Stuff with Brett

Dog Days of Summer

2009-07-17T14:36:00.003-04:00

Things I Decided IV

2009-06-26T23:19:00.039-04:00

Here it is, folks.

1. It is worthwhile to explore Alexisonfire's older releases.

I just picked up the band's latest release, Old Crows/Young Cardinals. After I listened to the whole album once through I was not disappointed in the least bit. As a result, I dug up some older tracks to listen to.

I was surprisingly expressed. Most of them were as raw as I expected, and George Petit's screams were more prevalent than Dallas Green's soothing melodies. Regardless, they were still phenomenal and catchy. The singing trifecta of Petit, Green, and Wade ~~Boggs~~ MacNeil does a great job of rotating between all the right emotions at the right times.

Enough. I don't really know anything about music, so I'll stop acting like it. Here's "Accidents". Give it a full listen through.

2. I need a new phone.

A piece covering the hinge on my current one cracked and fell off. As a result, I can pull the hinge out, and I have to push it back in a certain way every time I close it. A new phone is in order, though it will still have to be a flip phone. The texting phones are more than I need, and the touchscreen ones feel too flashy.

3. I should write a book.

I don't know what it should be about. I love writing. I'm not sure if I should write a book or a screenplay, and I don't know what it should be about. Furthermore, I hate everything I write. Rough way to write.

4. People shouldn't overreact as much.

Sometimes people are either too tightly wound or too ready to fight. So this is for everybody: just relax. Don't assume you're always being attacked, and understand that people are going to joke around with you. If they take it too far, then they've taken it too far. But if you're among friends, it's unlikely they'll take it too far, so just remind yourself to calm down.

5. Music is often better when blasted.

Not through headphones. Never through headphones. Speakers. Speakers. Speakers.

Go. Right now. Sit in your room. Put on fun music, and turn up the volume. Either sit back and enjoy, or walk around and dance.

"Shut up, grow up, turn it up."

6. Graduations are sad.

I was at a high school graduation the other day.

On one hand, they're happy. Everybody is graduating, moving onto bigger and better things. The future shines brighter than the past, or something like that.

But the past is sad. Everybody is graduating, symbolizing their release from high school and all of its memories. Sure, they'll never forget their years in high school. But everyone in the grade will never be together again, never be the same age again. You may never see some of the people in your grade ever again. 30 years down the road, you may not even be able to picture their face, or conjure their voice inside your head. Names will slowly drift away.

Don't know about you, but that makes me sad.

7. The Flyers overpaid for Chris Pronger.

The trade: RW Joffrey Lupul, D Luca Sbisa, 2009 first round pick, 2010 first round pick, and a conditional 2010 third round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for...D Chris Pronger, F Ryan Dingle.

Pronger is a top-pairing defenseman nearing the end of his career, but he's not done yet, and he may even have a few good years left in him. His physical style of play fits the Philadelphia mold for hockey players, and he is still a contributor offensively. He also brings leadership and a Stanley Cup ring to the locker room. Ryan Dingle's worth is questionable.

With that being said, let's analyze what the Ducks received.

Lupul: A solid forward, probably best suited as a second line winger. Not a superstar, but he'll give you 50 or so points with a relatively even split between goals and assists. Interestingly, enough, this is the second time he has been traded for Pronger. It should be noted that next season his contract extension would kick in, giving him a cap hit of about 4 million dollars a year. Too much.

Sbisa: Still young (a first round pick from the '08 draft), but loaded with potential nonetheless, which he showcased in an early season call-up to the Flyers. I'd rather lose him than one of the Flyers' other great forward prospects (Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk).

Picks: This is where I hate it. No, the two picks are not guaranteed NHL stars. But they're important for building the franchise, and should Pronger not resign and the Flyers not win the cup next season, the team's infusion of young talent may feature a few bumpy spots.

That being said, I hope the Flyers trade away Daniel Briere and his massive contract in order to free up cap space. This will lead to:
1. More cap room, which in turn, gives you...
2. The resigning of Mike Knuble.
3. Hopefully, a first round pick, or at least a decent defenseman.

8. The Rangers' cap situation has made it impossible for them to become contenders.

Over half of their cap room (32.782 million) is invested in Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, and Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is the only one earning that much money right now, and this is by no means an indictment of Chris Drury.

Eternal optimists will point out that the team has around 17-18 million dollars worth of cap space.

Pessimists will remind you that team only has 4 forwards and 4 defenseman currently under contract. Rozsival's and Drury's contracts expire after 2011-12, while Gomez's and Redden's expire after 2014-15.

This penchant for overpaying veterans, coupled with the team's inability to draft well, will cause trouble in the future. My favorite example is the 2003 draft: the only player taken in the 1st round that has yet to play an NHL game is RW Hugh Jessiman, taken 12th overall by the Rangers. Jessiman was traded to the Nashville Predators this past season ~~just to get rid of him~~ in exchange for future considerations.

Good luck building a (winning) team.

9. Old Zelda games are absurdly fun.

Remember Ocarina of Time? And Wind Waker?

Great stuff. I highly suggest you replay them. I already beat Wind Waker, and am nearing the end of Ocarina of Time. Next up is Majora's Mask, or, if I decide to go a little more modern, Twilight Princess.

Few games have ever reached the same level as the Zelda games. If you find yourself bored over the summer, go pick up a used copy of one. It'll be well worth your time and money.

10. James Bond rankings.

10.1 Sean Connery - the original. No questions here.

10.2 Roger Moore - still smooth, still dangerous. His performances didn't measure up to Connery's, but he was the next best imitation of Connery's Bond.

10.3 Daniel Craig - Craig's newer, grittier Bond has been a revelation, and he's made the character his own without changing the role too much. Just look at the pictures. Connery and Moore are simply pointing the gun upwards, while Craig is letting you know he means business.

10.4 Pierce Brosnan - too smooth, too pretty, too many fancy gadgets that seemed to fit his every need perfectly. GoldenEye was good, but it went downhill afterwards. Nothing against Pierce, though; had I seen The Matador, I probably would've liked it.

10.5 George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton - because there's no way I can convince you either of them were any good as Bond.

11. Barbecues rule.

Nothing like some burgers, hot dogs, chips, and a cold beverage. Some frisbee, wiffle ball, basketball afterwards, or maybe croquet if you want to take it especially easy. Best of all, though, is to just sit out back, relax, and talk.

And now, for The Sounds' "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake":

-brett

Thoughts On The Stanley Cup Finals

2009-06-07T00:02:00.015-04:00

Prior to this blog, it should be noted that I am biased against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, I'll do my best to limit this bias.

If you didn't know (you probably didn't), it's the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Detroit Red Wings. After last night's 5-0 route of the Penguins by Detroit, Detroit leads the series 3-2, heading back to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Tuesday night. Any momentum the Penguins had following their Game 4 win at home was completely obliterated as the Wings took over the game.

DETROIT
Impressive Detroit Players
1. Darren Helm - Helm seems like he's everywhere at once, constantly backchecking the Penguins forwards as well as throwing his body around like a wrecking ball on the forecheck. He's not overly flashy, but he has a nice combination of speed and physicality that makes him an ideal energy player. Turn on the game, and you're likely to hear his name within the first 10 seconds of viewing. I'm not even sure if he ever leaves the ice.

2. Pavel Datsyuk - Sat out Games 1-4, and, of course, once he's back for Game 5, the Wings take it 5-0. His two assists are nice, but the scoresheet donuts for Malkin and Crosby show the true importance of Datsyuk to this team.

3. Chris Osgood - Osgood has, realistically, not been particularly impressive. He was decent in Games 1 and 2, but luck was on his side, and he was exposed in Games 3 and 4. However, the Game 5 shutout was "vintage" Osgood; to put it simply, he only has to be good, not great, to win games. Most of the time, he doesn't even have to be good, which is helpful, considering he's...y'know...not that good. Don't underappreciate him, though. If the Wings take the Cup yet again, that will be Osgood's 4th Stanley Cup ring.

Detroit Player That Needs To Be Better
Marian Hossa - If anything, do it to save yourself the shame. Hossa left the Penguins at the end of last season because he thought Detroit had a better chance of winning the cup. In defense of his play, Hossa hasn't been able to catch too many breaks, but if he can get himself going then Detroit should be able to pull away with the series. It would probably help if spent less time plowing into Penguins backup goalie Mathieu Garon, and more time scoring. The man is a villain in Pittsburgh, and it's up to him to justify his decision.

Detroit Player Whose Name I Like
Justin Abdelkader

PENGUINS
Impressive Pittsburgh Players
1. Maxime Talbot - Talbot is a player in a similar mold to that of Helm. Fast and...rambunctious, Talbot is a key depth player. He is part of the heart of this Penguins team, and his 2 goals in Game 3 were key. He also gets the superstar treatment:

2. Sergei Gonchar - Gonchar deserves some credit for playing through his knee injury, and he's an important piece on the power point as well. Furthermore, he's avoided another one of these:

Jekyll and Hyde Pittsburgh Players
1. Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin - For Pittsburgh, it's all about home ice. Crosby and Malkin have combined for 8 points on home ice, while only 2 on the road (Malkin has both!). After Malkin's disappearance act last year, both players have showed up in a massive way for the playoffs. However, Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are two of the best defensive forwards in the league, if not the two best. Crosby and Malkin need to break free of them not at only at home, but on the road, regardless of whether they're getting the matchups they want or not.

Furthermore, at certain times in the series, it's been obvious that Detroit is inside their heads, whether it's Malkin going after Zetterberg at the end of Game 2 or Crosby's unneeded slash on Zetterberg (I couldn't find the video, so I just went with that one) during Game 5. In general, though Crosby has seemed frustrated, whether it's an extra slash or shove while fighting for a loose puck in the corner or having friendly chats with Kirk Maltby (video here). Both players have been stifled in Detroit, and they don't like it one bit.

2. Marc-Andre Fleury - Same for Fleury. Fleury's two best performances came at home. In contrast, he let up 5 goals before being pulled in Game 5. Last year, Fleury was the one constant in the Penguins Finals run; he showed up to play every night. He needs to do that again this year if the Pens have any hope of a comeback.

Things Dan Bylsma Needs To Do
Not let the team lose their composure like at the end of Games 2 and 5. Game 5 gradually deteriorated into a guessing game of which Pittsburgh player would take a run at or slash which Detroit player. Surprsingly, Chris Kunitz only received a roughing call after pulling Darren Helm out of a scrum and punching him, while Helm covering his head was obvious sign he wasn't in a fighting mood. Malkin got away without a suspension at the end of Game 2, despite an instigator penalty for a similar crime. All of Bylsma's regular season success is for naught if he can't pull this team together now.

OTHER STUFF
Tip of the hat to Detroit coach Mike Babcock for bringing the team this far again. Regardless of the talent level the Wings have, he brings it all together phenomenally.

Chris Kunitz, brought in from Anaheim for Ryan Whitney, has only 1 goal in 22 playoff games.

The Penguins have 3 players that played for the Islanders within the past 2 seasons: Ruslan Fedotenko, Bill Guerin, and Miroslav Satan. I don't know why this is relevant.

The White Stripes are pretty good. Check 'em out.

-brett

Things I Decided III

2009-04-26T17:10:00.069-04:00

As usual, feel free to just scan the different bold topics and read only the ones that interest you.

So many decisions to make, so little time.

1. Robot Chicken is perhaps the funniest and most unique show on television.

Just a heads up, some of the stuff in the show might be considered inappropriate.

Robot Chicken is a combination of all of those tiny jokes you find funny, the one-liners that make you chuckle and the silly situations that you conjure in your mind. All of this is done marvelously by actor Seth Green and "Other Guy" Matthew Senreich. Here's a clip, if you can watch it:

(More clips can be seen on their website, if you're interested. The link is further up, where it says "Robot Chicken".)

Yeah, it's animated. But it doesn't make a difference. Try watching an episode. The Star Wars episode is a classic, but there are plenty of others. It's on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network at whatever time, but I just watch them online.

2. I will be jumping on the Seattle Seahawks bandwagon next season.

Don't ask me why. I don't know. Maybe I just enjoyed watching them beat the Jets last year. Hasselbeck will be back. They drafted a few guys who are supposed to be good. That receiver fellow, T.J. Houshmanzadeh, is supposed to be good, and should make a nice target lining up opposite Deion Branch.

But really, with a new coach, it's entirely possible that the team will torpedo its season. At least they'll get another high draft pick if they do.

It also helps that I have a Seahawks jersey. It's Ricky Watters. He's retired.

3. Donald Faison is excellent in Scrubs, but is most captivating in Remember the Titans.

Don't get me wrong. I love Faison as Dr. Chris Turk. He's a funny guy, and I think he's hilarious in Scrubs. Furthermore, he occasionally provides that dose of "real" that brings the show back down to earth. Oh, and, uhhh, he always had a short cameo in Fall Out Boy's music video for their cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It". He's in there at about the 1:10 mark.

That being said, he most tugs on the strings of the audience's heart in Remember the Titans. You might not even remember him in the movie. He plays running back Petey Jones, who converts to defense after realizing his penchant for fumbling. Early on in the season, he replaces Ryan Gosling (another favorite of mine. Go watch Half Nelson. Do it. Now. Trust me.), and becomes an every day player.

