wrestle and he's a great role model.

On top of all that, he is so over, it's not even funny. So here, let's look at what my mind came up with for the Cena-Orton Match.

Randy Orton vs. John Cena-Iron Man Match

If Orton wins: The feud ends, Cena moves on to SD! On the B show (in terms of ratings only), Cena may be able to use the breath of fresh air to regain his edge. I think he has enough skill wrestling wise to be a threat, if only they would let him wrestle. The childish interviews where he tries to be funny don't work so well on RAW.

When Cena loses Sunday, he can go to SD! and maybe tweak his character a tad, to do more real wrestling and get better at building a match through a solid interview instead of trying too hard to be what the fans want him to be.

If Cena wins: Rivalry ends, Legacy begins to fall apart and Creative can start working on Orton-DiBiase. I would love to see Cena go on RAW the night after, should he win this match and brag about beating everyone, you know be more cocky than usual. Maybe that's something that would work now, turning Cena heel.

He's already beaten all the bad guys on RAW...but who would take over as top face if not DX??

You guessed it, MVP. The crowd loves him, just like they did Cena when he was rapping on Lesnar and them 6 years ago. I say give Porter the ball now, and see what he can do with it.

Conclusion: An Orton win is what everything seems to be pointing to on the surface, but should Creative take that route, you can see that a Cena win isn't out of the question. If anything, it may be a better plan.

While I'm not sure I can handle an hour of Cena the superhero, I watched his match on RAW. I remember his near hour long fight with HBK years ago, and I've realized something. If it's a lengthy match, Cena usually gets a chance to shine.

Let's hope he can do so Sunday and make the 11th match in this series the perfect bookend.

Bragging Rights will also feature Miz vs. Morrison and the 7 on 7 match. Now, I don't want to spoil the SD! taping for all of you.

However, Miz and Morrison is set in stone and should be the best match of the night-yes I said it, Miz has it as a heel and Morrison is an amazing athlete...add the two titles and the novelty that brings to the match, and it should go over well.

Here are two creative looks at what could happen in the case of either getting the victory.

If Morrison wins: star continues to rise, bigger impact when he finally loses the IC title to Mysterio or Mr. Ziggles.

If Miz wins: See Morrison, and more importantly, he has more to prove at this stage in his career...maybe he needs the win more than the Friday Night Delight??

After seeing the Dirt Sheet this past week, and the Marty Janetty match with our US Champion, Miz winning could add something to a potential feud with HBK, should SD! win the 7 on 7 and DX finally split up.

Those views above are just my creative mind going to work, and I'm all alone. WWE has many on the payroll, I know, but there is another reason we shouldn't all blame WWE Creative for getting it wrong so often, or not surprising us older fans as much in this Internet age.

Vince McMahon is said to be getting more and more irritated these days, and I'm sure losing his son to resignation and his wife to a bid at a Senate seat has made him even harder to run ideas by.

He is the Boss, but sometimes, bosses should get help and be more of a bigger person when it comes to certain things, that's all I'm saying. But again, although my pic above would kinda make it look like I'm making fun of Creative.

I like to laugh...what can I say. I like to laugh, be surprised, be shocked, be saddened, feel encouraged to root on the good guys.

The Creative juices in WWE must be flowing, because I have been able to do a lot of that lately. Let's hope they can continue to find that magic and emerge from the dung heap most have thrown them on as a saving grace for the company rather than the goats they are being made out to be.

Holy Quackin Duck: Habs Captain Has Landed

Crowd Coach — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:57:57 -0400

Montreal implodes, the Ducks and Sens take advantage.

Ahh, what a glorious day. Teemu Selanne said this season would be his last. The "Finnish Flash," as he's known, has had a remarkable career, setting the rookie goal-scoring record at 76 with a lowly team out of Winnipeg in the early '90s, winning a Stanley Cup, and emerging from increasingly painful injuries to continue on the respectable path of consistency.

But alas, all good things must come to an end, and Teemu is going out a winner—or at least it seems is very determined to do so. Enter Saku Koivu.

Now although my picture does indicate it (and trust me I debated with myself whether I should) this article will not be used to trash the Habs or their poor decision making this season. Well, not solely.

But facts are facts, and although I would love to write this as Koivu (and others) are turning their backs, tucking their tails, and running from the organization, that's not the case. It was just time.

Just like it was time for Alexei Kovalev, a guy who scores 90 points when he's motivated, dropped to under 70 this year, if I'm not mistaken. The scary part?? He still led the Habs in points.

There was a rally wanting to make him their new captain, over 3,000 people and they instead let him walk. Well, now Ottawa has him, and again, if he's properly motivated—being in the same division should help—look out.

Koivu played 13 seasons with Montreal, many of which ended with him getting hurt or just not finding his game until late in the season.

But even so, he gave his heart and part of his life to the team, and their fans, as fickle as they can sometimes be (Roy, 1992-93 then again in 95), supported him...through the up and down seasons, and through cancer. Koivu deserved his "C," and I doubt anyone will ever wear it and do so much with it without being overly productive in the next decade—or the one after.

Remember, this is all coming from someone who hates Montreal. HATES them. But I respect the relationship Koivu and the Habs faithful have shared.

Now, the book closes. If it were up to me, I'd sign him as Bob Gainey, let him get the eight games in to hit 800 as a Hab, then give him a proper sendoff to Anaheim, in this case. But that's just me.

With Selanne and Koivu in place, the Ducks now have a silver-medal winning tandem from the Olympic Games, a former Norris Trophy winner running the ship as Head Coach, and a nice collection of young guns and proven stars. For Koivu, and new Senator Kovalev, it was time to move on, write a new chapter.

Maybe...just maybe, it's time for the Anaheim Ducks to once again win the big one. If anyone deserves a Cup, it's the longest reigning Canadiens leader to never win one on a team that has 24.

Who knows, rebuilding the Montreal Canadiens may work wonders. If you don't believe me, check out that team in Pennsylvania. Hey, Kovalev played there too!! I wonder...

Until next time, this is your Crowd Coach, signing off.

Playoff Preview: Is The Winged Wheel Poised For a Two-Peat??

Crowd Coach — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:39:41 -0400

Calling all hockey fans!!

I may not be Maggie the Monkey, but when it comes to playoff hockey, I like to think I know a thing or two...this ego comes from two years ago when my series record saw me pick two losers all playoff-in the first round.

Last season, I didn't do so well, but that's the point behind predictions: Anything can happen, which is what makes these convos on the eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs so fun. Let's jump right into the Eastern Conference.

(1) Boston-Montreal (8)

My pick: Boston in 5

My hero: Milan Lucic, Carey Price/Alex Kovalev

Quite simply, the two Habs who MUST show up in this series are Kovalev and Price. Should Alex become the enigmatic winger again, his team will undoubtedly fail. But Price could be under even more scrutiny.

He's their No. 1, and Montreal goaltenders have a history of excellence. Which is why in the Habs' 100th season (their 100th anniversary is in December), Price needs to be the guy Montreal saw when they drafted him-prepared, consistent, and with a quitters can bite me attitude.

The shoe is now on the other foot in this year's battle, with the two teams swapping spots. However, this series will be just as physical, however with the young firepower and Tim Thomas coming into his own in the Bruins net, I think Montreal will be too tired by Game 3 or 4 to challenge their opponents. Lucic is looked at as a Cam Neely type player, and I think he will break out nicely in this one.

(2) Washington- NY Rangers (7)

My pick: Caps in 6

My Hero: Ovechkin, Staal/Lundqvist

Welcome to the catbird seat, Ovie. Now, I wouldn't be surprised to see an upset in this series because the Rangers are so good at the hitting game. However, Ovechkin is just hitting his prime and will look to be unstoppable in leading the Caps through a playoff series.

The only way he can fail is if former Wolves' captain Marc Staal along with the expertise of King Henrik slow him down. Ovechkin will need to stay calm in the first two games and play hard if he wants to be a threat later in the series. The Rangers on the other hand will need to keep No. 8 and Mike Green in check, while picking their spots on Theodore to be successful. This should be an exciting series.

(3) Devils- Carolina (6)

My pick: Carolina in 7

My Hero: Brodeur/Ward

This will be a goalie battle. Cam Ward has already proven once that he can out-duel Brodeur, but now, Marty is fresher than he's ever been so things could be different. But what I see in Carolina is determination. This is their first playoff game since winning the Cup, and they want to make a big impact.

Jersey scares the crap out of me, I'll be honest, because they can score now. But I see the Hurricanes starting slowly and then emerging to flatten the Devils in a Game 7 shocker. The shock and awe will be felt everywhere when New Jersey are sent packing early yet again.

