Category: Sport

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The First Fan Into the Hockey Hall of Fame

I know that I am far from being qualified for this, but the contest is on for the first fan honored in the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is the first time that the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has ever put a fan into the ranks of hockey legends, but it seems that this could be a one time thing depending on the outcome of this inaugural contest.

Check out part of the description for Brigette Mcilmoyle, a Canucks fan who has made the list of finalists.

I paid the ultimate tribute to all our Canadian hockey teams with my hockey themed wedding, complete with the wedding party each in a Canadian team jersey (including the bride) and a pastor in a ref’s jersey. An exact replica of the Cup as our cake headlined the decorations, and I walked down the isle to [the theme from Saturday night’s national hockey telecast] (to name a few of the highlights). Make no mistake, I was more excited about the theme than my husband. Girls CAN be even bigger hockey fans than boys! [tsn.ca]

I totally voted for her, but at 8% of the vote, as of today, her chances look slim.

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Does Anyone Really Care?

Barry BondsI guess it would be fairly incorrect to ask if anyone cares that Barry Bonds is about to surpass Babe Ruth’s home run record. It’s obvious that people around the world are paying attention. I would doubt that they are waiting on the edge of their seats though.

And obviously, I care enough to mention this. But it is such an after thought. When Ichiro was going for his record of hits in a season, I was scanning the headlines and catching all the sports highlights that I could. Sosa and McGuire? The same thing. That was exciting. Bonds isn’t.

Is it the whole steroids thing? I think that’s pretty spot on. And I can’t say thank you enough to Juan Pierre of the Cubs for snagging the homer away from him last night.  Holy crap that was awesome.  Bonds is too much of a diva for my liking.  And being that Chicago is on a losing skid as is, I’d really like to see him not hit that mark against the Cubbies.

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I Wanna Be a Hockey DJ

I don’t know anything about the rules and regulations of what can or can’t be played during those brief times when play is stopped during a game, but I wanna be a hockey DJ.  I want to pick what songs are going to be played when there is that tiny moment of no action happening on the ice.

I know that there is a lot of debate among hockey fans that say the organ should reign supreme in the rink.  I’m not here to argue against that idea.  I actually dig the concept.  But have you caught some of the crap that gets played?  Especially in the states?!  You really expect Kelly Clarkson to get the crowd, yet alone the players, really fired up for the ensuing face off?

I would have to say that getting a gig like this would be a dream job.  One of those all-time, top five types of jobs.  Of course, if I were picking the playlist, I know I would get people asking who the hell I was playing.  I’m the type of DJ that plays music according to the situation.  Playing tunes for the sake of people knowing the music is difficult for me, but I’m not saying I wouldn’t play by those rules either.

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They Are 50%, Absolutely Correct

Doghouse sign in downtown Vancouver, BCThe Vancouver Canucks have asked Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for permission to speak to Mr. Quinn about coming back to the west coast. We’ll just have to wait and see. Some people around the city seem to think, or know, otherwise.

I snapped this shot just today while taking care of some details regarding my status here. Will post more on my flickr later. Right now I’m pretty beat. Lots of sun, warmth, walking, and ice caps from TimHo’s. Must… drink… water…

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Koivu’s Left Eye

Koivu getting help on the benchDid you see the game the other night between Montreal and Carolina? Habs’ captain Saku Koivu[espn card] got a horrible injury to his left eye from Carolina’s Justin Williams in a blatent, but said to be accidental, high stick. Yet, there was no call on the play.

Koivu collapsed to the ice with blood streaming down his face. He skated off the best that he could, but his vision was obviously hampered. He held his arms out as he went towards the bench, looking for help from anyone nearby to give him a hand.

Several Montreal players after the game couldn’t understand why referee Dennis La Rue missed the obvious penalty on Williams, particularly after Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek was assessed a four-minute high-sticking call for an infraction on Hurricanes forward Cory Stillman with 4:34 remaining in regulation time. [full story…]

There has been a series of strange happenings with calls being made. This one takes more controversy simply because this injury won’t take just a few stitches to heal. I’m wondering if he’ll have full vision in his left eye again.

There should have been a call. The fact that there wasn’t has people wondering about the referee system in general. The incident took place not far from the puck, so the attention wouldn’t have been that far away from the official. And yes, it makes me sad to see Koivu out. I want the Hurricanes out. Go Habs Go!

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So Let It Begin…

Crow’s gone!