Wood Harris is also featured in ~~The Wire~~ the movie as ~~Baltimore drug dealer Avon Barksdale~~ defensive star Julius Campbell.

However, partway through the season, Petey breaks down, and gives up his spot Alan Bosley (the guy Gosling plays). In the final game for a championship (I'm pretty sure it was the state level), Petey asks Coach Yoast (Will Patton) to put him in. Yoast refuses, saying Petey let the team down when they needed him.

But here it is. Bosley finds himself out of his league as the Titans are trailing, and asks Yoast to put Petey in. Yoast tells him that the only person who can give Petey Bosley's spot is Bosley himself. Bosley runs to Petey, and tells him he's in.

Petey's face lights up. He takes the field, making the hit on the other team's punt return. Next down (I think), and Petey's man catches the ball. Petey hits him. Fumble. Petey recovers. You hear coach Boone (Denzel Washington) shouting for him to hold onto the ball. Everybody piles on. Finally, when the players gradually all get off of him, Petey stands up, raising the football triumphantly into the air, after not only holding onto the ball for once, but after giving his team a chance to win the championship game.

And what do you think happens? They do.

(My storytelling may be a little off. I saw the ending a few days ago, so the final scene where Petey gets the ball for the team might not be exact.)

4. Michael Jordan made Space Jam incredible.

Let me preface this by stating that Michael Jordan is, in every possible way, awesome.

Now, onto the movie. Jordan gave the movie a little something called "star power". With any other NBA star, the movie would've been worse off than with Jordan. MJ brings not only his unmatched basketball prowess, but also his genuine charisma and mo derate ac ting ability. Think of him as The Rock (or do we call him Dwayne Johnson, now?), minus the intimidating stare and a little friendlier.

Besides, who could forget Michael's Secret Stuff and the amazing comeback by the Looney Tunes, all set to the tune of "Space Jam" by the Quad City DJ's? I know I can't.

5. Nothing captures the story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter like Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane".

The story of Carter was/is a terrible consquence of American racism. The Wikipedia article is here, but I'll try to condense it for you.

Carter was a black professional boxer, who, in 1966, was convicted (along with a friend of his, John Artis) of the murder of a bartender and two customers at Lafayette Bar and Grill in Carter's hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. After the shooting (where the shooters were identified as two black males), Carter and Artis were pulled over. Carter had a pistol and a shotgun shell that matched those of the shooters, and his car was identifie d as the one at the scene.

Of course, there were about a million holes in the prosecutor's evidence, and racism was evident in the trial. My feelings on the story are best put by Bob:

"How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game"

Now I'll let Bob clean up by doing what he does best: tell a story.

If that doesn't work for you, you can find the lyrics here.

6. Black Eyed Peas's "Where Is The Love?" is a classic song .

Whoops, wrong "Where Is The Love". I guess the question mark makes a difference.

As usual, it won't let me embed the song. So we'll have to make do. The video can be found here.

I usually dislike rap/pop music. Some rap, I enjoy, but it's rare, and I'll take in the occasional pop song (right now it's between Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" and Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold". And yes, I hate myself for it.).

But don't underestimate the ability of "Where Is The Love?" to pull you in if it hasn't already. The song does a phenomenal job of displaying several social issues in the U.S. today. I say "today" because these problems still exist. No, they have not disappeared since the song's release in 2003.

All told, though, the song is a plea for world peace, racial understanding, and, simply, love, with all of these cries for help captured expertly by the rapping of the Black Eyed Peas and the vocals of Justin Timberlake. Yes, he got his hooks into this song, too.

7. +44 is better than Angels & Airwaves.

Don't let me give you the wrong impression. I'm ecstatic over the reforming of Blink-182.

But +44's music is simply better. Tom Delonge seemed caught up in trying to be important and making an impact. Meanwhile, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker still acted like they were enjoying themselves. Their music wasn't as radical a departure from Blink-182's as Delonge's music was, but that's not the point. +44's music was catchy, occasionally fun, and emotional when it needed to be. Angels & Airwaves's music had a tendency to get lost in itself.

Oh, and it was kindof Delonge's fault that Blink-182 broke up in the first place. I understand he needed some rest, but still, if you're going to quit the band, tell the other members yourself rather than letting your manager tell them.

8. I should really go see the new X-Men and Star Trek movies while they're in theaters.

Yet I have this feeling that I may be too late...

9. Southland is a good show.

I do not watch a lot of television, but I can confidently say Southland was well worth my time. The show focuses on several policemen and detectives in Los Angeles. The show essentially follows different partners as they go through their routines and work through cases.

Instead of reciting the whole show, I'm simply going to state that the best pair to watch are Officer John Cooper, played by Michael Cudlitz, and Officer Ben Sherman, played by Benjamin McKenzie. Yes, the same Benjamin McKenzie who played Ryan Atwood in The O.C. Each officer has problems. Cooper has back pains, and must resort to drug dealers in order to get the medicine he needs. Sherman, meanwhile, often argues with his father, an d his new job as a policeman is something looked down upon by friends and family, given his parents' wealth.

Beyond that, though, Cooper and Sherman simply make a good team. Cudlitz as Cooper is sarcastic and realistic. Cooper is realistic about the state of the city and crime without being overly pessimistic. His methods are occasionally unorthodox, but at heart, he is a true policeman, and a good mentor for the rookie cop Sherman. Their relationship is tense; regardless, their patrols are always interesting and eventful, whether it's stopping a convenience store robbery or "divorcing" a couple with domestic abuse problems.

10. The Shiny Toy Guns cover of "Major Tom (Coming Home)" is phenomenal.

Note that this isn't David Bowie's "Major Tom". Rather, it's a cover of Peter Schilling's follow-up to the original, where the main character has been in some sort of accident in space, and is now presumably dying.

Really, though, good song.

11. The Detroit Red Wings will win the Stanley Cup.

First off, I'd like to state I had this here prior to their Game 1 victory over the Penguins.

I'm still scared of the Pens. Crosby has improved on his performance from last year, and Malkin has played much better throughout the playoffs. That being said, Detroit lost no key pieces from last year, and actually added one from Pittsburgh in Marian Hossa.

Why will they win? The term "depth" is always emphasized in the playoffs. It means someone besides the team's best players can score. The Penguins have moderate depth; having Crosby and Malkin is pretty good depth in itself, but the rest of the offense can still do some damage.

That being said, Detroit is essentially another word for depth. Virtually everybody on the team can score, and the only thing preventing them is a lack of ice time. Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg are leading the way so far, while Dan Cleary has provided clutch goals and Valtteri Filppula, surprisingly, leads the team in assists.

All that, and the team hasn't even gotten Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa going yet.

12. Pandora is a phenomenal tool for finding new music similar to music you already like.

Here's the link.

The site's a little insane, and I mean that in a good way. You make a station by putting in a musical artist or song you already like. Pandora has already sorted every song in its database (there are a lot) by a massive variety of attributes and qualities. It then plays music similar to the artist/song you based your station off of.

Personally, I've used the website as a way to get into bands I've always been interested in but never listened to. Right now it's The Shins and the White Stripes.

Really, though, give the website a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised. There are other sites similar to Pandora, but Pandora could be the best/easiest to use.

13. "Brouhaha" is a funny word.

Say it to yourself.

"Brouhaha".

I just heard you chuckling.

In conclusion...

Here's a band I actually first heard on Pandora. I give you Iron & Wine's cover of "Such Great Heights", originally by The Postal Service.

-brett

Things I Decided II

2009-04-25T23:13:00.006-04:00

Again, feel free to peruse the phrases in bold and only read those that truly interest you.

1. All new Adam Sandler movies are not funny.

Do I dislike Sandler? No. I loved him in classics such as Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Wedding Singer. The Wedding Singer actually gave us this classic song:

Recently? I heard Don't Mess With the Zohan was decent. But The Longest Yard should never have been remade, and 50 First Dates was...well, you get the point. Sandler needs to bring his glory days back to the big screen.

My statement was too harsh. But please, Adam. I know you're better than this.

2. UNKLE's "Rabbit in Your Headlights" video is incredible.

The song itself is good. But you really have to watch the video to truly appreciate it. Again, record labels have prevented me from embedding it here. Instead, you will see perhaps the most important (and controversial) frame:

You can watch it here. Simply click the "video" section, and then hover your mouse over the list until it scrolls down to "Rabbit in Your Headlights". Then click, and enjoy.

3. Center Daniel Briere's contract with the Philadelphia Flyers is completely unnecessary.

No, I couldn't stay away from hockey for too long. However, Briere was signed after the abysmal season of 2006-07, where the Flyers finished last in the NHL and set a franchise record for the worst winning percentage. Once free agency started, agressive general manager Paul Holmgren gave Briere a 8 year, 52 million dollar contract.

Great. Number one center for the Flyers. Had a 90+ point season once. Good signing.

No. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have matured into the number 1 centers they were supposed to become. Both of Briere's seasons have been disappointing. He has underproduced (97 points over two seasons), partially thanks to his new love for injuries (108 games of a possible 164).

There aren't too many ways for me to put this. Carter is a better goal scorer than Briere, and while Richards may not be as good of a playmaker as Briere is, his defensive game is infinitely better than Briere's. Okay, so Briere's presence there "gives the team another weapon": a 6.5 million dollar a year weapon that's usually hurt and is afraid to battle for the puck in the corners.

Of course, if Briere can deliver either in this year's playoffs or next season, I'll shut my mouth (and secretly pray that the Flyers trade him while they still can).

4. Sean Avery is a class act.

Marty Brodeur thinks so.

5. The Verve are underrated.

Primarily known in the U.S. for "Bitter Sweet Symphony", this band really doesn't get enough credit. It didn't help that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones actually got all the songwriting credits for the song, regardless of everything lead singer Richard Ashcroft contributed. That being said, the video is phenomenal:

Here's another one of my favorites, called "Lucky Man":

6. Family Guy's take on Cookie Monster is hilarious.

Here's two clips. If it doesn't work for you on your computer...you have to find time to watch them somehow.

7.The best Sour Patch Kids are the red ones.

Here is my hierarchy:

1. Red
2. Orange
3. Green
4. Yellow

Red are delicious. And let's face it. What was the last quality candy you had that was lemon flavored?

If you're curious, the Starburst hierarchy is extremely similar:

1. Red
2. Pink
3. Orange
4. Yellow

Hmmm...there's a pattern here...

Blue raspberry and watermelon Sour Patch are delicious as well.

8. Being an NFL kicker would be a fun job.

Think about it. All you do is kick at practice. And you get paid plenty of money. Sure, you have to be able to handle a lot of pressure. But think about it. If you're one of those people that's able to take a deep breath, relax, and do what needs doing, then kicking in a high-pressure situation shouldn't be much trouble (assuming you can kick at all).

Okay, some people will make the argument "Your teammates won't respect you because you aren't as tough as them or as blah blah blah blah blah." Some of that may be true. But the difference between a competent kicker and an incompetent kicker can be a massive one. They know that when the ball lies on the 30, the team is down by 2, and it's the last play of the game, you have a lot of pressure on you to score. But they also know you're the only that can win the game at this point. Could someone call a kicker a wimp? Maybe. However, his importance should never be underestimated.

My best example of how a kicker matters? January 27, 1991. Giants: 20, Bills:19. 4th quarter. 8 seconds on the clock. Bills' kicker Scott Norwood attempts a 47 yarder, which sails wide right. Bills lose.

9. Jon Stewart's America (The Book) is funnier that Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!)

No, I am not arguing Stewart is funnier than Colbert. That is an issue I'm still torn on. It actually makes me sad when people completely disregard the fact that, for quite a while, Colbert was a correspondent on Stewart's show. Stewart came first; even if people don't find him as funny as Colbert, they should at least respect him.

But onto the books. Colbert is written more like a biography. He includes all of his thoughts and views on politics, somehow tied into his life story. Is it funny? Yes.

However, Stewart's book is the better piece. Why? It's essentially a text book that pokes fun at all the information inside itself. That's not to say it's full of only factual information. Rather, some facts are given, and jokes are interspersed. Correspondents from Stewart's show (Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms, Samantha Bee, ~~Veronica Corningstone~~) all have minor segments in which the appear to provide the reader with a fun change of pace from the main body of writing. All the while, Stewart is parodying America's view of its history and the rest of the world, showing just how misplaced America's beliefs can be sometime.

10. This is harder to write than I thought.

I'm out of things to decide on. I figured I'd have plenty of material, but I'm running low. I'll try to muster up more for next time.

Actually, if anybody ever has any suggestions for things I can decide on, feel free to place them in the comments section.

11. The Killers b-sides album, Sawdust, is pretty good.

Sure, not every song is a classic. It's a b-sides album. It presents the sounds of the first two albums in contrast: "Under The Gun" would be right at home on Hot Fuss, while a track like "The Ballad of Michael Valentine" would be a perfect fit on Sam's Town.

But this shouldn't come as a surprise. These are b-sides, which are usually discarded tracks from the original albums that have appeared in different places such as bonus tracks, extra songs on singles, or on movie soundtracks. The only new and original material is "Tranquilize", which features Lou Reed on vocals as well. A few covers were thrown in ("Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", "Shadowplay", and "Romeo and Juliet"), along with a phenomenal remix in "Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix)".