(4) Pens-Flyers (5)

My pick: Flyers in 6

My hero: Mike Richards/Martin Biron

Revenge is a wonderful thing-done right. These two teams hate each other, no question. Pittsburgh, with Crosby, Malkin and MA Fleury were rolling last year, winning their first series ever against the Flyers. Now it's time for the lesser-knowns, namely Richards, Carter and Biron to take it to Pittsburgh's stars.

I think this will be the dirtiest series of the first round, with the fighting starting early in Game 1. It will also be a series where the Cup Hangover will be tested, and I think Philly will make up for losing home ice by nailing down the series in Steeltown. You know, just to rub it in. Ah...revenge.

Here we go with the West!! Hang on to your hats, cuz this year, things are a little different.

(1) Sharks-Anaheim (8)

My pick: Sharks in 6

My hero: Thornton/Giguere

San Jose has the firepower...now they have to let it fly. Anaheim is throwing Jonas Hiller to the wolves, or in this case, the Sharks after he nabbed the job from Giggy. It won't last long.

A lot of people are saying this one will last a bit longer should the Anaheim D shut down Thornton and co. But I think it will be Giggy who will return in Game 2 or 3 and start the comeback. San Jose will need their secondary scoring to contribute in this series and early.

If the big guns and the young guns can start making the slower and grittier Ducks run around, it will lead to power-play time and that's where the series will be won and lost for the 2007 Cup winners. Sharks will have a fight on their hands, I think, but it won't go the distance.

(2) Detroit-Columbus (7)

My pick: Detroit in 5

My hero: Lidstrom/Mason

Almost a decade later, with their first owner now looking down on their success from a better place, Columbus will look to make a mark in their first post-season foray...the only problem is the resurgent Blues out of St. Louis jumped them and now the Blue Jackets must face the loaded Red Wings.

Steve Mason is only 20, four years younger than myself and he's had great success this season, almost single-handedly leading the way. Franchise goalie marks fell to Mason, who hit 10 shutouts, and played like a veteran. He's used to winning though...he used to play for power-house London in the OHL.

I battled with myself over the games. Columbus' netminder can steal games, but in the end I conceded that Detroit is too tough to lose very often in this series. It won't be a walk in the park on the ice, but on the scoreboard, Lidstrom will have to emerge as the force he is, and if he does, Osgood will use the extra help to find his form before Round 2 begins.

(3) Vancouver-St. Louis (6)

My pick: Canucks in 6

My hero: Luongo/Boyes

The two Cinderellas have a date with each other, but only one will emerge. I see that one being the team with the best goaltending. Luongo knows how to win in the playoffs and with that intensity on display starting tonight, Vancouver will play a run and gun game, ultimately surviving the Blues, taking them out in a 6th game.

Everyone who knows me know how foolish I think it was for Toronto to drop Brad Boyes, and now the experts even agree with me that he is the man the Blues look to to have a strong game every night.

Vancouver will have to get help from Sundin and the Sedins, but even a good set of games from them will help the Canucks advance. So, with that said, the Canucks will ride their goalie and snap Boyes and Tkachuk from the net as the series goes on, helping them move on.

(4) Chicago-Calgary (5)

My pick: Calgary in 5

My hero: Kane/Phaneuf

Ok, I feel the need to explain myself. I don't think this team in Chicago, as good as they are, are experienced enough, or even skilled enough to handle the tough checking of Dion Phaneuf or the timely scoring of the Flames captain.

A 7 game series would surprise me, but even if Kane and the Hawks can solve Kiprusoff enough to make a go at it, the result will be the same, Calgary moving on. It's too early boys...you need to learn a few lessons yet, and the sea of Red are gonna be the teachers. By the 5th game it will be, or at least very close to, class dismissed.

My second round picks will come in a few weeks when I get to see how my prognostication works out this season. Upsets by St. Louis and the Rangers wouldn't surprise me, but realistically, I'm sticking with every one of my picks.

Yes, even Carolina.

Isn't it interesting that Columbus winning once would make Atlanta feel like they'd never been to the playoffs at all??

There may be a changing of the guard, with only 4 or 5 of these teams having any recent playoff success....then again, maybe teams like Detroit and Pittsburgh could be poised for a repeat performance...or an role reversal.

From the clean-shaven Crowd Coach to all of you,

Happy Playoffs, everyone.

OTT No. 12: Rating the Rookies and a Congrats to an NHL Legend

Crowd Coach — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:35:36 -0500

Hey guys,

I know, I have got to start writing more than once a month and I will. The NHL season as well as WWE's schedule are now picking up, so expect my take on things weekly.

Let's start this version of On The Take, our 12th one, with a couple words about the NHL milestone reached this week by Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.

Brodeur, who missed 50 games due to injury this season, was once known as the key guy for the Devils. Without him, New Jersey wouldn't win a game, let alone a series, many pundits have said over his career.

They have had good reason: The stalwart has never missed a sustained amount of time due to injury his entire career, after making it big during the 1994 playoffs. He's always been a workhorse, often playing 75 or more games of the team's 82 game schedule. But then he went down.

The Devils saviour, Scott Clemmensen knew this would probably be his best chance to show his stuff before being relegated to the bench, and he shone. NJ has over 40 wins and less than 20 losses despite losing Brodeur. If anything, now that Marty's back, that makes them even more dangerous.

Brodeur has two shutouts in his first three starts after his return-his most recent one, a 3-0 win over Philedelphia, being his 100th goose egg. Terry Sawchuk, the man with the record 103, was approximately five or six years older when he hit the mark, which bodes well for the Devils' star netminder.

His career still has likely five or so years to go and he's now three shutouts from the legend. He also needs only four victories to tie Patrick Roy for the most wins in NHL history. Both marks are within reach late in the 2008-09 season, so it should be a fun stretch run.

You can't build a legacy overnight, of course. All athletes know this, including those in the WWE. As much as the detractors throw dirt on the "sport," it is still athleticism at its finest and tells great stories, particularly those being told with the company's rookies this past year.

Vladimir Kozlov- Kozlov was a guy who was thrown out there too early and nearly got fired by Vince after his daughter told him she believed he'd been exposed to quickly to the viewers. He was seen in the crowd at last year's Royal Rumble and other PPV events proclaiming he could, "beat anyone in the double double E."

Well, after some seasoning, he was brought up less than half a year ago and has been given a winning streak to start him off. Kozlov spent months complaining he had no competition, squash matches all. Finally, he got some matches with Triple H, Jeff Hardy and most recently, the Undertaker.

He has beaten them all at one point, but I don't really get excited about him. Many fans share my sentiment. It's a little comical that, despite lacking intensity, he does do much of the same things that Goldberg did: high impact offence, quick matches and doesn't get pinned. However, his entrance and that lack of intensity as well as quality moves is what makes fans turn off.

His next contest is with Shawn Michaels tonight on RAW and with any luck, it'll be his first one on one defeat. Kozlov must start adding new moves to his repetoire before he becomes disposable or heaven forbid, the divas get less washroom break quality matches than he does.

Don't laugh—with Mickie, Melina, Beth, Natalya, the eventual return of Gail Kim...the division is slowly building itself back up. Kozlov has shown me nothing new besides bringing back the battering ram finisher that makes me want to tune in.

Ted Dibiase: The son of the Million $ Man has shown much more promise. Unfortunately, he hasn't been much more than a stooge to RKO recently, but his matches have been ok to good. He's on the right track, in other words.

I love the way his finisher does both justice to his father and his own name. Dream Street. Young Ted has found a way to make the submission hold his father used more impactful, so props to him.

He's still a blue-chipper and so long as he and Cody (who is not on this list having had more than a year of experience) take the in-ring cues from Orton, he still has the best chance of breaking Orton's record as the youngest ever World Champion. He's already tasted gold in his first match, so he can either get better or get stuck, like Carlito has. Stay tuned.

Jack Swagger: Want to make an impact? Win your brand's title in your rookie year-and hold on to it. That's exactly what Swagger has done. Early on, I would've said the same thing about Swagger as I have other flashes-good starts, not enough finish.

But many times over the title run he has had he's impressed me. His matches with Finlay (ECW) and Christian (ECW-that's right his weekly ones have been better than his PPV's) have been phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal.

I say give him more matches with people who can hit hard against a guy with amateur credentials such as him and Swagger will keep his Swagger, if you will.

The Road to WrestleMania has begun. We're less than four weeks away to the biggest show of the year-the 25th Anniversary. We know the legends like HBK, Taker, Austin, Triple H and others will be in Houston.

We know Orton is gonna be there too. We also know the IC title will again—AGAIN!—not be defended at the show of shows. Despite this, I like the look of this card so far. Now comes the sprinkling of the youth.

Which rookies will make the big splash? More importantly which rookies will make a splash worthy of future go's? I guess we'll all have to wait till April 5 to find out. For the first time in a few years, I'm actually pretty excited about the future.

