Monday, October 16, 2006


Since I seem to have done a lot more internalizing than writing lately, here are a few quick hits.

Sports analysts can be really--and I mean really--überdramatic.
I was watching ESPNews this afternoon when a discussion ensued about the major brawl between the football teams of Miami and Florida International. According to one critic, the seasons of both teams should have been cancelled. Now, it's possibly true that the punishments may end up being too weak for the crime. Still, anyone who believes that the rest of the year should be scrapped, especially in the case of a high-profile program like Miami, is delusional. Forgetting the vast financial implications and the inability for opponents to play potentially significant games, football is one of the bastions of campus life. Even when my Cal Bears began their 2001 season 0-9, we managed to get at least a little excited for the Big Game against Stanford. Denying all those involved with the universities that sort of enthusiasm is short-sighted, and would only make true fans feel worse about the needless incident.

Obviously, I panicked after Game #1 of one particular season.
About a month ago, I was pumped that Cal was on national TV for their first game of the season. They began the year playing a relatively prestigious nonconference game in the hostile environment that is Knoxville, Tennessee. Unfortunately, my beloved Bears never seemed to get things going, and I ended the afternoon taking out my aggression on the basketball court. Ever since though, it has been as smooth a ride as anyone could hope. Now 6-1 after a 21-3 win at Washington State, QB Nate Longshore, RBs Marshawn Lynch/Justin Forsett, and CB Daymeion Hughes seem to be on a collision course with #2 USC. Somehow, I feel like I've seen this movie before.

You know a hockey game is great when a fight takes place after a period ends.
I got a slightly late jump on seeing live hockey this year, but I was glad I didn't wait any longer. The Dallas Stars ended up walking away from the Honda Center with a 5-0 record, but it sure was a fun ride in the process. In case you think this is just another example of an enthusiasm for hockey that relatively few share...well, perhaps you're right. At least I'm not the only one, because John Buccigross sure loved the only NHL contest played yesterday. My favorite moments:

-The aforementioned tussle. This one involved Travis Moen, who arrived last season via the amazingly positive Sergei Fedorov trade. On the other end was Matthew Barnaby, who I remember from his New York Ranger days. Since the first period horn had already sounded, I thought the refs might intervene sooner, but they let the guys have it out. By the end, Anaheim players were banging their sticks on the bench in approval for Moen.
-Todd Marchant, signed by the Ducks following the Fedorov deal, lit the lamp for the first tally I've been privileged to witness all year. You never forget your first, and I instantly flashed back to the dozen or so times I entered the arena last year before my playoff ticket-buying binge even began.
-No one likes to see a goalie pulled from a game as Ilya Bryzgalov was, but Jean-Sebastien Giguere did get a nice hand from the crowd as he entered. I admit I was surprised at the change, even if the second Dallas goal scored by LW Niklas Hagman did look a little soft. My sister then realized that she was peering at the JumboTron, even though a school project prohibited her from watching television all week. I took the opportunity to mock the somewhat contradictory principles of her assignment, which allowed listening to CDs but not MP3s. My response: "TV in arenas is OK!"
-Niedermayer to Niedermayer. When two brothers like Rob and Scott play on the same franchise, they will form a combination on the scoresheet eventually. There was no time for sentimentality here, though: the Ducks still trailed 3-2 after Dallas' three-goal second frame.
-Pandemonium in Anaheim (or as close as is possible during the regular season)! A perfect faceoff win set up Andy McDonald's tying goal with just 20 ticks on the clock. I got very familiar with Chris Pronger when I lived in St. Louis, and he added a helper on this crucial play.
-Two words: Ryan Shannon. I watched his shootout goal against the Islanders on the tube, but the center attempted an even nuttier shot in the opening frame of this one, and somehow Marty Turco sprawled to get in front of it. These are the plays that make me wonder what I ever did before shootouts became a feature in the lay of the National Hockey League land. If you want a better idea of what he attempted to execute, see the amateur photo above.

Dallas has a not-so-secret weapon in the shootout otherwise known as Jussi Jokinen. The guy is a killer in this situation, and ended up providing the difference in the game. Sergei Zubov and Mike Modano also had strong showings. Walking out the door, I felt it unfortunate that I'd have to return in the not so distant future doing something I haven't in a long while: rooting against the home team. The loss notwithstanding, Anaheim has looked strong through five games, and I'm sort of relieved that the Rangers will also be playing at Staples on their swing out West.

Speaking of which: the Blueshirts have been up and down early, but there's reason to hope.
Some obviously overblown reflections on games one through six:

Preview: Expectations were quite high heading into this season for the denizens of the Garden. Petr Prucha and Henrik Lundqvist were rookie sensations, Jagr managed to exceed expectations, and Brendan Shanahan was added in addition to two members of the champion Hurricanes.

Best moment: Half a minute into the home opener, Jagr beat Olaf Kolzig for the first time as the newly labeled captain. Shanahan went on to score two, including career #600, but Jaromir's breakaway conversion set the tone, a belief confirmed by a Rangers' fan poll.

Worst sequence: Kevin Weekes allowing Buffalo to take the lead in the first period on Saturday after the Rangers got out of the gate with a 2-0 lead against the streaking Sabres. I had read that Weekes had gotten booed undeservedly last year, but he didn't help the cause in his first taste of 2006-07 action.

Biggest surprise: Marcel Hossa finding the net in Round 13 of the shootout at Philadelphia after 25 shooters had come up empty. It had gotten so absurd that the announcers were waiting for another moment for Marek Malik to be the hero.

Rivalry statement: Tonight, versus New Jersey. Being swept by the Devils in the first round last year as Jagr battled injury was tough to take, and tonight's 4-2 victory at the Garden showed that Martin Brodeur is only mostly impenetrable.

Earliest team MVP declaration ever: Shanahan. Looks like my affinity for the blue and red paid off in fantasy, as the ageless one has scored in all but one game thus far. Now, if only he could double as defenseman.

Sure, I'm still bummed about the Yankees' exit from the playoff stage.
Somehow, though, I've found the will to stay involved in the day-to-day developments in MLB, at first partially because I wanted reassurance that Torre and A-Rod will stay. On the day in which it all came apart for the Bombers, I also headed to Dodger Stadium for Los Angeles' elimination from the derby at the hands of the Mets. Needless to say, my friend and I knew exactly how each other felt in the darkness of the parking lot at Chavez Ravine. Still, I continue to root against Detroit; so far, it has been to no avail, but I demand revenge, and maybe a team like the Amazins can pull it off. I got into a baseball conversation at Longs today, and the pharmacists seemed amused that I could be so vindictive. Furthermore, I've realized that baseball chats interest me even after my primary reason for reading them was a vanquished team. I guess I'm a seamhead even after the fandom has been sucked out of me, as evidenced by my request to view Game 2 of the NLCS at a local restaurant. If you've seen those commercials with Tommy Lasorda, you know that I'm making him smile right about now. I just wonder whether he has the stomach for an October that's now devoid of his pride and joy.