Here are a few tracks I recommend you listen to:

"Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf"
"Under the Gun"
"Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll"
"Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix)"

To conclude my post, "Antibodies" by Sky Larkin:

Again, if that doesn't show up for you, it will probably work here.

-brett

NHL Western Conference Playoffs Predictions: '09 Style

2009-04-15T21:54:00.003-04:00

Second batch. YOU PSYCHED???

WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks barely snuck in, but that doesn't mean this will be easy for the Sharks. Anaheim is a big, physical team, and if they can get steady goaltending from either Jonas Hiller or Jean-Sebastien Giguere, they just might have a chance.

My wording there is important. The Sharks were the league's best team in the regular season, and have stars at nearly every position, whether its center Joe Thornton, defenseman Dan Boyle, or goalie Evgeni Nabokov. However, for the past few years, they have failed epically in the playoffs. Fortunately for them, this year looks to be different. New coach Todd McLellan seems like he's the right guy to help them make a deep run: the team was a machine right out of the gate, and the addition of several cup winners such as Rob Blake and Claude Lemieux bodes well. Sharks in 6.

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus's first trip to the playoffs, and they draw the league's defending champions. One step at a time, I guess. Still, Rick Nash leads an offensive group low on firepower against Detroit's absurdly deep offense (Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, and more) backed by some quality offensive defensemen (Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall).

If you want to hand Columbus an advantage, look between the posts. Chris Osgood will probably lose his starting job to backup Ty Conklin if he falters early, just as Osgood replaced starter Dominic Hasek in the playoffs last year. Meanwhile, Columbus has young goaltender Steve Mason, arguably the biggest reason they made it past 82 games this year. If anything sticks out, though, it's the 10 shutouts: he'll likely have to steal a game or two for Columbus. Detroit in 5.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues

Let me preface this by saying that the fact that the Blues even made it here is a massive achievement. Nobody expected them to make the playoffs. Then, players like Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, Erik Johnson, and Eric Brewer go down with injuries. Young guns T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, and David Perron took control of the offense, and Chris Mason made everybody forget about Manny Legace. Some legacy, huh? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

While Mats Sundin's numbers may seem sub-par, he's drawn plenty of attention from other teams, making more room players like Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows, and Ryan Kesler to work their magic. The awesome Willie Mitchell leads an experienced group of defenseman, and Roberto Luongo seems fully recovered from his injury and ready to go. Canucks in 5.

#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames

If I'm the Flames, I'm panicking. Chicago swept the season series, 4-0. Calgary has been ravaged by injuries, and the team has actually been forced to skate fewer players than their opponents because of salary cap constraints. Throw in the fact that Olli Jokinen's arrival marked the start of a long and steady slide for this team, along with Miikka Kiprusoff's poor impersonation of an NHL goaltender, and things do not look good for the Flames.

Are the Blackhawks inexperienced? Yes. Will it matter? It would appear not, considering the Flames look like sitting ducks at the moment. Don't get me wrong, Calgary is a physical team fully capable of competing. However, given Chicago's success and the team's untimely slump, the series seems to be sitting in Chicago's lap. Chicago in 4.

Siiick.

NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs Predictions: '09 Style

2009-04-15T19:12:00.003-04:00

I know that the playoffs, as of right now, have technically started already. But I promise I didn't look yet. Prepare for me to be way off the mark.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

Ooooooh, Original Six rivalry. Boston has been the best team in the East all season, with scoring depth from players like David Krejci and Blake Wheeler, not to mention stellar goaltending from Tim Thomas. Did I forget potential Norris Trophy nominee Zdeno Chara? Montreal hasn't really received any consistent scoring all season outside of defenseman Andrei Markov, and this isn't a team that can lock it down defensively. ~~The Canadiens are about to get rocked~~ This will still be a battle of a series...barring a Montreal implosion.

On second thought, that's likely. The Bruins got out of a nasty slump just before the playoffs. Montreal has been in a slump all season, and it's safe to say things aren't due to change. If Tim Thomas fails to show up in the playoffs, then this competition becomes closer. Still, Boston in 5.

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #7 New York Rangers

This could be a battle of special teams, considering the Capitals have one of the best powerplays in the league, while the Rangers have one of the best penalty kills. The Rangers powerplay, meanwhile, is one of the worst in the league, and is basically irrelevant.

Supposedly, New York's infamous Sean Avery will get in Alex Ovechkin's head, and the league's best goal scorer will be rendered ineffective. My opinion? Not happening. However, Capitals defenseman and goaltender Mike Green and Jose Theodore are far more susceptible. In last year's first-round series with the Flyers, Green was goaded into a fight by the pesky Scottie Upshall (I miss you, Scottie. Come back to Philly someday). Theodore is simply inconsistent, and Avery will probably make his home right on the crease. Fortunately, Washington has two other phenomenal scorers in Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom. The Rangers will spend the majority of the series relying on Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is good, but he deserves a better team. Washington in 6.

#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes

I'm going to ignore all the past playoff history between these two teams, and instead focus on the now. However, there are two things you should know about the Hurricanes:

1. They are not a particularly physical team, and are certainly less physical than New Jersey.
2. They came into the playoffs off a 13-3-2 streak dating back to the beginning of March.

Now for the Devils...they seemed to be a true contender for most of the regular season. Star goaltender Martin Brodeur went down with an injury, and for once, the team played like it didn't need him. Of course, now he comes back...the point is that the team has been 5-7-1 since the middle of March. They need to regain that form they had for most of the season. Regardless, Carolina in 6.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

This is the matchup I dreaded. The Penguins have been on a massive roll since new head coach Dan Bylsma took over. The Flyers dropped a weak 4-3 loss to the Rangers on their last game of the season to give up home ice advantage. However, this series comes down to Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Flyers goalie Martin Biron. If Fleury can regain his form from last year's playoffs (1.97 GAA, .933 Sv%), the Penguins are in business. If Biron can get hot, the Flyers will still probably lose. Penguins in 5.

That being said, Mike Richards is still the man, and is a player built for the playoffs.

Western Conference matchups will come later, and maybe I'll stick some pictures in this post too.

Fantasy Hockey Gloating

2009-04-13T19:40:00.009-04:00

I'd like to take a few moments to gloat about my fantasy hockey team. For those of you who care, here was my roster for most of the season/contributed the most in recent memory:

C-Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
C-Tim Connolly (BUF)
LW-Zach Parise (NJ)
LW-Ray Whitney (CAR)
RW-Shane Doan (PHO)
RW-Ales Hemsky (EDM)
D-Zdeno Chara (BOS)
D-Ryan Suter (NAS)
D-Anton Babchuk (CAR)
D-Kyle Quincey (LA)
UTIL-Kris Versteeg LW,RW (CHI)
UTIL-Steve Sullivan LW, RW (NAS)
Bench-Alex Burrows LW (VAN) (seen right, in
his two favorite activities)
Bench-Mathieu Schneider D (MON)
Bench-Rod Brind'Amour C (CAR)
Bench-Matt Stajan C (TOR)

And for goalies...
Tomas Vokoun (FLA)
Ilya Bryzgalov (PHO)
Jean-Sebastien Giguere (ANA)

Giguere, striking his favorite pose from the season, can be seen below. If you look closely, it appears he is wincing from letting up yet another goal. And trust me, he let up plenty.

Giguere was a waste of a 2nd round pick. I will not make that mistake again.

I'm especially proud of this team, since it was a 14 team league. In other leagues, I placed 2nd, 3rd, and 5th.

THINGS WE (I) LEARNED:
-3 starting goalies are not always necessary-Timeshares work fine (just look at Ty Conklin's numbers). The group above gave me the league lead in losses.

-Don't be afraid to bite early on young talent you've never heard of-It paid off for me with Versteeg, Stajan, and Quincey. Just make sure the player is in good circumstances.

-Get production in multiple categories-This is what Shane Doan does essentially every season (31 goals, 42 assists, 72 PIM). Brenden Morrow would've given me similar production had he not gotten injured. Alex Burrows is another great example (28 goals, 23 assists, 150 PIM), as is Zdeno Chara (19 goals, 31 assists, 95 PIM). Never have a player who only gives you PIM: make sure they're contributing elsewhere.

-Hold out on fragile players-People who drafted Marian Gaborik high were probably not happy (17 games). Instead of drafting players like him, wait until later in the season. They'll get injured and make their way into the free agent pool sooner or later. Wait until they return and shake off the rust, then grab them. My best examples: Tim Connolly (47 points in 48 games) and Steve Sullivan (32 goals in 41 games).

Below: Marian Gaborik, mid-air and mid-placement on the injured reserve.

-4 is magic-This is my last point. It's difficult to project when players will explode. However, season number 4 is usually a pretty good guess. I received breakout seasons from Zach Parise (94 points) and Ryan Suter (45 points), both of whom are in their 4th season. More fantastic examples are Jeff Carter (84 points), Alexander Semin (79 points), and Mikko Koivu (67 points).

There you have it. I'd say I had a pretty good season. If you're interested in a league for next year, let me know, and if you ever have any questions, feel free to ask. The moral of the story is, well...you should do fantasy hockey.

It's refreshing to have a record label ~~actually consider its customers~~ permit embedding of their videos off of Youtube.

-brett

Things I Decided

2009-04-09T23:04:00.014-04:00

Because I am the decider, I will now mention several decisions I made lately. I'll try to make this a weekly thing. Topics will range from things you love to things you couldn't care less about, so feel free to peruse and only read select sections.

1. The song "Hurt".

The Johnny Cash cover of Nine Inch Nails's "Hurt" is pretty good, but conveys the emotions in a different way. The original sounds more desolate: Trent Reznor's vocals are sound more subdued, and the guitar itself sounds faint and far off. Furthermore, the way his vocals go from a whisper to full singing in the chorus gives the song a tone of desperation as well.

(Most of that holds true for the studio version; this live version, not as much, but I still put it here for reference)

Meanwhile, Cash's version sounds fuller. It primarily contains just his voice and his guitar, but everything sounds stronger. The music is clear and focused, and his vocals actually make it possible to hear what he is saying. Cash made the song his own; his version is a far cry from NIN's, and it sounds like a different song.

Keep in mind, however, NIN's version was released as a single when Reznor was around 30. Cash covered the song when he was 71. It comes as no surprise that, while my opinion may be affected by my knowledge of their ages, Reznor's version sounds like the depressed teenager/young adult sitting alone in his room, while Cash's sounds like a man in his later years, lonely because most of his family and friends are starting to leave him. Perhaps this is because, at the time, most of Reznor's life had yet to happen, while most of Cash's had already happened.

2. Serengeti's ode to Chicago "Dennehy" is pretty cool.

Which brings me to my next point...

3. Tom Berenger was awesome in Major League.

For those of us who didn't know, the movie also features a young Wesley Snipes. While I wasn't alive at the time, I think it was his breakout role.

Dennis Haysbert played slugger Pedro Cerrano.

It also featured Corbin Bernsen, who currently plays Henry Spencer (Shawn's father) on the show Psych.

4. Psych is a very funny show.

However, in order to truly enjoy it, you have to understand that it is not funny in the way most movies/shows today are funny. Rather, it has a gentler type of humor: you won't be falling out of your seat at its jokes, but its a clever show. Main character Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his best friend Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill) run a detective agency, and Spencer uses his hyper-observative (some word like that) senses to solve crimes, while passing his discoveries off as psychic visions. Shawn and Gus make a charming duo, with their witty banter and pop culture references. The word I think may describe the show's comedy is "light-hearted".

5. My fantasy hockey team would suck if not for Zach Parise.

Parise will probably finish with about 95 points this year, split almost evenly between goals and assists. Given the loss of 4th round pick Brenden Morrow to injury and 2nd round pick Jean-Sebastien Giguere's inability to stop the puck (.900 Sv%, 3.13 GAA, and loss of the starting job to backup Jonas Hiller), my snagging of Parise in the 7th round was a steal.

Not that I planned it. I expected 60-80 points.

But let's face it, I'm gloating. This was a 14 team league. My other steals were defenseman Ryan Suter (12th round) and Ray Whitney (17th round). I really shouldn't brag, though. I'm in the finals, but I'm losing almost every goalie category. My team is relying completely on my skaters.

6. The Hold Steady is a great band to sing along to.
"Massive Nights" is just one example.

7. I regret not seeing Watchmen while it was in theaters, and I must now wait to rent it on DVD.

8. Shea Weber deserves to win the Norris Trophy for the "top defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability at the position."

The trophy will probably go to Mike Green, and the arguement in favor of him is fair as well. Green leads all defensemen with 73 points, 31 of which are goals. That's pretty impressive, especially when you consider he's missed time due to injury (only 67 games so far).

So why does Weber deserve it?

a) Green is on a better team. The Capitals are division champions, and they boast a better group of forwards than Weber's Predators. Sure, Green helps make the team so good, but Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin are more likely to finish a play than Jason Arnott and David Legwand. I'm not taking away anything from Green's offensive ability; I'm just saying his teammates are probably more helpful than Weber's.

b) Weber ranks 8th in the league in hits with 192. Keep in mind that counting hits isn't an exact science. However, that's still a significant difference from Green's 85 hits, good enough for 78th in the league. Weber is the better player in his own zone: he has a difference between giveaways and takeaways of -14 (33 and 19), while Green's is -46 (95 and 49). Okay, so Green has more takeaways, but he's turning the puck over almost 3 times as much. Essentially, Weber is the tougher of the two, and is a far more intimidating player defensively.