Till next time,

this is your Crowd Coach signing off.

Manny Legace, Legacy...Patronizing

Crowd Coach — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:24:46 -0500

Hey guys,

I'm back again, fresh from a horrible cold, but that didn't keep me from watching the sports world.

In some ways, things can't be better. In others...

Let's jet to the NHL first.

Manny Legace was waived this past week by St. Louis. It may not have surprised certain people, but it did make me say, "Why?"

But in a way, I was not surprised. I mean, this is the NHL.

Let me explain.

I wrote an article recently about hard decisions not always being the right ones in regards to several released players and coaches over the last few years. Now, another player joins them. Again, it's a case of doing something to wake your team up more than actually punishing the person—it's like using them to prove a point.

This time, the point is, St. Louis, you could've been so much better this year. Instead of firing a few little guys, let's drop a key guy to get your attention that we mean our finger-wagging.

That unfortunate player was Manny Legace, a man who played years as a back-up for the high-octane Red Wings in Detroit before finally ending what was, to many, the best career of any backup (often setting GAA marks lower than 2.50 each season, and winning far more than he lost).

His first year as a starter went swimmingly, as he led the Wings to the playoffs in the number-one position. The problem was once the team got there, they couldn't stay there. They were eliminated early.

However, his record was still what it had always been, a winner of some 35-plus games (I think it was actually over 40), and a GAA below 2.50.

Then, without a real reason to spur it besides that one playoff series not going Detroit's way, he was replaced by the return of the perennially selfish, but most successful, Dominik Hasek. He had won his Cup, retired—and now wanted another shot at age 41.

So the suits cut ties with Legace.

In Detroit, Hasek did his part to be sure, but in the last playoff, he was totally clueless in the net early in the first round, blowing his team's two-game lead over Nashville. Chris Osgood came in, kicked butt and saved the Red Wings. They went on to win it all, but Hasek never played another game.

Now, Legace may never play again in the NHL. There would be no worse miscarriage of justice in sports than this when it comes to a single player being penalized for one mistake without being given a second chance.

Legace and his Blues haven't been great, that's true, but this all goes back to him being released from his duties as a Red Wing. I have no doubt the Blues will recover, but this scenario is eerily similar to the one that hit Patrick Lalime some years back.

Remember? His Senators had stormed as usual in the regular season—and then the unthinkable happened that postseason. Not only were his top-three-seeded Senators beaten, they were swept—by Toronto. Ouch.

But, again, as much fun as I had with the jokes about Lalime, I was shocked when Lalime, an All-Star goalie with Cup-potential, had been shipped and Head coach Jacques Martin had been fired.

Two huge parts of the Sens had been thrown away, with many years left. Don't believe me? Here are the facts.

Goalies since Lalime have either under-performed (Gerber) or gotten a big head (Emery)—or done something that got him canned by the League (what do you know, Emery again. I guess my Uncle was right about him).

Coaches haven't fared much better, looking at the last three seasons.

Now, AHLer Cory Clouston has the unenviable task of making up more than 10 points in hopes of getting the Sens into the playoffs. I wish he could, but it's doubtful.

Meanwhile, Jaques Martin and Patrick Lalime have found new homes, one is in the playoffs, the other, is in the same race for the same spot in the East. I'm talking about Florida and Buffalo. They're doing better than Ottawa.

Now, Legace has been waived. It was a bold move, but I think they could've been just as bold having a sit-down with him or even waiting till the Trade Deadline to put him somewhere that needs him and will boost his confidence. It may be all he needs.

Let's talk briefly about WWE's work recently.

I haven't enjoyed a full month of action in some time as much as I have this past month since just before the Rumble. With great PPV's, phenomenal RAW's, and good bookends on SD! and even ECW (did you watch that masterful Finlay/Jack Swagger match?), the writers are responding by giving the fans some great matches...but even though they're cutting down the talk, there are still those who can add so much.

Like one Randall Keith Orton. RKO. You know, the guy who spits in Legendary faces, then beats them. The guy who recently snapped and began kicking people's craniums—until he struck the Boss.

Orton plays the Viper perfectly. Through his demeanor, his emotionless green eyes, and the words he uses, no one in WWE today has the command of an audience (not even Cena) that the leader of Legacy has.

Now, Legacy is running all over RAW. Attacking the McMahon's, debuting new and dangerous finishing holds (like Cody Rhodes' "CrossRhodes") and basically controlling their future by learning from their calculating leader. It's riveting TV, and WWE picked the members just right.

Ted Dibiase has the stones and the skills to beat Orton's mark as youngest WWE champion in history. Cody Rhodes, on top of being in better shape than his father ever was, is learning every match he's in—and succeeding. He may not have the mic skills his father had, but man, he can wrestle.

Success seems inevitable. Ratings on RAW have been at their highest in months, I believe in large part to this group.

A new Legacy has been born in WWE.

Legacies seem to have their strengths and drawbacks, just like anything else. But listen, at the end of the day, it can never be good to put too much in the hands of too many. Agents, league owners, GMs, coaches—that, and the true meaning of failure sent down a few remarkable talents—and may make them shells.

What will be Manny's Legacy? Let's ask him in a few months...oh and while we're at it, the guy who still holds way too much power.

Little Gary, it's important to listen as well as do. Let's hope you do before a bigger problem hits the league. Like fan or player backlash...oh wait that happened already. Note to you: Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Till next time this is your Crowd Coach...Signing off.

WWE is Ready to Rumble in 2009

Crowd Coach — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:25:34 -0500

30 superstars, 23 of which have been announced, battle for the prize of headlining the 25th edition of WrestleMania. Both World Title matches have the potential to end with some underhanded victories. ECW's champion, unlike last year, actually has a title defense!! And we can't forget the divas, as Melina matches up with the Glamazon. Here's how i think things will play out, and the last handful of slides cover the superstars with the best chance of winning this year's event. Getty Images can't find anything related to Royal Rumble...but I can on Google. Ha. Thx to the user who made the above shot for his/her online Rumble. Let's get started.

Begin Slideshow

On The Take No. 11: Explaining the Exodus

Crowd Coach — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:15:16 -0500

Hey guys,

Yeppers, I'm back again with my monthly OTT...not to be confused with bi-weekly articles. No, OTT is a column I use to talk about more than one thing that's on my mind, so you know it should be a lengthy read.

This column, I'm feeling like discussing not just Toronto's loss of the Mecca of the hockey world title through players and personnel leaving...but also those who've found themselves on the unemployment line courtesy of WWE. The two-sport column is back.

First, I want to rant about the Hardcore Holly situation. I hated thinking this way, but now I see I was right. Holly was written out so weakly and disrespectfully after working for WWE for 15 years, I actually didn't feel totally bad about Vince being kicked in the head on Monday.

I feel concerned about Vince’s condition, but there’s a part of me that was happy to see that for all the superstars he mistreated-the latest of which being Bob Holly.

I understand the need to cut the fat in these horrible economic times, even though as a Canadian, I have it a bit better. I understand firing people who don’t get over with the fans.

I felt so bad for people like Sean Morley (Val Venis) and D-Lo Brown when they were canned because the Cena fans are the reason. They’re all young kids, most of whom never saw either in their prime. So, they finally were fired.

Bam Neely never had me, so I was less than surprised to see him go. But the recent firing of Bob Holly really got me hot. This man gave everything to WWE, even doing humiliating gimmicks (e.g. Sparky Plugg, Bombastic Bob in the Midnight Express redux) to keep moving along.

Since his debut in early 1993, he had won tag titles, been a jobber, got over slightly working as Hardcore Holly because, like a certain HOFer, he was allowed to be himself. After his injury in the early 2000s, his return to face Brock Lesnar even gave him his one and only chance at the WWE Title.

We all knew he wouldn’t win; the match was about revenge. But at least he got the match.

Holly became almost as respected backstage as the Undertaker and he conducted himself as a leader, albeit a very angry, mean one. He hated rookies and was expected to make them prove themselves through him, just as Taker was at points in his career.

So, he got into a thing with Cody Rhodes, a man who is second generation, being groomed to be bigger than his HOF daddy. The storyline started slow, I’ll grant you, but it really made Cody better, in the ring and on the mic.

Almost 16 years have passed since Holly was hired and presented as a race car driver who moonlighted as a wrestler. He may not have liked certain gimmicks, but he did them. He earned respect in the ring for his toughness and his prideful attitude. I know I’m not the only fan who thinks so.

To have a man like him, a solid wrestler who got a bad break in the charisma department, be written out by a double-cross that would’ve kept his character down realistically a couple of weeks...it was insulting.

