Friday, October 10, 2008

What I learned Friday 10/10/08

What I learned Friday....

(The weeks sure go by quick no?)

Let sleeping children sleep...always.

Sarah Palin equals comedy gold. Speaking of which, I keep on waiting for the Republicans to pull a rabbit out of their a--es no? It's getting late in the game, no? Perhaps next week?

Unless you need the money yesterday, don't touch your 401k money. In fact, some might argue it's a great buying opportunity.

You know you're in bad financial straits when your newborn son has more cash on hand than you do.

Be nice to the people on the way up because you're sure to need them on the way down.

Pitching, pitching, and more pitching. That's what the baseball teams still playing have. I'm a little worried because I keep seeing Cashman's mug all over the airwaves. Shouldn't he be in that office making something happen?

The NY Rangers begin their home opener tonight. There's nothing better than opening night at MSG. In fact, the TV side is not bad either. Joe Michelletti is growing on me.

Is it me or do the rest of you have a hard time judging NHL defensemen on TV?

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Sports Illustrated's Hockey Preview

Boy was I disappointed to see the NHL preview in the most recent issue of SI.
What the hell? Surely the NHL deserves more than a few spreads devoting a skinny column to each team. Why bother covering the sport if you're going to do the obligatory "Sidney Crosby Saves the NHL" but Detroit has the best team nonsense. it drives me crazy.

I love the National Hockey League. It's the coolest game going. Its players are world class athletes and among the toughest. Where else would you see a fourth-line center barely miss a shift after getting two teeth knocked out. Despite the hits, fights, and saves, hockey remains fourth among team sports and well behind that of NASCAR.

Sure the NHL has had its detractors. It's never been wildly popular. Don Imus used to say that there were only 17,000 hockey fans in the tri-state area and those fans went to every Devil, Islander and Ranger game. In fact, the I-Man forbade Mike Breen to even give the previous night's scores.

Who's to blame? Commissioner Gary Bettman. If only for the fact that I never forgot the way he mangled the Rangers Stanley Cup presentation in 1994. "Mark Messier, come get the Stanley Cup" ...and that goofy grin. Everytime I see the replay, I want to vomit. Sure Bettman gets a ton of credit for delivering "cost-certainty" to the game by strong-arming the players, but I'd sure risk a two-minute boarding penalty to get the dude in the corner. Perhaps Chris Chelios was right after all. The NHL needs a good PR team. Come to think of it...don't we all?