(Point b is a little sketchy: I haven't seen Green play a whole lot. The turnover/giveaway thing isn't exact, and Green is also far more adventurous on offense. The main point, though, is that if I am skating down the ice with the puck, I'm more afraid of Weber than Green.)

c) While this is similar to my first point, Weber deserves the trophy if the Predators make the playoffs. If you look at the team's roster, you shouldn't be impressed. His 22 goals rank 2nd on the team, and they need each and every one desperately (24th in the league with 2.51 goals for per game), while the Capitals have an abundance of scoring (3rd in the league with 3.26 goals per game). I recognize Green contributes to that team stat, but don't forget his teammate Alex Ovechkin also leads the league in goals.

Okay, so I ignored incumbent Nicklas Lidstrom and left Andrei Markov out of the talks, but Green is the leading candidate. However, if nothing else, Weber deserves the award if (and it's still an "if") the Nashville Predators make the playoffs. He made huge strides this year, and his development, along with that of frequent defensive partner Ryan Suter, has been a major factor in the team's success. If they make it in, this will be the second season in a row they've made it in when nobody expected it.

So for 5 seconds, NHL, focus on more than offensive numbers, and give Shea Weber the trophy!

9. Pibb is delicious, and possibly better than Dr. Pepper.

Okay, so it's called "Pibb Xtra".

10. Jonathan Broxton looks cool.

Especially on my fantasy baseball team.

11. Brian Regan is very funny.

If you needed any further proof, here it is:

http://www.truveo.com/Brian-Regan-Flight-Delays/id/4225020689

Thank you for reading.

-brett

Some Nostalgia

2009-03-28T21:13:00.001-04:00

nostalgia - noun

a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time

...

I know it's been a slow month, but I'm sure you've been surviving. However, if it's been a battle to stay alive, here's a little something for you.

Recently, I've been listening to a lot of older music. Try to keep in mind that the term "older" is relative to my age: some of the tracks I'm about to mention go back as far as, well, wow, 2003. But seriously, some go back further.

The focus here is that this is some music of my earlier years. It revives memories, brings out emotions, and creates an atmosphere that current music just can't do. And it's not a matter of the quality of music. I happen to think LFO's "Summer Girls" is a terrible song. But its on the list, because the point is that it brings back memories.

I'll try to embed most of the videos, but record companies are tools, so embedding for some is disabled. If so, I'll just post a link, and embed either a live version or a video with just the song.

And I don't care if I repeat bands.

Everclear: "Father of Mine"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8uamNDLEA0

Wallflowers: "One Headlight"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLqOwiZ8n5I

Third Eye Blind: "Semi-Charmed Life"

Blink-182: "All the Small Things"

Everclear: "Wonderful"

Green Day: "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Dr. Dre: "Forgot About Dre"

Blink-182: "What's My Age Again?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCjbphQH2iE

Creed: "One Last Breath"

The Verve Pipe: "The Freshman"

Vitamin C: "Graduation (Friends Forever)"

This will probably not be my last session of these. I will gradually inch towards more recent music that still provides the same nostalgic feelings.

It's likely I've forgotten plenty of songs I'd like to put in, so if I you think of any, please place it in the comments section. When we're older, the hardest thing will be to remember. Seems like I need a hand already.

But hell, the music helps.

And this next one is, for lack of two better words, especially special:

-brett

Lyrics to Live By...

2009-03-24T23:03:00.002-04:00

So I've decided that my contribution to this blog will be to post lyrics to songs that I find interesting, meaningful, or just simply amazing (in my opinion, of course.) Feel free to agree, disagree, or just react to whatever lyrics I post. I'm excited to see how this goes!

Time by Billy Porter

What is time?

Is it the autumn leaves that change?

Or the snow that floats from the sky?

What is time?

Is it the air we breathe?

Or the wings that teach

The new born bird to fly?

Who can tell?

I don't know

Will we change?

Will we grow?

What is time?

Is it eternity

In heaven

Or just a hope for peace on earth?

Where's the time

Gone in a blink of an eye

But with every blink

a birth

We live

We learn

We love

In time

We give

We yearn

We grow

In time

Time for change

It's time to care

It's not too late

Don't despair

Reach inside your heart

To find the joy and love

To share with all mankind

For all we know

All we have

Is time

Movie review: "Watchmen"

2009-03-23T11:32:00.003-04:00

Zach Snyder's recent film "Watchmen" has attracted both praise and criticism from movie reviewers. The media can't seem to decide if "Watchmen" is a classic or a bomb--some reviewers denounced it as senseless, while others lauded it, calling it "visionary." Personally, I loved the film, but I can see why other people did not like it. Today I will break down a few aspects of the movie, and you can decide for yourself if you want to go see it.

The first thing you notice about Watchmen is that it is brutally violent. This isn't a criticism, just a statement of fact. If you are looking for an action movie, look no further--Watchmen is packed full of with intense and realistic fight scenes, which is mostly why it earns its 'R' rating. If you aren't looking for that kind of movie, though, it may be hard to sit through the whole thing.

Secondly, Watchmen has a very involved plot and very complex characters. Though the opening credits provide some background for the unfamiliar viewer, it helps to get a general idea of what the movie is about before seeing it. Here is a basic background to the setting and characters (don't read the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to read it): The film is set in 1985 in a alternate history--the US has won the Vietnam war, but the Cold War is worse than ever. Nixon is in his fifth President, and the threat of nuclear war is ever-present. The "watchmen" of the title are a group of retired superheroes, most of whom have no superpowers whatsoever. Each character has his/her own radical viewpoint, which will become apparent very early as the characters are introduced.

Next, the movie is not very linear, and it has a postmodern tone. The first half consists mostly of flashbacks, and is very fragmented. (It is still very captivating, but not too straightforward.) The overall tone is very dark and gloomy, which may affect your opinion of it. I find the gritty, postmodern style to be very fitting and necessary, but if you don't like dark movies you may have a hard time getting into Watchmen. The camerawork helps to create this postmodern effect, making the film appear very much like a graphic novel. However, the CGI is flawless, and Watchmen is not lacking as far as special effects goes.

Also, like many other Alan Moore creations, Watchmen is steeped in philosophy, which is subtly woven into the plot. The characters' philosophical viewpoints range from nihilist to utilitarian to existentialist, and Moore (and Snyder) are clearly commenting on the implications of these beliefs. Watchmen also offers glaring social criticisms, commenting on Reaganism, the Cold War, nuclear deterrence, and American imperialism. Sadly, most people don't notice these subtle messages in the film, but in my opinion this is what makes it so darn interesting.

The last thing to note about Watchmen is that it is LONG. At almost three hours, the film can be a bit difficult to sit through. Though it is captivating, if you don't like long movies Watchmen probably isn't for you. The length mostly serves to amplify the aspects I discussed above.

I'm not going to give it an overall grade, since it is very hard to pin down an unusual film like this. My recommendation is to go see it, unless you are against all of the things I listed above. Like "Fight Club" and "2001," Watchmen will continue to be talked about, so I suggest seeing simply to form your own opinion of it.

Bloody Knuckles Debut

2009-03-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

I figured I'd try to make the most out of the buzz from Matt's post and promote this video.

Hopefully we'll be making some more.

If you're interested in a real song, here's a great one:

-brett

Top 10 Guys You're Allowed to Have a Man Crush On

2009-03-10T14:16:00.009-04:00

Alright. I've been on hiatus for a while due to a lack of creative inspiration, until now.

Anyway, the title says it all. First, I want to define a 'man-crush.' A man crush is when you admire a man, but you take it a step further. Maybe you've read someone's entire Wikipedia page. Maybe you closely follow every detail of their life. Maybe you watch every movie, tv show, etc that they are in- this is what I'm talking about. Let's get this party

started.

[(The criteria to be on the list were a. they have to be alive, b. they have to be males, c. they have to be awesome.) (Fictional characters permitted)]

10. Jack Johnson

Is there anyone more cool and relaxed? How can you not love this guy? He writes mellow music that seems to melt your troubles away. He has a former surfer so that adds to his awesomeness

. Imagine him playing his acoustic guitar on a Hawaiian beach with a fire burning and girls in bikinis surrounding him. You can't help yourself. There's nothing not to like about him.

9. Any Special Forces soldier

Whether he is a member of Delta Force, SEALs, Force Recon, or the Green Berets, you have to respect and admire these guys. The training is harder than everything in your entire life will be. The things they've seen and missions they've successfully completed give them an eery sense of confidence and control. And if you don't love the guys that are protecting your freedom, you're a terrorist.

8. Les Stroud

For those of you who don't know, Les Stroud is the star of Survivorman on the Discovery Channel. This guy can do it all. He can survive in every environment on earth. And he films it-- by himself. He is also calm and collected even when there are lions surrounding him or he has not had a sip of water in days. Finally, have you ever heard of someone who plays the harmonica who isn't awesome? Guys can't help but love this ultimate survivor/harmonica enthusiast.

7. Mike Rowe

Mike Rowe is the host of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs. He has a very rugged, manly voice. His sense of humor is the main reason he's on the list. He is so funny. And he does America's filthiest jobs. As we all know, funny is a powerful attraction tool. Guys can't help but tune in for every episode, claiming to watch for the jobs and not the host. But we all know the real reason. It's okay to admit it, guys.

6. Peter Griffin

Again, the humor gets us. He is a main reason people (particularly guys) are drawn to Family Guy. He would have been higher up if he was real, or had sex with hotter chicks. He doesn't really care about what people think and guys love that. It's fun to watch and dream to be as carefree, funny, and witty as Peter Griffin.

5. Dr. House

Another humorous fellow. But this guy is cocky, witty, confident, smart AND he has a cane. He always has a sassy comment for his boss (who is a woman). He saves lives, which is a plus. House is quite the womanizer as well, having sex with his fellow colleagues quite often. Above all, his nonchalant-ness is the kicker. He is never surprised or phased by anything, a quality that is valued among men.

4. David Beckham

This guy is perhaps the most well known player in the most well known sport in the world. He had to be on the list. He also has his name on everything, ranging from perfume to clothes. He also has a pretty attractive wife, which makes him more attractive. He makes an absurd amount of money. He dresses like a champ. Beckham is definitely one guy you're allowed to have a man crush on.

3. James Bond

Girls, guns, spy-skills. Enough said. He gets with sooo many attractive girls. He never dies and always come out on top. His only downfall is the actor who plays him changes every once in a while. The actor who plays him is usually attractive but is not consistent and this fact influenced his spot on the list. Guys can't help but want to be James Bond after every Bond movie they watch.

2. Michael Weston

For those of who don't know, Michael Weston is

a character from the tv show, Burn Notice. I highly recommend watching it. It's about a spy who was basically fired and they eliminated every record of him ever being alive. So he has to go around taking private assignments to get mo

ney. He is humble and modest. He is the best dressed spy of all time. He lives in Miami. He has an attractive girlfriend. Weston takes Bond to the next level. He knows so many skills that Bond wishes he knew and uses them to hel

p civilians, all without any help besides his best friend and his girlfriend. He is always calm, quick on his feet, and fast thinking. No situation is too difficult for him. Michael Weston, played by Jeffrey Donovan, is awesome.

1. Brad Pitt

If you're a guy and don't love Brad Pitt, you're either a. insecure about your sexuality b. never seen him in a movie c. never seen him, period d. or forgot he's married to Angelina Jolie. His role in Fight Club is enough proof alone for his awesomeness. He has the ideal body type. His facial structure is nearly perfect. His eyes are cool. You can feel the confidence as he lives. He knows he is the best there is and acts like it. He has acted in so many cool movies (too many to list) that guys love him for. They also admire his relationship with one of the hottest stars in the world, Angelina Jolie. The fact that he can come home to a bed with that woman in it is enough to want to be him. Not to mention he has solid political and social stances. This guy has it all.

Honorable Mention: Derek Jeter, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jason Bourne, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Brett Favre

By the way, having a man crush does not make you gay. Guys can find other guys attractive without being homosexual. Unless you actually want to have sexual relations with that guy, you're not homosexual. Admitting another guy is attractive shows your secure with your sexuality and you don't care what people think about you. This, in turn, makes you more attractive.

In conclusion, this was not easy to do. I hope this will stir some debate. I want to hear your thoughts.

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Eastern Conference #3

2009-03-04T22:09:00.005-05:00

Last group. If you've actually taken the time to read all of these posts, I'm proud of you. If you care about everything I've written, I'm scared of you.

11. Philadelphia Flyers...B-
a. In a slightly puzzling move, the Flyers sent Scottie Upshall to Phoenix for Daniel Carcillo. Don't get me wrong, Carcillo's one of my favorite enforcers. However, Upshall had chemistry with the team, and was starting to contribute more often offensively. Unfortunately, his salary may have had to do with the problem, and he was probably looking for a raise after this season that the team couldn't give him.

b. The team also obtained defenseman Kyle McLaren from San Jose. McLaren can't do much on offense, but he seems to be the replacement for Ossi Vaananen.