If anyone deserved to be written out on-air as a man rather than a gullible loser, it was Bob Holly. But alas, 15 years of loyalty means little to Vince in these times. Remember Million Dollar Mania?? “It’s all about the Monayyyyy!!!”

He wasn’t lying. Vince is cutting costs wherever he can, unfortunately he forgot about those wrestlers who stuck by him and thus, Holly went unseen for months after doing his part to build up Cody Rhodes, as he was asked.

I wouldn’t put it past him to jump to TNA just to make a statement that would put Vince back in his place.

Rant over. Unfortunately for those in WWE, the Firing Spree has only just begun.

Let’s move on.

It’s been no secret the Stanley Cup has stayed away from Canada, and so has the guy who runs the show in the NHL. But one Canadian team has had bad luck for much too long, and that team is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Changes have been implemented, sure, but the money issue again affects this team more than the play on the ice. Toronto’s attendance has been the main reason why the Leaf management continues to be happy with mediocrity and continue to let great players leave their organization.

It's not just as a business matter; but most leave in disgust at the team they once played for. Toronto has been known as the “center of the hockey universe,” with the press, the HHOF there, the fans…all sorts of reasons. But the reality is, players don’t all want to be a part of that anymore.

Toronto has won three individual awards (just THREE!) in the 40+ years since the first expansion in 1967. Montreal has 33 to their credit. What’s worse, not one of those three awards have been for the best player or even best defenseman.

If the trend continues, their current face of the franchise, defenseman Thomas Kaberle, could be gone by the time he has teammates who can allow him to show the skill to be recognized as a Norris winner.

I’m going to limit the discussion to a few select people. They are: players such as Curtis Joseph, Bryan McCabe and the most notable loss in the last 20 years (if you believe the papers), Mats Sundin.

Coaches and GMs have been canned too, including Pat Quinn and John Ferguson Jr. Even their most successful GM this era, Cliff Fletcher has been jerked around. Let’s get into it.

Curtis Joseph leads Toronto out of the 1998 cellar, into the Eastern Conference Finals not once, but twice. His players praise him night after night for his heroics, for once, the Leafs are making almost as much money in jersey sales as ticket sales.

Then, it happens. Joseph and the Leafs get humiliated by the Carolina Hurricanes, a team many said didn’t deserve to even be in the 2002 playoffs. Suddenly, they hit the Cup Finals, while Toronto, the so-called center of the hockey universe, is stunned, glory just barely stolen from them.

Soon after that and a few other personal defeats, Joseph decides he would rather go somewhere where he has a realistic chance at a Cup, instead of sticking with a team whose fans have never given up on him.

He gives up on the Maple Leafs, signing with Detroit in 2003. Toronto has never recovered from this loss, wasting Calder winner Andrew Raycroft, and now rotating Vesa Toskala with a rookie.

Bryan McCabe was another man who was part of the Leafs late '90s revival. He and Kaberle were the team on D that the Leafs had lacked, and Toronto hit 100 points for the first time ever while he was doing his thing at the back end.

Still, once the playoffs arrived, Toronto couldn’t keep the momentum going. Again, the losses to New Jersey and Carolina hit hard on Leaf Nation…and their sole superstars. McCabe was considered one, until his personal play turned him into a goat.

Don’t kid yourself, when he decided to move to retirement town, otherwise known as Florida, he did it partly to get away from Toronto, as opposed to moving somewhere where he could win a championship.

And so it goes, Toronto’s most unheralded position, the reason so many sportswriters say they can’t hang with the big boys like San Jose, Detroit and Pittsburgh: defense.

Now, here in 2009, the final nail hit Mats Sundin square in the head. He had had enough as Captain of a team that couldn’t shine when it counted, were a victim of poor business decisions such as the hiring of JF Jr.

The team who could never win the big one, but survived mostly on the strength of their diehards and commonplace sellouts, no matter how good or bad the team was on the ice.

True, he seemed to be less frustrated with the team than the others and more with his role on a franchise going through a youth movement. But in the end, even Sundin’s resolve had ebbed away. He’s still in Canada; in another time zone.

I’ve always felt the firings of Paul Maurice in Carolina and Jacques Martin in Ottawa were at best a quick fix and at worst a huge mistake, a result of a knee-jerk reaction. A brain fart, if you will.

With all three teams suffering, maybe some fans feel the same way. Some wonder if anything can be done to save hockey in Canada, most notably in Ottawa and Toronto.

All I have to say is this: Did anyone recognize that guy behind the bench for Team Canada in the WJC?

Yeah the white hair, the tie, the suit, the emotion-filled face. That guy.

Well, his name is Pat Quinn, and he once led a team to a 35-game winning streak, another to a handful of seasons where they exceeded expectations. He won a Gold Medal, you know. Did it in 2002 with pros too.

Hmmm. I wonder if he’s still got it.

'Til next time,

This is your Crowd Coach signing off.

Reviewing the 2009 Winter Classic

Crowd Coach — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:57:05 -0500

First off, a very Happy New Year to all my readers, as well as all the writers on Bleacher Report. Hope the holidays were good to all of you.

Now then, let's chat a bit about the topic of the day for any hockey fan: The Winter Classic.

This year, Ty Conklin's Detroit Red Wings (he's played in all three Outdoor games you know...and if memory serves, has now won two of the three) faced off the surging Chicago Blackhawks, who are led by sophomores Patrick Kane and captain Jonathan Toews.

Speaking of that name, the correct pronunciation aside, I got a good laugh out of that sign saying a fan was "freezing their Toews off." Always great to see fan interaction through signs, cheers, or whatever.

The game itself had some of the prettiest goals all year, including Ben Eager's gutsy wraparound goal after winning a fight on the boards to put the Hawks up 3-1 in the first, as well as Pavel Datsyuk's phenomenal worker goal that put the game in firm possession of the Red Wings.

Chicago got the chance to host this year, coming out of Wrigley Field. The famous ball stadium follows up Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium in 2003 and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium last year when the Sabres were just edged by Pittsburgh, where Crosby was seen scoring the shootout winner. No need for an extra period this afternoon, although by the end, fans and commentators alike were begging for more.

After being shutout 4-0 by Detroit a few days ago, Nik Khabibulin was replaced by Cristobal Huet for this game. Their loss to Detroit had ended a team record (this is counting back to the teams who played in the '20s) nine game winning streak. Chicago jumped out quickly, hoping to stay consistent against one of the West's superpowers. They've made a great impression this year, they have...just not today.

Chicago took advantage of a few power plays and Martin Havlat's sudden skill in the outdoor environment to take a 2-1 lead on the Wings. Then, Ben Eager scrapped along the boards with the Wings scrambling and made a beautiful move to win the fight AND score the goal. This made it 3-1 for the Hawks.

The crowd in Wrigley were chanting "We want the Cup!" It was a heck of a start. A player from Detroit was even checked right into the Hawks bench, up and over. This got Detroit confused, and they ended up throwing another man on to replace him—only to see him jump back on the ice from the other team's bench. Another penalty. Just hilarious.

After suffering through a recap of Chicago's dynamic duo singing for the fans at Wrigley (just joshing guys...or am I?), both teams came out for a second period with more PP's...and a complete shift in momentum. Conklin had been getting press for his background in this setting, but I thought he looked shaky and nervous in that first period, like his edge was missing. He sure got it back in the second.

Conks turned everything away, and Detroit had Jiri Hudler pot two to tie the game. Then we got that dazzling goal by Pavel Datsyuk. The dynamo went from the Hawks side of center, deked through the wingers, then cut through both defenders on the way to beating a sprawling Huet under his pads. Advantage, Detroit.

It was great to see Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull talking about their days with the Hawks, and then there was that interesting tidbit about how the duo was, much like Kane and Toews, only in their early-20s when they won the Cup. It's been a long time since 1961 (longer than the drought of the Maple Leafs), but as much as I hate to believe it, in a few years, look out for Chicago in the playoffs.

On a side note, how many people here watched the program Royal Canadian Air Farce??

Okay, before you think this is wildly off-topic let me finish. Ron McLean was hosting the Chicken Cannon portion and brought a "special target." Don Cherry. He looked and sounded downright diabolical as he plotted Don's demise, via the Cannon. Thought they'd maybe mention it today with that program, Air Farce's final after 16 years on TV, airing last night. Oh well.

Back to the game we go. Detroit finished their masterful comeback, scoring two more for a total of five unanswered goals, taking a 6-3 lead. The Hawks appeared to get sloppier each period, and looked something akin to bored in their end as the third ticked by. Khabibulin even got to play after the sixth Detroit goal, which went to a review, was allowed. The Bulin Wall showed more energy than Huet, allowing the Hawks to score one more in the dying seconds. It was too late. The damage had been done.