Update: Just so I do my best to not leave this hanging for those who are uninformed, here’s a brief update. Marc Crawford[wiki], or Crow, is now the former head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. Follow these links and get more info for yourself.

Crawford is the first of more to come in terms of really shaking up the team. The next question for me is if management will wait until they name a new head coach before they pluck more feathers from the bird. I heard there are five possibles for the job. Pat Quinn[wiki], but who else?

Update: TSN published this story about the potentials for the head coach job.

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Off-Season Games

There’s a lot happening in the NHL that would stem to peak the interest of a lot of Canucks fans right now. It might be early to start thinking about making any moves until the Stanley Cup is all over with, but I can’t stop myself from wondering.

Quinn’s out of the job in Toronto. Leafs don’t make it to the playoffs, he can’t lead Canada to the medal rounds of the Torino Olympics, and the fearless leader took a nasty puck to the face early in the season. Pat hasn’t had the best year. Nonis has stepped forward to say that the GM is for sticking with Crawford, but it would be an interesting move to bring Quinn back to Vancouver. I can’t say I know all the history and stats, but if you are one of those Canucks fans screaming to have Crawford fired, then here’s a great replacement.

The other thing is that Keith Tkachuk’s contract is up with St. Louis. I have never cared for the guy, but exceptions can be made if a move were to be made to bring him to Vancouver. The Blues had an awful year, and Tkachuk’s numbers from this season are not the greatest. Look at the record St. Louis had this year; you would too. He might make an interesting addition as a forward if the Blues don’t come to an agreement with him first.

With all the talk about shaking up the team for next year, we are well off to the races for post-season transaction speculation without the playoffs even starting yet.

Update: Blues optioned up for Tkachuk.  Darn. 

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San Thornton

Talk about a painful way of watching our hopes of making it to the playoffs come to an end. I’m not sure that it could have come in any better fashion, but the fact that there wasn’t a shootout allow my blood pressure to remain low and pants not be peed in.

Canucks lost tonight to Joe Thornton and his San Jose Sharks, Edmonton and Colorado get their places secured for the playoffs, and I’m left with an all too familiar feeling of waiting for next year.

I have to say thanks to Dave for part one and part two of the Canucks Outsider for helping me understand the history of what tonight led up to. It’s been a long time of fighting tooth and nail to get into that last playoff spot, only to not shine very brightly once the Canucks got there.

As a Cubs fan(that’s baseball), we know how this feels. I dare to make a comparison, but is that what being a Canucks fan is like? It won’t change my dedication either way. I’m all about next year.

However, there’s one last game to play on Saturday. I’m all about making that one a good party! That is, just as long as I don’t have to hear the name Joe Thornton during the broadcast a hundred times.

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Len & Bob’s Weekly Podcast

I am a Cubs fan. Pure, plain, and simple. Ever since I was wee, I’ve been a fan of the biggest losers in baseball. Say what you will, but I am what I am. There is very little you can do to change that.

What has me more excited is Len & Bob’s Weekly Podcast.

Every week, WGN Sports broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly will discuss the latest happenings about the Chicago Cubs.

Freaking sweet! We get WGN on digital cable here in Vancouver, but no Comcast SportsNet unless we upgrade to a dish. I always thought that WGN should have more games than Comcast, but that reigns more true now than before.

I did get a subscription to MLB.com’s gameday audio last season, the main reason being that my office at the radio station was horrible for getting any reception. Yes, I listened to another radio station to catch Cubs games, but you do what you have to do. Plus for the price, it’s pretty hard to beat.

MLB.com is a pretty great service, and there is large part of me that is really missing the sound of Ron Santo and Pat Hughes doing the games on radio. It’s always better to watch the games on TV and listen to Ron rip on the Cubs when the games get pretty awful.

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And Now For OT In Game 7

The Canucks needed to win last night.  It was considered game 7 of a playoff, but the game was over in the first period.  Now we head into sudden death overtime in the next three games, and it will not be easy.

Coming up, back to back games with San Jose, and then Edmonton.  Could we make this anymore of a nail bitter?  Yes, we can!  We’re going to need help in the forms of losses for Edmonton and Colorado.  Everything needs to slide into place for Vancouver to make the playoffs.

If we don’t, what happens next?  Crawford, Nausland, and Bertuzzi are names people keep talking about in very negative terms.  I’m not going to point any fingers now or later, but you have to think that something is going to happen.  The league has changed a lot this season.  Don’t be surprised when things shift in your own neighborhood.