12. Pittsburgh Penguins...B+
a. This grade becomes easier, since I've had time to observe the results of the Chris Kunitz-Ryan Whitney swap. Kunitz has produced offensively so far in Pittsburgh, and he likes to hit and get involved as well. Meanwhile, the removal of Whitney creates room in the lineup for young defenseman Kris Letang.

b. The Pens also acquired winger Bill Guerin. Guerin is on the downside of the career, and picking up the aging power forward may seem like a stupid move. However, GM Ray Shero's approach is clear: the team lost plenty of grit after last season when it saw players like Ryan Malone, Adam Hall, Georges Laraque, and Gary Roberts walk out the door. Guerin, along with recent waiver pickup Craig Adams, are the guys Shero is using to try to fill the void.

13. Tampa Bay Lightning...C+
a. The Lightning's biggest trade in terms of a return was shipping Mark Recchi to Boston for defenseman Matt Lashoff and forward Martins Karsums. Lashoff is the true gem, as he has the potential to be a regular defenseman in the NHL, and has some (but not too much) offensive upside. Meanwhile, Karsums has yet to make the NHL jump.

b. The Lightning's biggest trade in terms of players involved was a clear salary dump move. Goalie Olaf Kolzig, defensemen Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers, along with a draft pick, were sent to Toronto for prospect Richard Petiot.

14. Toronto Maple Leafs...B
a. Brian Burke made deals aplenty. Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore were shipped for draft picks. I'm not going to discuss that absurd trade with the lightning again. This team is rebuilding, and Burke needs all the assets he can get in order to put his stamp on the franchise.

Sorry, but I had to use that again.

15. Washington Capitals...C-
a. The Caps did nothing. I'll ignore the question marks that surround goalie Jose Theodore, and assume he'll heat up and have some level of consistency by the time the playoffs show up. The bigger problem is in the defense. There's no intimidating or hard-hitting defenseman, and nobody was brought in at the deadline to fix that.

Fun, eh?

-brett

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Eastern Conference #2

2009-03-04T21:44:00.008-05:00

Exciting, eh?

6. Montreal Canadiens...B+
a. The Canadiens have been on a tear since acquiring Mathieu Schneider from Atlanta. Sure, it's not technically a deadline deal, but it's close enough. Don't look now, though (Montreal is losing 4-0 to Buffalo as I type this).

7. New Jersey Devils...B-
a. The Devils didn't even have to trade anybody away and they got Marty Brodeur. But seriously, the team brought up Niclas Havelid from Atlanta. Havelid doesn't have the best offensive skills, but he's smart defensively and won't take too many stupid penalties. In other words, he's the same as most of the other New Jersey defensemen.

8. New York Islanders...C+
a. The Islanders managed to get ship Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for a draft pick. Greaaat.

b. Dean McAmmond came in from Ottawa for Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli. However, far more important than McAmmond is the 1st round pick he brought with him. Because this team needs everything it can get in this rebuilding phase.

9. New York Rangers...C+
a. General Manager Glen Sather seems to have screwed this team up so much its beyond repair. But he still tried. And that starts with the arrival of Derek Morris. Morris's contract expires after this season, but he's far better defensively than Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival. Lundqvist should be happy to have him.

b. Nik Antropov came from Toronto in return for a second round pick. Antropov is big (6'6") and has decent hands (46 points in 63 games). He won't be able to carry the offense, but he'll definitely be able to help out.

c. The infamous Sean Avery returned to NY when Sather picked him up off of waivers. We have yet to see how the NHL's premiere agitator will fare under new head coach John Tortorella.

10. Ottawa Senators...B
a. Pascal Leclaire won't be the savior in net this season. However, he's an upgrade over whatever they've got in there now, and he may be apart of this franchise for years to come. Assuming he can remove his injury-prone tag.

b. The Sens received center Mike Comrie and defenseman Chris Campoli from the Islanders. Comrie is a decent second line center who'll help provide some needed secondary scoring. Meanwhile, Campoli still has the potential to become a threat from the point on the powerplay. Campoli is far more important long term.

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Eastern Conference #1

2009-03-04T21:16:00.007-05:00

Now for the East.

1. Atlanta Thrashers...B
a. The Thrashers, one of the worst teams in the league, were able to "dump" Mathieu Schneider on Montreal. Dump is in parentheses because Schneider has rejuvenated a terrible powerplay and is a big reason the Canadiens appear to be a lock for the playoffs again.

b. Anssi Salmela came in from New Jersey in return for Niclas Havelid. Salmela has potential, but not too much. Sure, he led the Finnish elite league in defenseman goals, but he's old for a prospect (24), and his upside may be limited.

2. Boston Bruins...B+
a. The Bruins brought in veteran winger Mark Recchi from Tampa. Recchi has put up decent numbers in a bad environment (45 points in 62 games), and has plenty of experience (41 years old).

b. Steve Montador came in from Anaheim. Montador brings toughness to the defense, as evidenced by his 125 penalty minutes. However, he's not a complete offensive liability, and is a great addition to add to the defensive depth.

3. Buffalo Sabres...B
a. Acquired goalie Mikael Tellqvist from Phoenix. Patrick Lalime has taken all the starts ever since Ryan Miller went down with an injury. Tellqvist gives them a veteran backup and an alternative if Lalime falters.

b. The Sabres also obtained center Dominic Moore from Toronto for a second round pick. Moore is in the midst of the best offensive year of his career. His impact will be limited, but he's a nice tweak.

c. The Sabres must have been upset when they realized that they had traded away their second round pick, because they were quick to send Ales Kotalik to Edmonton for another one.

4. Carolina Hurricanes...B
a. The Hurricanes brought back a familiar face in Erik Cole. Cole is a gritty and physical winger, and has had success playing with Eric Staal in the past. His leadership will hopefully give this team a nice jolt.

5. Florida Panthers...C+
a. The Panthers sent a prospect and a pick to Tampa for defenseman Steve Eminger. Eminger has over 20% of his points this season against Florida. Maybe they got tired of playing against him?

b. Florida took a big risk by not trading away Jay Bouwmeester. While his presence means a trip to the playoffs is likely, Bouwmeester will probably leave during free agency, and the team will be forced to watch him leave for nothing.

...

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Western Conference #3

2009-03-04T20:13:00.005-05:00

Final group of Western teams.

11. Nashville Predators...C-
a. This team didn't do anything. While they seem like they can sneak into the playoffs again, there were a few players (Greg Zanon, Ville Koistenen) who should have been show the door in return for some prospects and picks.

12. Phoenix Coyotes...B+
a. After looking great around the All-Star Break, this team hit a wall in a major way. Jokinen went to Calgary for forwards Matthew Lombardi and Brandon Prust, along with a first round pick. Lombardi has plenty of speed, and may be able to find a place on a young Phoenix team. Prust is primarily an enforcer. I'm sure they'll put that pick to good use, though.

b. Backup goalie Mikael Tellqvist was sent to Buffalo for a pick. This team was in a selling mode, and while Tellqvist hasn't been particularly bad, this team is setting itself up for the future.

c. Scottie Upshall came into Phoenix along with a second round pick from Philadelphia in return for Daniel Carcillo. Upshall is a fast, annoying, and hard-working high energy forward. He's yet another nice addition to the youth movement, and has some offensive skill.

d. In return for Derek Morris, the Coyotes received Dimitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha, and Nigel Dawes back from the Rangers. Kalinin is a pylon, and it's likely his stay will be short. Meanwhile, Prucha is an effective energy player with decent offensive skills. A change in scenery may help him out. Dawes is a decent 2nd or 3rd line winger, but he still has some upside.

13. San Jose Sharks...B-
a. Sent veteran defenseman Kyle McLaren to Philadelphia for a 6th round pick. At least they got something for him.

b. Acquired Travis Moen and Kent Huskins from the Ducks. Moen is a quality checking forward, and Huskins gives them some defensive depth.

14. St. Louis Blues...D+
a. The Blues didn't do too much. Perhaps the glaring problem is what they didn't do. Keith Tkachuk stayed put, and the Blues were unable to get something in return for the aging power forward. A playoff spot isn't out of reach, but it's not too likely. This is a rebuilding team. Tkachuk should've been moved for some picks and prospects.

15. Vancouver Canucks...B-
a. The Canucks didn't do anything. However, they managed to extend agitator Alex Burrows for another 4 years. Regardless, the most important move occured a while ago, when they signed Mats Sundin. This team has been on a tear since, and while an addition would have been nice, there isn't anybody out there who can make enough of an impact to be worth it.

Eastern teams coming shortly!

-brett

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Western Conference #2

2009-03-04T19:58:00.009-05:00

More stuff.

6. Dallas Stars...C
a. Forward Steve Bégin came in from Montreal. He's a good energy guy, but not much more. Center Brendan Morrison was picked up on waivers, but they'll just have to ride out the injury storm until Brad Richards comes back.

7. Detroit Red Wings...A-
a. No moves whatsoever. Other than an upgrade in goal, there's not much you can do, and there weren't exactly plenty of top-tier goalies out there to trade for.

8. Edmonton Oilers...B+
a. The Oilers decided that they were buyers, which I feel is a terrible decision. Fortunately, their purchases weren't too bad or pricey. Winger Erik Cole was returned to Carolina in exchange for budding forward Patrick O'Sullivan and a second round pick. O'Sullivan has good potential, and his salary is relatively cheap.

b. Ales Kotalik came in from Buffalo for a 2nd round pick. Kotalik is a depth forward, and while he has some obvious skills, it never comes across too well, when, y'know...he has to play against other people. Still, he's good in the shootout, and could grab them an extra point or two in their battle for a playoff spot.

9. Los Angeles Kings...B-
a. Keeping with recent trends, the Kings were sellers. I should clear something up about O'Sullivan: it was a three-way trade, and he was sent from L.A. to Carolina, then to Edmonton. In return, the Kings received forward Justin Williams. Williams has had a decent season or two, but lately he's been injured quite a bit. His true value will show next season when he's hopefully both healthy and skating on Anze Kopitar's wing.

10. Minnesota Wild...C-
a. The Wild did nothing. They were unable to find a buyer for Marian Gaborik, and while they were able to extend goalie Niklas Backstrom, that was the only positive thing that happeneed.

Stay tuned...

NHL Trade Deadline Grades: Western Conference #1

2009-03-04T18:46:00.013-05:00

Posting has been slow lately, so, naturally, I'll discuss something none of you care about.

As most of you may know by now, I have a disturbing fixation with the NHL.

For those of you who don't know (basically all of you), today was the National Hockey League's trade deadline. While I don't know for sure, I'm willing to guess that there's generally more activity at the hockey deadline than at deadlines for other professional sports.

I'll be doing this in a strange fashion. Rather than grading trades, I'll grade teams based on...well, whatever I deem gradable. If something seems too insignificant, I'll skip it to save time.

Alphabetical order, folks. This will look a lot longer than it really is, so don't be intimidated. Trades dating back to February 3rd will be included, because that's how far the NHL's list of trades goes back.

1. Anaheim Ducks...B-
a. This team, while it may make the playoffs, can't make a deep run. There's not enough scoring and speed. Therefore, forward Travis Moen and defenseman Kent Huskins were shipped to San Jose for prospects and a pick. If they're going to enter reconstruction, they need to start soon: a lot of contracts expire after this season.

b. Samuel Pahlsson, another forward with an expiring contract, was shipped to Chicago for James Wisniewski. Wisniewski is young and has potential, so a quality move.

c. Sent defenseman Steve Montador to Boston for Petteri Nokelainen. Nokelainen was a former first round pick, but right now he's hurt, and his numbers at the NHL level haven't been too good when he's healthy.

d. Shipped Chris Kunitz and a prospect to Pittsburgh for Ryan Whitney. Whitney is a quality offensive defenseman, but he isn't known for his defense. Fortunately, his contract runs for a few more seasons, and his price tag isn't too bad.

2. Calgary Flames...A-
a. Possibly the biggest winners at the deadline, the Flames shipped Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, and a first round pick to Phoenix for Olli Jokinen. The team finally has a quality center for Jarome Iginla. Sure, Jokinen isn't having a good season (by his standards) and holds the record for most NHL regular season games without a playoff game, but he can still be effective.

b. In less exciting news for the Flames, they acquired Jordan Leopold from Colorado. Leopold has played for the Flames before, and while he's not an outstanding defenseman, he gives the defense some nice depth.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah

3. Chicago Blackhawks...C-
a. Sure, Chicago got Samuel Pahlsson from Anaheim, and while he provides a physical presence along with Stanley Cup experience, he doesn't fill the void at their second line center spot. Furthermore, the team was unable to deal Nikolai Khabibulin, who will now probably leave them for nothing when free agency arrives.

4. Colorado Avalanche-C-
a. Got a decent return on Jordan Leopold in defensemen Lawrence Nycholat and Ryan Wilson to go along with a second round pick. Nycholat, despite having piled up the points in the minors, has been unable to transfer his game to the NHL level. Whether or not Wilson will ever reach the NHL level is in question too. This team won't make the playoffs, but it would've been good to see them sell more. This reconstruction could take quite a while.

5. Columbus Blue Jackets...C+
a. Nabbed Antoine Vermette from Ottawa for Pascal Leclaire and a pick. Leclaire, who seemed to be a great fit in net last season, has put up terrible numbers this year (.867 Sv%, 3.83 GAA). Meanwhile, Steve Mason has put up significantly better numbers (.918 Sv%, 2.20 GAA).