And so, Chicago let one slip away, as Detroit used their league-best power play and the skills of their top player to beat Chicago, 6-4 in the 2009 Winter Classic.

Another thing that happened early in the game was goalie interference after the whistles. Both teams took one shot each leading to two separate scrums. They settled down and referee Bill McCreary told each bench, no more after the retaliation.

When other goalie interference plays happened, including a Detroit forward running through Huet, who lay on the ice motionless for a few seconds, a player was penalized. Good job by the refs today.

I see Gary Bettman liked what he saw of the Classic. Knowing this, I have one request, just one. The States got the last two, we got the first one, time for Canada to get another go. And I'm thinking, let's see how many show up in a place where NHL hockey hasn't been in over a decade...say, Winnipeg?

Let's all take some time tonight to think about that, and yes Gary I'm talking to you too, and also find time to reminisce on today's Winter Classic. It had a lot more skill from players than last year, and a little intrigue too. I'm not much for New Year's Resolution, but I wouldn't mind seeing one of these every new year from now on.

Oh, and one in Winnipeg. Just saying.

Till next time,

This is your Crowd Coach...signing off.

Top Five NHL Moments I Want To See in 2009

Crowd Coach — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:07:36 -0500

These aren't exactly predictions; they are hopes for the 2009 year in the NHL plucked from my own warped brain for you to enjoy!! If any come true, 2009 will be a season to remember!! Inside are stories about comebacks, the ending of skids...and for one team the continuation of another in the worst possible way. Have Fun!!

Begin Slideshow

Mats Sundin: Some Predictions Come True; But All Come With a Price

Crowd Coach — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 16:22:25 -0500

First off, a Happy Holidays to my readers, and I hope your 2009 is light years better than 2008 turned out to be.

We all had a tough year for one reason or another.

It's time to move on to 2009, the last year of the decade. And with that, I begin my 10th edition of "On The Take."

As you may have realized, the photo I chose was one I took with my camera, of a February 2008 edition of The Hockey News. The fun part about it, is the team their writers chose for ex-Leafs captain, Mats Sundin, would he have agreed to waive the no-trade clause and actually prove he was a good man to the city of Toronto.

What happened of course was the opposite. Sundin gave all he could to the team of Toronto he said. On the ice, he was a great captain, I'll admit that. He knew how to deal with the press, he was the highest-scoring player in team history—and he never lifted the Stanley Cup.

Enter the last year of his contract. He had a no-trade clause, and many I spoke to and read articles by expected him to either stay with Toronto, via an extension, or do the right thing and waive the clause so the Leafs, who have been struggling so hard the last few years, could get market-value players for their captain and highest scorer.

The problem was, he decided he wouldn't leave via a trade and so, acting GM Cliff Fletcher was stuck with him. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Admirable??" Perhaps it would have been had the team been chasing a playoff spot, but they weren't. They were sitting ducks, awaiting the offseason, not a parade, and thus it was in the best interest of the team to get players for the man rather than let him go, with nothing in return.

Months after he left the team for free, he has signed elsewhere. Believe it or not, I support his choice, the Vancouver Canucks. I think with the Rangers being about speed, Sundin wouldn't have fit the team's mold.

He is perfect for the Canucks, where they need a big body who can do all Sundin can do: Score, screen and occasionally, get the team riled up with a fight, a hit or a simple call to arms.

The Canucks are in good shape with Sundin now in the fold.

The Leafs...not so much.

Despite all the time that has passed since he made the decision, as a fan, I think Mats Sundin was less than admirable. Selfish may be a better word for it.

Sometimes a true leader makes the tough choices, even if he ends up being caught in the crossfire. This situation was one of those times.

Eric Lindros refusing to report after Quebec drafted him. Scott Niedermayer hemming and hawing over retirement while new Leafs GM-President Brian Burke was stuck holding the salary cap bag, which led Anaheim to falter after their Cup. Alexei Yashin holding out in Ottawa holds a particular place of bile in my heart.

But the Sundin snub is different. It was in the early '90s when Lindros was drafted. He didn't like Quebec, so he held out until a suitable trade could be made. He moved to Philly, and never looked back. He also forgot to look up a few too many times, but I digress.

I felt for Burke when he tried to replace the instant chemistry he had with the older Niedermayer as he struggled with his thoughts. It was a good try, but Mathieu Schneider couldn't replace the Duck Captain where it counted and Anaheim was eaten up early in the first round.

But when it comes to Sundin, this will always be a matter of respect. I have no problems admitting he was the team's best player, still on a point-per-game pace, despite his age. So, why when he could've aided the rebuilding project by giving of himself (not unlike the true meaning of this season teaches), making that ultimate sacrifice—why did he stay put, and hurt the Leafs chances of recovery?

He simply walked out. Amid all the the nice sounding words, the "spirited" play, he didn't even stay.

What does that tell you??

I'm one of those people who hates the call by Kerry Fraser in the Game Seven matchup between LA-Toronto in 1993. For those who need a refresher, Wayne Gretzky caught Gilmour, I believe, with a high stick. He was cut, which usually means an automatic double minor.

Gretzky wasn't called—he ended up scoring a goal that spoiled a Toronto-Montreal final on the same play. There's a joke that he scored his most famous playoff goal from the penalty box. And yet, I respect him.

Gretzky knows how to be a leader.

The Trade. August 1988. Yes, I know he didn't have much say in the matter, unlike Mr. Sundin. But he did try to speak at the press conference, and he did leave, for the good of the team known as the Edmonton Oilers. He showed true emotion, and cried real tears, because he had the passion to be an Oiler and hated the fact he had to leave. But he was going with a purpose.

They won another Cup without him in 1990, and Gretzky became the America's saviour when it comes to promoting the game and giving Bettman access to the sunbelt franchises we have today. Whether I agree with some of the venues or not, I respect Gretzky for what he did for the game and how he left HIS team.

No one will ever confuse Edmonton in the '80s with today's lowly, but resilient, Toronto Maple Leafs. But at this time, I think it's important to tell Mats Sundin one thing:

Giving is better than receiving. I cannot wait for February 21.

Amen.

Until next time,

this is your Crowd Coach signing off. See you all in 2009!!

WWE Armageddon Predictions: Whose End Is Here?

Crowd Coach — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:46:46 -0500

Hey guys,

Since I didn't have a lot to vent about this week, as Montreal lost a pair of games (yay) and Ottawa won (yay), I thought I'd write my predictions for the last PPV offering of the year by WWE: Armageddon.

The show airs from Buffalo, NY, home of Women's Champion and one half of Glamarella, Beth Phoenix. I find it a bit wrong that a woman who can wrestle as well as Phoenix can, and one being pushed so hard by the company doesn't even have a match in her hometown...Looks like she'll only get airtime tonight if a Santino segment happens.

If TNA has anything going for it against WWE, it's the way it promotes its women wrestlers. But this is a prediction article not a rant, so let's get going.

So, I went 6-1 in three consecutive PPV's in the summer, ending with the Cyber Sunday offering where I didn't do so well. I was still a winner at Unforgiven, but CS kicked my butt. So, please think about my run but also the fact that predictions are still crapshoots when you read everyone's articles on who they think will win at PPV's.

First, let's get the Divas match out of the way. An eight diva tag, where Maria, Kelly, Mickie and Michelle face Victoria, Jillian, Maryse and Nattie Neidhart, who may soon be paired with her family members as a part of a much better push.

I think all the signs are pointing to a heel victory in this one. If it's one fall, you can bet it'll be a lot of sloppy back and forth action, unless Mickie, Maryse or Natalya are in the ring. Michelle has been worrying me of late, but as she gets worse, Maryse and Maria have continued to improve. Maybe this will be the match where Michelle will finally lose her cool and turn heel, but only after being pinned or having her "good friend" Maria cost her team the victory.

Prediction: Team Heel (Maryse, Jillian, Victoria, Natalya)

Next, we have the Belfast Brawl between Finlay and Mark Henry. This storyline intrigued me for a few weeks, with Atlas returning to the ring, and Finlay finally doing something other than comedy. I want to see Finlay fight, not laugh. I like Horny, I really do, but he's not doing anything for Finlay's reputation at the moment.

Perhaps Henry will get the win off a distraction, or Finlay will win and then Henry and Atlas will get the jump on Hornswoggle and send him to the hospital. I'm not 100% on the winner of this one, but it being Finlay's match, I think he'll get a lucky win, although I won't be surprised either way.

Prediction: Finlay

Vladimir Kozlov debuted in April and still hasn't been pinned. Now after failing to win the WWE Title, which he had no business challenging for in the first place, he's gotten himself in a fight with ECW Champion Matt Hardy. As a major MFer, I think Matt has the goods to make this match watchable. I don't exactly like Kozlov's slow pace but he is solid in his skills...just very one-dimensional at this point.