Getting rid of Leclaire's salary was a great job, and Vermette was a decent return. He's one of the best faceoff men in the league, and he's also incredibly fast. Vermette can be useful on the penalty. However, he's most likely not the solution at center for Rick Nash. Sorry, Nash, hopefully you'll get one next year. Either way, this team seems to be set up for the franchise's first ever postseason appearance.

I've decided to split these up in groups of 5. Theoretically, it'll be easier.

What am I talking about?

2009-02-27T15:23:00.004-05:00

Today I would like to give a lecture on a philosophical topic from the point of view of a person who agrees with the ideas I am about to explain--i.e., this is a persuasive speech rather than a "neutral" explanatory lecture. Your job is simple: figure out what I am talking about/proposing. So, here goes:

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Look at society today. The world is riddled with crime, corruption, and immorality. The root of these problems come from a single source: the systems of government and morality that watch over us.

First, let us look at one of the most important problems in today's world, crime. With each passing day, more and more children drop out of schools to become career criminals. More and more men resort to animalistic criminal ways, simply because they do not know any better. The reason is not a failure of our educational systems, but a moral failing of our government in general. The reason is simple: man has no moral instinct. Human beings have no inherent knowledge of what is good or evil; the purpose of the state is to teach proper morals to society. But today's methods, proposed by misguided do-gooders, are wholly incapable of doing so. Why? Because of the way human beings learn. Today, child criminals are only scolded, never punished, and adult criminals are given light sentences in all-expenses-paid, state-sponsored facilities where they can learn from other criminals. These methods attempt to appeal to people's "better natures"--which is foolish because they have none. Instead, we should abandon our hopeless attempt to shy away from "cruel and unusual punishment" in order to stick with what works.

What these criminals--and society as a whole--do not remember is that the basis of all morality is duty. Today, society drones on and on about our "rights" while forgetting to tell us about duty. The results are predictable, because human beings have no natural rights of any nature. Look at the three famously proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life: what right to life does a man have who is drowning in the ocean? The sea will not harken to his cries. What right to life do two men have if they are stranded on an island, with only the other man as food? Which man's right in "unalienable?" Liberty: The men who signed this document knew that liberty was not a "right," since in doing so they pledged to buy liberty with their lives. The pursuit of happiness: this is unalienable, though it is not a right: it is simply the universal human condition. But society reminds us of it nonetheless. This is the soft spot that our nation suffers because of: society--and the state--does not remind us of our duty, but of our imaginary rights. No nation, so constituted, can possibly endure. Instead, the state must cultivate our moral sense, so that we may live in harmony and prosperity.

And what is this ideal moral sense? It is an elaboration of the instinct to survive; all moral rules are derived from this key instinct of human nature. Anyone who attempts to deny this basic principle is destroyed sooner or later--this is the proof of its validity. But moral rules are more simple than just this blind instinct; the survival of the individual is in fact quote low on the moral scale. Higher up on the moral ladder are concepts such as duty to family, duty to one's nation, and duty to the human race. It is this theory of morals that is absent from today's society, and for this reason problems such as crime and corruption exist.

Lastly, societies today are at fault when they scorn the military. They accuse leaders of causing unnecessary wars, bashing the army for being a "functionless organ" in today's world. What they forget is that wars are not caused by politicians, religions, or cultural differences--these are simply secondary factors. The truth is this: all wars are caused by population pressure. When two societies meet and there is only room for one, war is the natural and moral course of action. But this does not meet that we should implement birth control to prevent war--remember that societies who stop expanding will be wiped out by those who don't. So when one nation balances its population and declares it will never study war anymore, pretty soon (about next Wednesday) it gets crushed by a society that realizes that such a mentality is wishful thinking. The military performs a necessary and noble duty in defending the society it represents. Though civilians scorn military people, accusing them of being violent and barbaric, soldiers possess an important quality that many of these civilians lack: civic virtue. Each member of the military has shown that he willing to sacrifice his life for society, which is the noblest virtue a person can ever achieve.

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...so, what I am I talking about here? Please comment and include your guess--after enough people have commented I will post the answer.

Readership

2009-02-27T10:31:00.005-05:00

Folks, readership has been down lately. It's a problem. Just look at this graph:

Readership peaked at about 6 people in week four. That's terrible. Now, let's look at this pie chart showing the distribution of web traffic this blog has received:

Not only is readership down, but I'm the only one reading.

We've recently added to our fantastic stable of bloggers by adding Bill and Chelsey. I'm sure their entries are on the way.

So I will now urge you to do two things:

1. Comment

-Please comment on posts. It both shows that you're reading and that you are at least slightly interested. Even if you don't know what the post is talking about, feel free to ask questions. In fact, I encourage it.

2. Get other people to read the blog

-Try to expand our readership. Feel free to create a pyramid scheme. If more people read the blog, not only will we blog more, but you will have more people to discuss it with both online in the comments section and offline with your friends.

The further you spread and embrace our message(s), the better an experience it'll be for the both of us.

I don't even like them that much.

-brett

Cycling season preview

2009-02-23T16:03:00.006-05:00

If I haven’t said it before: I am a huge fan of European cycling. I follow it very closely, and I find it hugely entertaining to watch. Though the sport isn’t very popular is America, it is one of the biggest sports in Europe, second only to soccer. Today, I would like to talk about what may happen in this year’s cycling season, which just opened last week with the Tour of California.

But first, a quick word on cycling in general. What most people don’t realize is that cycling is a team sport. The reason for this is very simple: aerodynamics. When one cyclist rides in front of another, the second person doesn’t have to pedal as hard because the person in front is breaking the wind. In cycling riding in front of others is called “doing work” or “working.” This is why most of the riders stay in one big group, called the “peloton” (French for “group together”)—a large group of riders can move much faster than a smaller group because of the aerodynamics. There are two basic kinds of races, stage races and one-day races. A one-day race is exactly what it sounds like: it is one ride, from point A to point B; whoever gets there first wins. A stage race—which is much more common—consists of multiple days of racing; the person with the most cumulative time wins. But there are also secondary prizes, such as best sprinter and KOM (king of the mountains, or the best uphill rider). The winner of these categories is determined by a points system. A stage race can contain flat stages, mountain stages, and time trials. In a time trial, each rider is sent out individually along the course, and their time is recorded at the end. Most teams contain about 9 riders, usually one GC (general classification, also called the “team leader”—this is the person who the team works for so that they can win the overall best time), one or two sprinters (who try to win the sprint points contests), some climbers (who are good uphill), and a few others who exist simply to work for the GC. During a race, what generally happens is a small group of riders will “attack” the peloton (ride away from them) and form a “breakaway,” which is out in front of the main group. On flat stages, the peloton usually catches the breakaway near the end, and the sprinters races for the finish line ahead of everyone else. On mountain stages, breakaways often “succeed” (make it to the end without getting caught). GCs try to get in breakaways on mountain stages; on flat stages, they consist mostly of sprinters going ahead to get sprint points. Lastly, a world on the league: it consists of about 20 teams, each sponsored by someone (because there is no money in cycling; all the riders have jobs in the off season). There are races all over the world and riders from a variety of countries, even though the league is technically “European.”

Now, on to my predictions for this season. As we saw in the Tour of California, Astana is probably going to dominate this year, rivaled only by Saxo Bank (formerly CSC, for the cycling fans out there). The reason? Astana has Levi Leipheimer (who just won in California for the third year in a row), Alberto Contador (winner of 2 grand tours two years ago and clearly the best GC in the world), Lance Armstrong (making a comeback, in case you haven’t heard). They also have Chris Horner and a good mix of other workers who can support the team. However, their problem is that they have 3 GCs (the men I just listed above), and none of them are going to want to work for each other. However, if they play their cards right and each one picks only one or 2 grand tours, they could walk away with all 3 grand tour titles. Also, I do not think Armstrong is going to be as dominant as previously thought. The reasons are simple: a) he is not as good as he used to be, b) he does not have a team that exists solely for him, as Postal and Discovery once did, and c) he has packed his schedule this year, whereas in the past he focused only on one grand tour, the Tour de France. But as long as Astana has no internal fighting, I think they are going to dominate this season.

Of course, they still have to beat Saxo Bank, who is ready as ever. Between last year’s Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and the brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, they have more than enough GCs to go around. They also have great support riders like Jens Voigt, and as we saw last year Saxo Bank are indeed a powerhouse.

As for sprinting, my money is on youngster Mark Cavendish from team Columbia (the sportswear company, not the country). Cavendish dominated the sprinting scene last year, even managing to beating out veterans Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd. I have no doubt that Cavendish will continue to dominate again, winning flat stages and sprint points in every stage race. In terms of time trialing, I suspect Saxo Bank’s Fabian Cancellara will also continue his winning streak. Though he is terrible on mountain stages, he consistently wins stages and almost always gets the best time on time trials. Though there are a lot of great time trailers out there, including Cadel Evans, Stephan Schumacher, and Levi Leipeheimer, I have little doubt that Cancellara will lead the pack when it comes to this aspect of the sport.

I will provide updates as the season progresses.

How To...Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-02-14T23:33:00.009-05:00

I've seen a lot of incorrect methods in movies and popular television lately, so I've put it upon myself to teach all of you eager students how to best go about doing this. I'll do it in a step-by-step fashion.

1. Get inspired. You can't eat cookies if you're not in the right mindset. Here's what I usually use.

The Cookie Monster is the best possible tool. Imagine yourself as him, and try to create his instincts for cookie consumption within your own mind.

If you really want to go back to the glory days, have it your way.

2. Buy cookies. My personal favorite are Keebler's Chips Deluxe, or whatever you call them. The point is, your cookies should have chocolate chips in them, and they should taste good.

3. Buy milk.

Alex gets his milk from the Korova Milk Bar. However, I'd advise you get it from somewhere else, for our purposes.

4. Pour yourself a glass, and open up the box of cookies. Grab a napkin, too. We'll want something to absorb the milk, and a plate won't be necessary. Keep it simple.

5. Prepare well. Be careful here, because this is where it gets easy to mess it up. Take it slow. Decide how many cookies you want, then put the box away (make sure the milk is away as well: no refills should be necessary). I usually have a full row, but this may not be for everybody. Furthermore, make sure your glass is wide enough for dipping. If it's too narrow, your hand won't be able to reach the milk.

6. Break the cookie in half. It's likely the entire cookie won't fit into the cup when dipping. To make it easier, break them into halves. If a break isn't clean, don't discard the shards. We'll use those later.

7. Dip the cookies. Grab the end of a half of a cookie, and dip it in as far as you can. Let it soak for two, maybe three seconds. You want the cookies to absorb the milk without absorbing too much. If you saved the cookie shards from bad breaks in Step 6, dip those in whatever way you can. They're tricky, and the method of dipping depends on the shape of the shards. It's up to you to improvise. You got yourself in that situation to begin with.

Improper dipping method, as the cookie has been dipped without a break.

8. Bring the cookie to your mouth. Make sure the cup is at the edge of the napkin, and that the napkin is positioned below your mouth. Take the cookie, and slowly bring it toward your mouth. Avoid rapid movements, and make sure any dripping falls onto the napkin.

9. Eat the cookie. Place the entire semi-cookie in your mouth, then chew. And please people, make sure not to choke. Let's avoid any accidents.

10. Repeat. Repeat Steps 6-9 until you have successfully consumed all of the cookies you took out during Step 5.

11. Drink the milk. Drink any milk that wasn't absorbed by your cookies. However, it's not mandatory that you finish your glass of milk. If there are chunks of cookie at the bottom of the glass that look disgusting, it is perfectly acceptable to drink 90% of the glass, and spill out the remaining 10% mixture of milk and ruined cookie.

12. Clean up. Throw out the napkin, and if your cup is disposable, throw it out as well. However, if not, make sure to wash it in preparation for your next session.

There you have it. If anything, make sure you enjoy your cookie eating. If you enjoy eating the cookies, the cookies will enjoy being eaten. Everybody's happy.

Oh, and supposedly these guys are back together. I don't know about you, but I'm excited.

-brett

Review: State Radio

2009-02-11T15:35:00.004-05:00

Today I would like to follow in Brett's example and review a musical group I was recently exposed to. The name of the band is State Radio (yes that is their actual name). They play a wide range of musical styles, from reggae-rock to punk to ska. In fact, you can listen to all of their music on a State Radio fansite, here.

What makes State Radio so unique is that they address a wide range of social issues. All of their music is very political--I can't think of one song that doesn't have an obvious political message. Much of their music is about the policies of George W. Bush; they often criticize the war in Iraq and the human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay. However, they also speak out against other social issues, such as the genocide in Darfur and environmentalism. It's almost as if they are channelling the spirit of the many musical groups in the 1960's who used music to protest social issues.

As of right now, State Radio is not very popular, and their fan base in mostly in their home state of Massachusetts. However, they did play at the Democratic National Convention, though this is probably because of the political views, not their popularity.

Overall grade: A.

I really enjoy their music and the not-so-subtle political messages embedded in it. I'm quite partial towards their latest album, Year of the Crow. But you can listen and decide for yourself.

NHL: Midseason Grades: Pacific Division

2009-02-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

Finally, people, we have reached the end of this long and tiring journey. I have written an absurd amount for each division, and I doubt most of you read all of it. Once this is done, we'll be able to talk about other things for a while. Until the playoffs come around. Actually, until the trade deadline comes around.