Perhaps this mini-feud with Matt can help him out a bit. Thank God it's non-title, because the only thing worse than Kozlov winning a title to early is having him steal gold from a man who truly deserves it and earned it simply because Vince wants to push Kozlov as far as he can. I still would love to see Jeff Hardy end the Kozlov streak to help his legacy, and so I say Kozlov will beat the older brother tonight.

Prediction: Kozlov

Finals of the IC Title Tournament: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio

This match will likely be the best of the night. Not only is CM Punk determined to get his hands on King Regal and stamp his name on the IC Title legit after using the briefcase to win the World Title, but the styles of these two fan favourites mesh so well. I love it when the fans are involved, and trust me, they'll be ready for this one.

Mysterio is stuck in another storyline at the moment with Mike Knox, the small wrestler hater. Knowing this, I doubt he'll dive into another important story like challenging for a singles title. Punk also had a bad time in Hamilton, ON recently...at a house show, he and Kofi lost their World Tag Titles to Morrison and Miz.

Punk dropping the title tells me WWE is ready to give him a shot at my favourite title, one that has made careers. It's a stepping stone to better things, and about time WWE trusts Punk with this opportunity. He won't waste it.

Prediction: CM Punk

Legacy was officially born at RAW's 3 hour Slammy Awards show Dec. 8. With DiBiase Jr. out of action (he actually got written out so he could film The Marine II), Randy Orton has steadily melded his attitudes and skills with Cody Rhodes and Manu. They were able to take down Triple H and Batista in a handicap match at the Slammy show, but with the new year on the way, it's time to re-visit Batista's winning ways and prep him for his rematch with John Cena at WM 25.

A lot of writers I've read are saying Orton will win simply to cement "Legacy," but I think Batista will win this one to start building him up-but not by pinfall. I'm going with Legacy having enough and attacking Batista, leading to a DQ...and maybe a save by Triple H, or perhaps, The Champ himself.

Prediction: Batista (DQ)

World Heavyweight Title: Chris Jericho vs. John Cena (c)

As I said above, Batista and Cena are on a collision course as of this writing. And so, with Jericho cheating his way in and out of the title the last half of the year, I think Super Cena is just the man to finally put an end once and for all to Jericho's winning ways. I was very happy to see Jericho get this opportunity to carry the brand again, as he is a Canadian and one of the best heels of our time, not to mention a pretty good wrestler.

But what is all that compared to a man who brawls but sells merchandise?? Cena will retain, and although I knock him a lot, he did impress me in his return in Boston. Maybe he'll be given another chance to show he knows more than five moves.

Prediction: Cena retains

WWE Title: Edge (c) vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy

This is Jeff Hardy's breakout match, right here. All he has to do is use it. Edge winning the title back shocked me a bit, but putting him back together with Vickie shocked me even more. Despite the rehash, he knows what to say and do to succeed, and the Ultimate Opportunist out of Toronto Canada will do it again, just barely surviving his date with the Game and the Extreme Enigma.

The trick here is how will he win, and what will it mean for SmackDown? This may be the perfect set-up to Jeff Hardy being denied any more chances...except if he earns it against 30 other superstars, which I assume, is where the Game's next battle lies as well. Edge's next opponent for the Rumble is anyone's guess, but for tonight, Edge will prevail and the SD! locker room will be forced to deal with the consequences of this crooked Power Couple.

Prediction: Edge retains.

That's my take on the PPV tonight, which starts in just over an hour. Enjoy the show, and like you, I can't wait for the Royal Rumble.

Happy Holidays!!

I'll be back with the 10th editon of On The Take once more before 2009.

Until next time,

This is your Crowd Coach signing off.

OTT No. 9, Part Two: Those Who Can't...Well, Can't in the NHL

Crowd Coach — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:05:08 -0500

See, told ya I’d get another one up! So this is Part Two of "On the Take No. 9," which is mostly about gaining respect. Tonight, I thought I’d give you my take on the coaching situation in the NHL.

Let’s start with the uncalled for firings at the start of the season. I don’t say that because either coach was doing particularly well, I say uncalled for because of the way, the timeliness of the thing.

Denis Savard. He’s a Blackhawk icon. And he led the Hawks to within three points of the playoffs last year. Everyone in Chicago seemed to expect too much of him this season. I thought, "Well, he should do well again with the players he has, and it’s not like the Chicago brass would change coaches in the first week, right?"

Wrong, in this case. Four games in, the Hawks weren’t 4-0, and I guess that’s why management decided to, without warning, fire their Head coach. Why else would you let your coach do his thing in preseason, training camp...then fire him so early?

For a team that plays in the United Center, something about that name didn't apply here. Seeing Patrick Kane crying told me that something very wrong had happened.

And I still believe so. Listen, if the Chicago Blackhawks management wanted to change coaches, why wait until the season had begun to do so? Why let the players and coaches get used to each other again only to come between them and change the dynamic completely?

It’s true that since Joel Quenneville, a man who led the St. Louis Blues to the President’s Trophy at the beginning of the decade, was put in the position, the team has done very well. But, the fact remains, Savard wasn’t given a fair chance, which was the wrong thing to do in this situation.

A team needs to stay a team through the hard times, or else who’s to say there aren’t more people the club is willing to let go? It would’ve been better to just have the coaching change announced before the season began instead of putting the players, and Savard, whom I must repeat is a legend in the organization, through that kind of roller coaster at the start of a make-or-break year.

Next, Tampa canning Barry Melrose 16 games in. OK, we saw this coming. I mean, the Lightning being bad. Sorry, I did; maybe the league didn’t. Melrose suffered through a start that saw his team lose consistently, often by more than a goal.

A change was made and Tampa seems to be responding slowly to the new guy, former hard-nosed player Rick Tocchet. But, again, to hire a coach who hasn’t done so in over a decade and then blow up his tenure so prematurely? It shows bad judgement.

You honestly thought he would take Tampa to the top simply because they had Stamkos and he had coached Wayne Gretzky at one point? That was in the past, and Stamkos proved early on he wasn’t ready and, in my opinion, should be back in Sarnia. But, see, this is why I’m not a GM of a hockey team. Yet. And I’m not talking about the NHL.

Time will tell if the changes will be smart or stupid, but in the long run, they will be changes remembered by some as needed, and by others, including yours truly, as a case of the management jumping the gun in desperation.

Finally, before I go, I’d like to congratulate Paul Maurice on his return to the Head coaching position with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s 0-1-1 after taking over for Peter Laviolette (the man who delivered a Stanley Cup in 2006), but he is also the franchise’s face behind the bench. For eight years, including days in Hartford before the move to Raleigh, Maurice reigned, and the team had its good and bad years.

But he knew how to win, and led them to a shocking East Conference title in 2002 and a Game One win in the Stanley Cup Final versus the Red Wings. They didn’t win it all that year, but you gotta believe he earned some respect from the Carolina fans in his first stop. Now, after a short adjusting process, get ready for Part Two.

And with that, I end mine.

Till next time,

This is your Crowd Coach signing off.

OTT No. 9: Respect The Past, Take Notes...and Prepare the Future

Crowd Coach — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:31:01 -0500

After nearly a month, I’m back with another edition of On The Take. In this week’s edition, I’m going to talk about the coaching issues in the NHL, as well as a few ideas I had to make certain WWE stars less worthless when it comes to their TV character.

Let’s hit up WWE first.

Before you ask, I can't look in my pictures for a suitable one because the site here won't let me. Still not sure why. If I could, I'd find a shot of Santino, because that is what this article focuses on most. But I think my idea lends itself well to the shot above.

Santino Marella. Chuck Palumbo. Little Guido. Three superstars with great potential when signed, two of which have since become a victim of circumstance in the new look WWE where people are fired at a drop of a hat if they take too long to do something big.

I have seen Santino talk a ton more than he has wrestled over this past year, and it seems to work. He’s the most hilarious immigrant character since the face version of Ugandan Kamala in the mid 90s.

But it’s the World Wrestling Entertainment company, not the World Talking Entertainment company.

So, WWE gives him the IC Title, makes him wrestle old stars like Honky Tonk Man and D-Lo Brown (who was hired back, but for what reason, I’m not sure) and now seems to be starting a mini-feud with Goldust.

If anyone was wondering why Goldust doesn’t get a pop, it’s because all the Cena fans weren’t even born yet when the Goldust character debuted, and apparently, their parents forgot to educate them on the former IC Champion’s credentials. Getting back to my idea.

Little Guido, known briefly in WWE as Nunzio, has been a star before. In ECW. Not that crappy one hour version we get on Tuesday’s, no, I mean the real ECW, the brand of action that made Vince re-invent the company to keep up with in the mid to late 90s. Paul Heyman decided instead of cartoon characters, let’s actually have wall to wall action, great wrestling on a, what a shocker, wrestling program.

Years later, with the ECW bond growing, fans tuned in to WWE and saw Steve Austin stun his boss, women wearing barely there outfits, smart ass groups making any sexual innuendo they could while kicking some big time butts in the process…The Attitude Era had arrived.

Guido was one of the better “wrestlers” on the ECW roster at that time, and was rewarded with a unit to help his cause (the FBI) and multiple titles. He was pushed because, simply, Paul Heyman wasn't Vince McMahon.

In WWE, he was used as a jobber, then in a comedy role before being used up and fired. Oh yeah and he became Cruiserweight champion once, when the belt meant something. I didn’t mind too much at the time, because it was expected by the way things were going down.

But it’s been a few years, and nothing has changed when it comes to pushing talented wrestlers regardless of size until THE FANS say they don’t like them anymore. Who saw Kozlov vs. Triple H and enjoyed the big guy Vince was pushing for no apparent reason? Ok, Who was either bored out of the skull or taking a piss break during that match? Wow, there are a lot of you. Moving on.

Chuck Palumbo was back, with an OK gimmick, except for the biker thing…WWE had already done that with Taker which led to Palumbo being pigeonholed and completely ignored. There was no way he could live up to that comparison and soon, he too was out of work again.

What I think could have worked, was to make Beth a face after she pinned Santino. Then, had Guido and Palumbo been used correctly at the time, or there at all, Santino could have joined forces with them, and boom we have a faction that moves things along and uses the past to their advantage: the Full Blooded Italians could have been reborn.

Santino would be able to do his comedy heel role just fine, when surrounded by the heavy in Palumbo and a true wrestler in Guido. Hell, bring Vito back and throw him in the mix too.

The most important part of this formation would be putting Santino through matches that meant something, where he could show off some amateur style and earn a bit of respect. Right now, he’s given the mic often and yet as good as he is on the stick, that’s how bad his career is suffering when it matters-in the ring.

Not that my idea would change the world, but I think it would serve its purpose. Just a thought, Vince.

Let’s meet up here again for part two Saturday night as I talk about the plight of being an NHL coach this year and why I think the power brokers made some big mistakes.

At least one right was wronged…but I’ll go into that further this weekend.

Till then,

This is your Crowd Coach signing off.

"The Champ" Is Over...But Not In a Good Way

Crowd Coach — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:00:19 -0500

After another two week hiatus which I used to make some money freelancing in my hometown (getting paid tomorrow!) I’m back with an article I wanted to write ever since I heard Cena would be returning at Survivor Series.

I read in the spoilers long before it was announced on TV…oh, and I bought the WWE Magazine with that strange Cena poster for the PPV where he’s covered in dirt and surrounded by vines and appears to be emerging from the earth itself. Say it with me: Weird. Thanks to a friend for that line.

I’m one of the few over 13 (I’m 23) who enjoyed John Cena when many others had already turned on him. I found him refreshing, and not a horrible wrestler, but one pigeon-holed into a gimmick that made him use the same moves over and over to win.

But after his injury, I realized that WWE could survive on television without him. As a matter of fact, with Cena out and the writers scrambling, the decisions they made actually made RAW’s more surprising, and more watchable as a result. Which is why when he returned a full eight months early at Rumble, I expressed my anger for the whole theatre to hear.

I knew he was going to win, and then he'd win the title back. Thank God we got a surprise with Orton retaining which just made him more legitimate as a champion, but how often does that work, right?

Anyhow, as a fan for almost two decades, I have to say I understand why people my age hate him, and I think I know where some started feeling strange cheering for him or even watching matches involving the former Dr. of Thuganomics. He’s a "Marine" now. Moving on to the reason.

The moment that Cena’s star climaxed, in my honest opinion was the night of WrestleMania 21 in LA. True, he won the title, and true, we knew he would be winning it that night. The problem wasn’t expectations prior to the match. The problem was what every Cena fan felt after the match.

Personally, I felt some shock, and some confusion. Forget Shock and Awe in combating the evils of the Middle East. This brand of shock and awe (or lack thereof) definitely did a better job destroying John Cena.

At WrestleMania, not every match is booked to be the big match. But when a match is hyped the way Cena-JBL was, when it’s for a major title (the WWE Championship, the one WWE has had since the 60’s when it was just a regional promotion)…you give it the time it deserves and needs to tell that story and to make the winner a major star.

In some cases, matches where no title is on the line makes two stars out of nowhere. But this match was rushed, ending in 12 minutes without the drama of a JBL kick-out or a Cena kick-out of his opponent’s signature move. Had JBL hit his clothesline at 15 minutes, and Cena kicked out, that would’ve built story for WWE to go to when Cena started to fall in the eyes of the fans.

But instead, JBL was beaten quickly, never hit his big move, and all that work to build him up as the heel to beat was a waste. Cena was champion, and people DID celebrate the end of the JBL era, but they didn’t get the chance to be drawn in, they were just waiting for the end and the title. What I’m saying is, they were happy, but we weren’t as happy as we could have been.

On the other side of the double main event, Batista and Triple H went hard for over 20 minutes, blood was spilled and Batista was made a hero-and his Animal nickname gained a whole lot of luster with the way he beat “The Game,” who had been his mentor. Batista held the title for nine months, fought and defeated all comers, and never lost steam.

Randy Orton came within a hair of ending Taker’s winning streak and showed some balls by attempting a Tombstone on The Phenom. Even in defeat, the buildup and the excitement and unpredictability in the match put him on everyone’s to watch list.

Now, in 2008, as we approach a new year, WWE is starting to go forward with plans for the 25th WrestleMania. Batista has not been the same since his injury and the fans are starting to tire of his simple power game winning each match. Chris Jericho, a man who people absolutely hate in the ring right now, got cheers when he cheated his way out of the cage on Monday. That’s because the fans hate him, but they’d rather he be champion than the one-dimensional Batista.

Let’s talk about Randy Orton as well. His star was made brighter at that WM in Los Angeles, and now, he’s back in the ring and has a whole new villainous persona. He's not only over, but respected and when he comes out to fight, everyone stays to watch, whether they boo him or cheer him.

John Cena’s title reign started fine, but the shortness of his expected breakthrough match blew the wind out of a lot of people’s sales. We felt cheated. WWE did an ok job covering it up with a bloodbath I Quit match a couple months later, but there were already negative chants beginning to crowd “The Champ.”

Some say any publicity is good publicity, and despite his limited moveset, he sells big. The kids are back, and buying anything with his name on it, and that means until that becomes a negative, WWE won’t change Cena.

John Cena is to 2008 what Hulk Hogan was to 1988. He’s the superhero that always finds a way to win and never backs down. Truth is, Vince, you need to wake up and realize we’ve seen this before, and we don’t need to see it again. John Cena turning heel with all those fans behind him could be just the shot in the arm he needs.

Like Hogan himself said, “Why go against the grain?” They want to boo Cena, or they want him to add a few kinks to his repetoire we haven’t already seen.

But then, that would mean the fans would get a surprise, and why would the organized Vince-appointed yes men of WWE ever agree to that?

Rangers Prospect, 19, Dead.

Crowd Coach — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:30:30 -0400

After hearing the news this afternoon, I felt compelled to interrupt my weekly columns with an article for top Ranger prospect Alexei Cherepanov. The 19-year-old collapsed on the bench during his team's game this afternoon and passed away soon after.

This is a big loss for the hockey world and the New York Rangers, just like it must be for his Russian club, Avangard Omsk. There's no question the fans have lost a player very capable of creating buzz-worthy plays. However, I'm mostly left thinking about his family, and what they must be feeling. My heart goes out to them, and wishes them better days ahead as they deal with the loss.

His hockey career was short, but impressive. He went from being the top rated Russian forward in the 2007 draft to having his stock drop to No. 17. However, he was selected by a team whose recent success was made even more blinding by the fact they had landed a player the caliber of Cherepanov.

He had scored 12 points in 14 games this year with Omsk, the same team Jaromir Jagr bolted for from the Rangers this season where he was captain. So the Ranger organization lost their all-star captain in Jagr, and then lose their best prospect in the most unfortunate of circumstances.

New York is already 4-0 this year, and now has someone to fight for as the long season rolls along. Not much is known yet on how Cherepanov died or why.

His death brings up the recent memory of Luc Bourdon of Vancouver's passing in a motorcycle accident at age 21, and Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud dying of a heart ailment at 19.

Whether the Russian's death compares with either of those is irrelevant. The hard part is that prospects are dying early and the NHL, CHL and even overseas leagues have not been spared.

There is an argument pointing to the fact that players are pushed too hard at a young age and it catches up to them. Perhaps there is some truth to that. But the age limit for eligibility has been 18 for at least two decades without hurting players in this way.