Sorry for the delay, but I didn't have much free time. These numbers are probably all from the end of January.

Let's get this overwith before these stats change even more. Besides, we're getting further and further away from the midpoint of the season.

1. San Jose Sharks (1st)
-Originally, there was a slight section about how even though the Bruins are first in the league, the Sharks are better. Unfortunately, some cracks have started to show in the Sharks' armor.

Now let's get started, but we'll switch it up and go with the defense first.

Okay, so that goal doesn't represent Brian Campbell's skill set, but it a) is pretty impressive, and b) shows what the Sharks lost when they had to let him walk. So how did they fill the gap?

Dan Boyle (38 points in 44 games), who essentially lost last season (not only did a skate fall out of his locker and slash several tendons in his wrist, but he had to play on the last place Tampa Bay Lightning), is arguably the leading candidate for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman in the league). After posting only 31 points all of last season with Los Angeles, the Sharks' other big defensive acquisition, Rob Blake, has posted 30 in 45 games already. The year Marc-Edouard Vlasic is having (3-21-24) can be attributed to either growth or playing with these guys.

Brian who?

The offense is all about two fellas who went 1st and 2nd overall in 1997. Joe Thornton (1st) is the key player in this machine. His playmaking (12-44-56) has led to a breakout year for Devin Setoguchi (21-24-45). Captain Patrick Marleau (2nd) is experiencing a major resurgence. After seeing his production drop from 78 points in 06-07 to just 48 points last season, he seems to be back on track with 53 points in 47 games. Another big surprise is Ryane Clowe (19-21-40), who also lends some grit to this unit:

The goaltending is maybe the only frustrating position, but it's not bad by any means. Evgeni Nabokov (2.35 GAA, .913 Sv%) is one of the best in the league. It's not a matter of talent, but the Sharks happen to let up the fewest shots per game in the NHL. Therefore, lower save percentage. In the past, Nabokov has had to be a workhorse. However, Brian Boucher (1.88 GAA, .927 Sv%) is the veteran backup they've needed, and he can handle a few more starts so Nabokov can rest up for the playoffs.

FINAL GRADE: A+. All you have to do is watch this team play and you can tell nobody compares. Sure, they have an off night every once in a while, but it's rare. Furthermore, this isn't the team from last year that imploded in the playoffs. With new coach Todd McLellan and the addition of several Stanley Cup winners (Boyle, Blake, Brad Lukowich, and Claude Lemieux), they seem poised to take the next step in the playoffs. Regardless, let's wait and see before we assume they'll be any different.

2. Anaheim Ducks (5th)
-Don't let that 5th place fool you. There are four different teams in 6th-9th only 2 points behind. And each of those teams has played fewer games as well.

Let's start with the goaltending. Jean-Sebastien Giguere. 3.08 GAA and .904 Sv%? Not enough. Sure, take a look at this surprisingly revealing split stats thing. Scroll down to the bottom, look at the Pre and Post All-Star Break categories. You'll notice a significant improvement in his numbers. It's actually an alarming difference. Meanwhile, backup Jonas Hiller has taken advantage of the opportunity to post much better numbers (2.18 GAA, .926 Sv%). It would seem as though Hiller has the upper hand. However, let's cut Giguere some slack; his father died earlier in the season, and it hasn't been easy getting his head back into the game. Hopefully he can resume his regular form in time for the playoffs.

The past two seasons, the Ducks have led the NHL in penalty minutes per game. This year, they're "underachieving" (ranked third in PIM per game). Guys like Ryan Getzlaf (18-43-61) and Corey Perry (16-28-44) like to rough it up relatively often (85 and 72 PIM, respectively). Rookie Bobby Ryan (34 points in 34 games) hasn't caught on yet (12 PIM).

Defenseman Chris Pronger (8-23-31) is having a mildly disappointing season (only 58 PIM!), but we're waiting for a suspension to happen. Surely he's going to attempt a new trick after last year's act:

Meanwhile, Scott Niedermayer has a healthy 36 points in 52 games, while Steve Montador is covering for Pronger (103 PIM).

FINAL GRADE: B. The offense doesn't always come through, and while Teemu Selanne is healthy again (28 points in 35 games), they may still struggle. I'm not sure if Hiller is the man to carry them down the stretch either, so Giguere will have to up his game. As usual.

3. Dallas Stars (6th)
-After their terrible start, the Stars' season seemed lost. However, one Sean Avery suspension and Brenden Morrow injury later, they're back in contention. Oh, and Sergei Zubov is hurt again, which is happening with increasing regularity. But let's look at the rest of the team.

Similar to the Ducks' Giguere, I find it very easy to pin most of the Stars' early season struggles on Marty Turco. People can call Avery the distraction all they want, but Turco was porous and incredibly prone to, say, passing the puck right to an opposing player. However, unlike Giguere, Turco has a) no threatening backup, and b) improved his play. The Stars are in a playoff spot again, and Turco finally got his first career regular season win in Detroit recently. Now it's 1-8-2. The 2.98 GAA and .889 Sv% are far from pretty, but those numbers will improve as he continues to regain his old form.

Defenseman Stephane Robidas didn't quite deserve that All-Star nomination (19 points in 45 games), though it was still nice to see him get it. Robidas has been overshadowed by Zubov and Philippe Boucher, but he's been able to pick up his offense somewhat in their absence. It was good to see Darryl Sydor come back as well, and it seems that trading away Boucher wasn't such a bad thing (7 points in 39 games). Sydor has actually managed more (9 in 39), even if it's a small difference.

With the loss of Morrow, it seemed like the offense was headed for a dropoff. Not so fast. Mike Ribeiro has managed a decent pace (43 in 48), while Brad Richards is in a similar place (42 in 47). Loui Eriksson has been a huge surprise (24-12-36), and Mike Modano can still play (33 in 48). Youngster James Neal has been impressive (15-8-23), though Fabian Brunnstrom has been a moderate disappointment (14 in 31).

FINAL GRADE: B+. Steve Ott can handle Avery's agitating duties, but the fact that they've managed to overcome the loss of Morrow surprises me even more. Still, a postseason trip is all on Turco's shoulders at this point. (Fast forward to the actual date I posted this: the Stars just bulldozed the Rangers 10-2. They're looking more and more like a playoff team.)

4. Phoenix Coyotes (10th)
-The Coyotes as a whole are a "Stuff With Brett" approved team. They've got a lot of youth, but Captain Shane Doan is a personal favorite of mine. Doan leads the team with 48 points in 51 games, but plays in all situations. He's on pace for a career high 32 goals, and each one counts, considering the Coyotes rank 25th in the league goals per game. Despite his age (32), he still likes to enjoy himself (10th in the league in hits with 134). Doan may not be incredibly skilled at anything, but he's a quality all around player.

Over the summer, the Coyotes tried to pump up the offense by swapping Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton for Olli Jokinen. Jokinen, who has put up 91 points in the past, has been moderately disappointing with only 34 points through 41 games. Thankfully, Peter Mueller has followed up on his impressive rookie season with 30 points in 48 games. Mikkel Boedker has impressed as a rookie as well, tallying 22 points in 51 games.

Oh, and Dan Carcillo is the man. Heavy "Stuff With Brett" approval:

The defense is a decent unit. After going the first nine games without a point, Ed "Jovocop" Jovanovski has rebounded to post 23 in 51. Keith Yandle has flown under the radar for the most part, but 20 points in 42 games isn't bad by any means. Zybnek Michalek (17 in 51) may not be the best on offense, but let me point out that he currently leads the league in blocked shots with 175 (second place Brett Clark of the Colorado Avalanche only has 154).

The goaltending has been sub-par at times, but Ilya Bryzgalov has been the savior they've needed in net since last season. At the start of the 2007-08 season, the Coyotes had the dominant goaltending duo of Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld. Once the Ducks placed Bryzgalov on waivers, Phoenix jumped at the opportunity, and he posted a shutout in his first game with the team. Auld was sent to the Bruins and was probably on a few other teams until he ended up in Ottawa this season for...surprise...another goaltending tandem! Meanwhile, Bryzgalov has a decent 2.81 GAA and .911 Sv%. He's recovered from a slow start. Thankfully, Tellqvist (2.75 GAA, .913 Sv%) stayed in Phoenix, and he has shown he can handle a few starts when Bryzgalov hits a rough patch.

FINAL GRADE: B-. The offense needs to be better, but this team's strength is its youth. They have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs this year, but look for them to be even better in the years to come.

5. Los Angeles Kings (12th)
-Somewhat surprisingly, the Kings are not in last place in the West. And they're not too far from a playoff spot either. To give you an idea of the situation, Anaheim sits in 5th with 55 points. Colorado is in 14th with 47 points. The Blues aren't much further back with 44. While some teams are still doubtful for the playoffs, everybody is pretty close.

A big reason the Kings have managed to keep up is new coach Terry Murray. After sitting 28th in goals against per game last year (3.21), they've jumped to 8th (2.75). Defense is especially important when you sit 22nd with 2.56 goals per game.

When the offense shows up, it's usually Dustin Brown (20-18-38) and Anze Kopitar (12-26-38) making their way onto the stat sheet. Brown is "Stuff With Brett" approved, and a major reason is that he ranks second in the league with 178 hits. It's debatable whether or not Brown will ever become a top notch scoring threat, but he's showing he can still be useful. Alexander Frolov (21-13-34) has a nose for the net, but his defensive ability his lacking. His contract expires after next season, and it's possible he may be shipped sometime soon. After seeing the Kings move Cammalleri on draft day, it wouldn't surprise me if Frolov is in a similar situation. I suppose it depends on how likely it is that the Kings make the playoffs.

The defense is young, but this team is being made for the future. Kyle Quincey (3-24-27), picked up on waivers at the start of the season, is showing just how badly he needed to escape the logjam at the Detroit blueline. Rookie Drew Doughty (3-12-15) has had a big impact, logging major minutes and playing in all situations. However, veteran Sean O'Donnell (8 points in 48 games) brings experience to the group, and better yet, he's not a liability.

Center Patrick O'Sullivan's 27 points in 47 games may be disappointing, but he put up similar stats last year in the first half until breaking out for 26 points in the final 31 games. No guarantee it'll happen again, but don't let it surprise you if it does.

Kings goaltending has been rough for a while. Jason LaBarbera was shipped early in the season for a draft pick. Erik Ersberg (2.44 GAA, .901 Sv%) played well at the end of last season (2.48 GAA, .927 Sv%), but has been unable to carry over his success. Jonathan Quick (2.53 GAA, .913 Sv%) has been excellent for stretches, but neither he nor Ersberg are the longterm solution in net. That honor belongs to Jonathan Bernier, who was unimpressive in his call up last season (4.03 GAA, .864 Sv%). Thankfully, though, he's only 20, and has plenty of room to grow and improve.

FINAL GRADE: B-. This was considered a lost season, meant for the youth to just gain experience. The fact that they're still in the race is a credit to this group, and the future remains bright.

FINAL STUFF: Watch the Sharks play, whether it's on Versus, a local channel, or on Yahoo (they occasionally have live games for free). They're on a level unlike any other. The only reason for doubt is their poor record of post season success, but let's wait and see.

Now for a classic

-brett

Iran: an imminent threat?

2009-02-03T17:03:00.006-05:00

I'll keep today's post short--I don't want to bore you with a lengthy lecture. But I would like to mention an issue that is very near and dear to my heart: US Middle Eastern foreign policy. For those who don't know, Iran recently launched a domestically-built satellite into space for the first time. This seemingly innocuous event sparked fear among Western powers, particularly the EU. The main reason for this has to do with the fact that the rocket used to launch the satellite can also be used to fire ballistic missiles. This makes the threat of a nuclear Iran even more imminent, especially in light of their only partially successful ballistic missile test a few months ago. (Remember that Iran has continued to deny the existence of its uranium-refining projects, which could be used to produce nuclear missiles. Though the US, UK, and France have offered incentives for them to disclose details and stop any uranium enrichment, they have refused.)

Also, a recent report released by the UNSC predicts that the era of US military imperialism is at an end, mostly because of our declining economy and the rise of China. Furthermore, US policy towards Iran is probably going to be more passive for the next four years, because President Obama has shown for more leniency towards the Iranian government than Bush did.

So, what I am getting at is this: should we be worried? If Iran can produce nuclear missiles in the next five years or so, are they going to start WWIII?

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the answer is no. The UNSC does include China, so even if the US were out of commission and Iran began making threats there is still a world power to intervene. Also, the US possesses some of the best missile interception technologies in the world--it is unlikely that Iran's primitive missiles could hit us. However, they could smuggle a bomb into the country, which might have potentially catastrophic consequences. But because security around our borders have been beefed up to prevent Al-Queda from doing the same thing, we stand a much better chance against a suitcase bomb type attack you might think.

There is one scenario I am worried about, though: Iran threatening Israel with nuclear weapons. I am not worried because I fear for Israel--I am afraid what would follow. The US would almost certainly jump to Israel's defense, threatening Iran in turn. If world powers are divided on the issue, a world war (probably a nuclear one) might ensue.

Overall, it would be best to investigate Iran's nuclear program further and not be too lenient towards the Iranian government. Though a nuclear Iran may not be as dangerous as it appears, we should still take every diplomatic precaution to ensure that Iran does not create nuclear weapons behind our backs.