Hopefully, this is the last passing for a long time, but now, the sport will have an unfair magnifying glass pointed at them for the next little while as the circumstances of this latest death are discovered.

RIP Alexei, and please think of his family in your prayers, as I will.

OTT #7: NHL Opening Night Is Here...Who's The Star Gonna Be?

Crowd Coach — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:05:33 -0400

Hey guys,

Welcome to On the Take, article No. 7. Hope the people who are reading are enjoying my work. Please comment if you feel the need—anything you want to say about the article or my writing ability is welcome.

Let's get right into it. I have decided, in order to shorten these columns a bit—and possibly increase readership—there will be no dual-sport columns for a while...only in special situations where I have something worth saying about both where they warrant inclusion in the same piece. This is the NHL look at things for this week.

Detroit have raised their 11th Stanley Cup banner and are ready for the defense. Their first opponent? The Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, some may be saying this will be an easy two points. However, in looking back at recent years, the Leafs—not world-beaters by any stretch over the last four decades—have had remarkable success against the previous year's Cup winners. Let's take a short look:

1999 Cup winner: Dallas Stars

Toronto vs Dallas, 1999-00: Leafs win, 4-0.

2000 Cup Winner: New Jersey Devils

Toronto vs Devils, 2000-01: Leafs win, 5-3.

2001 Cup winner: Colorado Avalanche

Toronto vs Colorado, 2001-02: Leafs win, 4-1.

2003 Cup winner: New Jersey Devils

Toronto vs Devils, 2003-04: Leafs win, 3-0.

2004 Cup winner: Calgary (but Tampa Bay are recognized as such...okay, fine)

Toronto vs Tampa, 2005-06: Leafs win, 5-3.

2006 Cup winner: Carolina Hurricanes

Toronto vs 'Canes, 2006-07: Leafs win, 4-3.

As you can see, six of the last eight Cup winners have fallen to Toronto at least once the following regular season. Actually, since the lockout year of 1994-95, Toronto is 11 for 13 against the previous year's Cup champions. They didn't play the Rangers during the shortened season, but went on to defeat the next seven Cup winners.

One team who didn't fall was Anaheim, who played the Leafs only once and shut them out 5-0. The other? The 2002 winners—the Detroit Red Wings. As a matter of fact, Detroit beat Toronto both times they met in the 2002-03 season, including a humiliating 7-2 drubbing in early 2003.

Will history repeat itself, and if so, what trend will continue tonight—the Leafs' mastery of the defending champs, or the Wings' dominance of Toronto in regular-season play?

Well, don't look now, but a Toronto rookie just scored the Leafs' third goal. And then, a buzzer sounds as I'm typing—lo and behold, Detroit has notched a power-play goal to close the gap, and are trailing 3-2. Half of the third has been played, and the question on my mind now isn't who'll win the game, but what will this season mean to the two teams in question.

Toronto has been written off by many, it's true. But that's the great thing about sports. Every now and then there are surprises. Think of Carolina's trip to the Cup Finals in 2002, or Washington being saved last season. The Caps went from eating dirt on Thanksgiving to serving crow to Carolina on the last day of the season.

Perhaps all the talk about Toronto is true. Then again, tonight's only the first night. But what of Detroit?

The Red Wings of 1997-98 were the last team to repeat as Cup champions in the NHL and in the new-look NHL, with parity everywhere, a good signing here and a smart trade there could mean the difference between the basement or the penthouse within a season.

I agree Detroit has the best chance of any team of winning the Cup and thus repeating. But there's another team everybody's watching, and they aren't based in the States. For the first time in the last decade and a half or so, the Montreal Canadiens are a powerhouse—and are expected to be dominant this year as they celebrate their 100th year.

Can the Wings repeat? Can the Habs win Cup no. 25 in 100 years?? These questions will be answered over the next nine months, and millions will be watching as they do.

Congratulations are an order for two of the 15,000 entries in the contest to find a new HNIC theme song. "Canadian Gold" and "Sticks to the Ice" are the two finalists. Remember, you can vote online, by text or by tollfree call.

My pick? Canadian Gold. I love the passion and the guts the "Sticks to the Ice" kid had to enter his piece, but I have to say his theme is second to the pipes and the feel of Colin Oberst's entry. Tell me after you watching the 20-second piece of the theme, from seconds prior to the Bruin fan hitting the glass to the end, you don't smile and think, "yeah, that says passion for hockey."

We'll all find out Thursday with the Leafs-Habs, Flames-Canucks doubleheader, starting with the pregame at 6:30 ET.

Another thing I want to talk about when it comes to the NHL. Roberto Luongo has found his way around NHL rules after being named Vancouver's Captain, an honour no goaltender has had in 60 years.

The rule is that no goalie can wear the "C" on their jersey. So Luongo's new goal mask has a C on the chinguard portion. As his coach said, it can mean anything—Captain, or Canuck, or Cup...or Cheese, for example. Take that, NHL rulemakers. I salute you Roberto, good for you.

That's my look at tonight and beyond when it comes to the big talk this week in the NHL. Oh, before I forget—Vancouver will be paying tribute to their late first-rounder Luc Bourdon tonight before facing Calgary. It's something special that I'm glad to see done. He may not have played for the big club long, but he was a talent to be sure—and deserves to be at least respected after the unfortunate motorcycle accident.

Huh. How about that, Toronto just made it eight wins over the champions. Wonder if the Wings will get a chance to make it up next year—or if a new team will carry the torch in 2009.

Toronto Maple Leafs Getting Desperate On Day One of Free Agency

Crowd Coach — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:29:20 -0400

I'm in shock.

And upset. Imagine if I were still a die-hard Toronto Maple Leafs' fan.

Half an hour ago, I read the story that Toronto had found their replacement back-up goaltender after cutting ties with former Calder winner Andrew Raycroft.

The name? Curtis Joseph.

Now let me explain my stance on this.

I loved Cujo since his days in Edmonton. He was my favorite player from then until he left Toronto. It was so easy to watch the Leafs during the days of Joseph because he was a dependable goalie who could pitch a shutout on any given night. Then it happened.

Curtis Joseph, after nearly winning a Vezina, twice pushing Toronto to the Eastern Conference Finals, and being a class act his entire career, made a statement that will make me hate him forever.

In the press conference following his departure from Toronto, signing with the Detroit Red Wings for the 2002-03 season, he stated his reason for leaving Toronto was simple, he wanted to go to a team where he could win a Stanley Cup.

Now, I wasn't so fanatical that I was delusional. I knew there were teams who had a better chance than Toronto, although they were contenders at that time.

It was the way he said it, it was almost like he said, 'Basically Toronto is horrible, I'll never win a Cup here, so why should I stay? I'm going to go to Detroit and have my moment. The Leafs can bite me.'

That's how it sounded in the tone he used to leave a city and a team that had so much faith in him. Then he got swept by Anaheim in the first round. That made me laugh so hard, given the fact that that playoff was Anaheim's first taste of success in the NHL. In fact, they came within a game of the Stanley Cup.

But back to Joseph. He had put his foot in his mouth and the league must've had some who were making jokes. God knows I was.

Now fast forward to 2008. Curtis Joseph has been thrown around since then, playing for Phoenix, leaving the NHL, earning a rebirth in Calgary this past year.

But after leaving the way he did, where he appeared to have burned a bridge with the Maple Leafs, why would Toronto give him another chance?

Desperation, nostalgia, and the thrill of winning—which they had on a regular basis when Cujo wanted to play for the team. Since he left, he made it clear he didn't even want to play against the team he had his biggest successes with. In my opinion, Joseph was acting quite immature towards the organization.

But I guess I need to understand a second thing about this pick-up of the Devil Dog. There is new management. Better management.

Cliff Fletcher, in his GM post, was the man who turned the Leafs into a tough team to beat in the mid 90's, signing Doug Glimour among others.

Perhaps, Fletcher knows what he's doing bringing Curtis Joseph back. He's won a Gold Medal and he did a phenomenal job at the Splengler Cup. He also may have matured a bit to the point he knows he's not worth as much as he once was. Joseph signed a $700,000 contract to play back-up to Toskala this season.

Will Toronto continue to surprise this free agency period or will the team who hadn't missed the playoffs three straight years since the '20s miss it for the fourth year in a row regardless of who they sign?

Time will tell, but as far as Joseph goes, I hope he comes to play because the Toronto Maple Leafs are a proud franchise with a great history.

Fletcher seems to know that Joseph was a big part of that recent history. Let's see if Joseph himself can realize that if he comes to play, he is still capable of winning.

The Leafs need to re-live their glory years, need to learn how to win.

Surprise, surprise. Joseph's back.