Discussion: Hardest Sport Ever

2009-01-28T16:09:00.004-05:00

Many people disagree about what is the hardest sport in the world. The definition of 'hard' matters. So does the definition of sport. My opinion will hopefully be very controversial and ignite an interesting discussion.

I think bodybuilding is the hardest sport ever. There are a few reasons why I believe this is true. Unlike most other sports, bodybuilding requires a 24/7 effort. There is no off-season. Everything one does affects their body, and this simple fact must be taken into account for a bodybuilder.

Secondly, building muscle is not easy. Some people are at a disadvantage from the start, because of their genetic profiles. Ectomorphs (people who have trouble gaining lean muscle) must be especially diligent in their diet and training. Mesomorphs (people who can

build lean muscle easily, because of genetics) must train for years to be able to enter a competition. Bodies can only grow so much in a given time period. Bodybuilding is a long-term sport, which adds to its difficulty factor.

Now, I'm sure there are arguments against bodybuilding. I am expecting people to condemn the sport for widespread steroid use. There are a couple bodybuilding agencies who strictly enforce natural bodybuilding by rigorous testing. These include NANBF (North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation) and the NPA (Natural Physique Association). The other agencies are not as strict in their testing, but anabolic steroids and HGH are still illegal. The other argument I am anticipating is the lack of talent/skill involved in the sport. What bodybuilding lacks in talent, it makes up for in dedication. Most people's bodies require exercise six times a week to gain muscle. Most people would never work out twice a day for hours at a time six times every

week. Diet is just as important, if not more important. The optimum muscle building ratios of protein/carbohydrates/fat is different for every one. Finding the right balance can take years. Then, it is a challenge to eat correctly all year round. No other sport restricts one's diet like this; the temptations are everywhere.

I am interested to hear people's opinions. Comment, comment,

comment.

<-- non natural

-->natural

(Little difference)

NHL: Midseason Grades: Central Division

2009-01-27T23:49:00.000-05:00

Quick thing on the All-Star game:

Of course, one of the loudest ovations of the night came for Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier. After this season, his contract extension kicks in. And boy is it front-loaded. Montreal fans would love nothing more than to have their son come back to play for the hometown team. But I'll tell you right now. It won't happen. And if it does, my Tampa Bay Vincent Lecavalier t-shirt will suddenly skyrocket in monetary/nostalgic value.

ALL STATS UP TO 1/27/09

1. Detroit Red Wings (2nd)
-While we're on the topic of the All-Star game, it's absurd that the Wings had no representatives. It's equally foolish that Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom will receive suspensions for not attending the game. I understand you want the players to show up, but don't force an injured guy to show up and potentially make it worse.

Enough! The Red Wings were last year's Stanley Cup Champions, and they've picked up right where they left off. The 2.87 goals against per game (17th in the league) isn't pretty, but 3.62 goals per game (1st) is a great number. Just look at this team's depth up front.

Pavel Datsyuk leads the way so far with 56 points in 46 games. Offseason signing Marian Hossa is showing he's worth the money with 47 points in 47 games. Henrik Zetterberg has been a little banged up (as usual), but he's not far behind with 43 points in 45 games. He's a little injury prone, but not too much; the injuries are never major. If he could stay healthy, though, I'd tell you to pencil him in for 40 goals each year. The guy can play:

Good work by the Red Wings management, who just locked down Zetterberg for essentially the rest of his career at a pretty reasonable price. But I was talking about depth! Jiri Hudler (39 in 47) and Johan Franzen (32 in 41) can supply a little extra firepower. My bad, I forgot Mikael Samuelsson (32 in 46) and Tomas Holmstrom (30 in 39). It's debatable, but the Red Wings may have the most 20 goal scorers by the season's end.

Sure, Nicklas Lidstrom has been a little off his game this year, but 32 points in 44 games is still good. Brian Rafalski is enjoying playing on his hometown (homestate?) squad (35 in 47), while Niklas Kronwall can score (25 in 45) and brings a nice physical element as well.

I'm not sure what surprises me/makes me want to throw up more: the fact that Chris Osgood has a 3.21 GAA and .883 Sv%, or the fact that he has a 15-3-6 record in spite of such poor numbers. Supposed backup Ty Conklin grabbed the reins while Osgood was hurt, and has posted significantly better numbers (2.33 GAA, .917 Sv%). The Wings don't need an incredible goalie: they just need a decent one. Still, don't be surprised if they try to swap for an upgrade at the trade deadline.

FINAL Grade: A-. I'd like to see the defense be better, but part of it is on Osgood too. Besides, Mike Babcock knows how to run his team. Expect them to be battling San Jose for the number 1 spot in the West for the remainder of the season.

2. Chicago Blackhawks (4th)
-Ah, the Blackhawks. The darlings of the NHL. Known for their incredible youth! Though it hasn't been working for them too well as of late.

Patrick Kane's (42 points in 43 games) recent 7 game scoreless streak isn't pretty, and the rest of the team hasn't handled the extra responsibility all too well (13 goals in last 7 games). Captain Jonathan Toews is good, but he gets too much credit (36 points in 45 games). I doubt he'll ever become as good of a raw scorer as Kane, but he can still be effective. And that name is pronounced "Taives" or "Taves" or "Tayves", not "Toes".

Somehow Martin Havlat (37 in 45) is staying healthy (has only played 70 or more games twice in 8 seasons), and he's making a difference. Rookie Kris Versteeg (36 in 44) has been invaluable, and Patrick Sharp is showing last year was no fluke (35 in 45). Both Versteeg and Sharp are "Stuff with Brett Approved". Sharp especially: this guy takes faceoffs, plays the penalty kill, scores goals. He does what's needed. Lastly, Andrew Ladd is slowly shaking that label of "draft bust" with 28 points in 45 games.

The Blackhawks powerplay has jumped from 24th to 9th, thanks to Brian Campbell (30 in 45). After Campbell, the defense is rife with youth, and not in a bad way. Duncan Keith (26 in 41) is also one of the best two-way defensemen in the league. Cam Barker has very quietly scored 19 points in 35 games, and James Wisniewski is still trying to find his game at the NHL level (7 points in 16 games).

The goalie rotation is particularly interesting. Cristobal Huet was signed over the summer to a rather large contract. Apparently the Blackhawks forgot Nikolai Khabibulin was still good. They've posted similar numbers (Huet: 2.30 GAA .919 Sv%, Khabibulin: 2.37 GAA .923 Sv%), but if anybody gets shipped it will be Khabibulin. His contract expires after this season and the Blackhawks could use a second line center. Rumors will gradually increase as the trade deadline gets closer.

FINAL GRADE: B+. They're young, skilled, and quick. If they can escape this slump quickly they should be okay.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets (9th)
-The only team yet to make a playoff appearance, let's hope they can do it this year.

Everything with the Blue Jackets essentially starts and ends with "Stuff With Brett Approved" left wing Rick Nash. He leads the team with 46 points in 44 games, and is easily the most intimidating weapon in their lineup. Nash plays a physical game, but his skills have never truly shown through his stats. Oh, and he scored this goal:

Not only was that a great goal, but it was a game-winner on the road in the closing moments. That's why he's the captain. In other Columbus offense news, Kristian Huselius ranks second with 33 points in 44 games. R.J. Umberger (26 in 48) wasn't the natural fit with Nash the Jackets were hoping he'd be, but he's still a contributor. At least he's keeping his head up. Derick Brassard (25 in 31) seemed to be the answer for Nash until he got injured. Regardless, there's hope in sight, as recent trade acquisition Jason Williams has 4 points in 4 games.

The leader on defense? Surprisingly enough, Mike Commodore. Commodore, usually viewed as a depth defenseman with a physical component to his game, has 21 points in 48 games. Just behind him is Fedor Tyutin with 20 points. Tyutin was acquired with Christian Backman in exchange for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche from the New York Rangers, and while it seemed as though Backman might become the offensive leader on this blueline, his 4 points in 42 games say otherwise.

Goaltending? Steve Mason (2.04 GAA, .926 Sv%) is pretty much a lock to be nominated for rookie of the year, and it wouldn't be a stretch to give him the award already. It can be argued that he's a product of the system, but let's look at the goalie whose job he took, Pascal Leclaire. Leclaire posted a 3.83 GAA and a .867 Sv% before getting injured. He'll miss the rest of the season. In his place, Wade Dubielewicz will serve as backup. So far, though, Mason hasn't needed much help.

FINAL GRADE: B. Here's to the first playoff berth in franchise history.

4. Nashville Predators (14th)
-This is the one that kills me. My heart goes out to the Predators. Two summers ago, the team went through an ownership change. You figure it wouldn't be a big deal, but it becomes one when a franchise goaltender is shipped and the team lets go of its highest-scoring forward and defenseman to cut down payroll and make it a cheaper sell. Yet they still made the playoffs! A lot of the credit goes to Barry Trotz, but it was an uphill battle. Of course, as usual, they were shown the door in the first round by Detroit. Rough times.

Then, this past summer, they had to watch talented young Alexander Radulov leave for Russia despite still having a contract with the Predators. And just as it seemed they might make it again, they've dropped to 14th. It's still possible that they'll make the playoffs, but it doesn't look good.

Oh, and there are incessant rumors and whispers of the team being relocated due to monetary troubles. The concept of the team being moved is thrown around so much I'm surprised the players haven't gotten fed up and punched out a reporter. Like I said, every season the world tries to suffocate them, and yet they show up and make the best of it. Enough of this, though. Onto the team.

I take one look at that offense and it just reminds me of how I get pissed when there isn't any iced tea in the fridge. There is no real difference maker: it's a committee type thing. Evidence? J.P. Dumont leads the team in scoring with 34 points in 48 games. I don't want to say Jason Arnott is in decline, but his 29 points in 40 games doesn't bode well. Martin Erat (31 points in 43 games) is on pace for another "Martin Erat Season", which means about 60 points. The greatest disappointment is David Legwand, who has 23 points in 46 games for about 4.5 million dollars a season.

(INTERRUPTION: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE BLACKHAWKS AND PREDATORS HAVE GAMES TONIGHT. STATS FROM TONIGHT'S GAMES WILL NOT BE INCLUDED)

However, there is hope for the offense. Steve Sullivan has completed his comeback from some back problems, and he was a point per game player in a Nashville uniform in the past. 2 points in 5 games isn't much, but it's a start.

This team has a pretty underrated defensive unit. Finally, though, "Stuff With Brett Approved" defenseman Shea Weber is getting the recognition he deserves. Weber ranks second on the team in points (32 in 45), and his blast from the point (leads the league in defenseman goals with 14) results in both goals and opportunities up close. Not only that, but Weber can be one tough customer:

Ryan Suter (24 in 45) is still maturing, but I like him too and he may still have room to grow as a player. Dan Hamhuis (12 in 46) isn't playing his best hockey, but he can still be an effective defensive defenseman.

The goaltending situation in Nashville since Tomas Vokoun was sent to Florida hasn't been stable. The belief is, to put it simply: "Win and stay in". Dan Ellis was superb last season and was a key reason the Predators made the playoffs, but a 2.92 GAA and .899 Sv% doesn't quite cut it. Rookie Pekka Rinne has been better (2.33 GAA, .916 Sv%), and his 4 shutouts are crucial to a Predators team that has trouble scoring.

FINAL GRADE: B-. It's like there's a permanent cloud stuck over this franchise. The fact that they're doing this well is surprising enough. If they can make the playoffs, hand most of the credit to coach Barry Trotz and make that grade an A+ for a resilient group of players.

5. St. Louis Blues (15th)
-I guess things can go downhill quickly, considering this team came out of the gate with an 8-3-1 record. But two things set in rather quickly: injuries and reality.

The Blues have been bombarded with injuries. Top line center Andy McDonald and his 18 points in 16 games didn't last very long (thankfully, though, he should be back soon). Paul Kariya and his 15 in 11? Out for the season. Defenseman Eric Brewer has missed time due to injury as well. I wonder if the sole reason the Blues traded Lee Stempniak to the Toronto Maple Leafs in return for Carlo Colaiacovo and Alex Steen was so they could have more healthy players. Erik Johnson, the defenseman who, well, was, y'know...picked first overall in 2006...is out for the season because he got injured on a golf cart. I'll get to a Manny Legace injury later.

Don't get me wrong, they might not be much better off with all these guys healthy. But it doesn't help when they're all gone. One of the biggest surprises is David Backes (25 points in 46 games). I hate Backes with a passion (don't ask me why, I don't know), but he might actually be able to hit the 30 goal mark. Brad Boyes is still scoring after his breakout season (37 points in 46 goals), but his -22 rating definitely makes that stat line look a little ugly. Keith Tkachuk is showing he can still play (31 in 44), while young guys like Patrik Berglund (30 in 41) and David Perron (30 in 45) are stepping up. Hey, they deserve some credit: that powerplay is 5th in the league.

You may recall me mentioning how I'd like to see Cody Mcleod of the Colorado Avalanche score 20 goals this year. Same for B.J. Crombeen on the Blues. Crombeen's on pace to fall short, but it's still within his grasp. Of course, that's not Crombeen's typical routine:

There isn't much to say for this defense. Barret Jackman leads them in scoring (14 in 46), but he a) isn't that good, and b) is disliked by me. The guy you should be paying more attention is to the aforementioned Carlo Colaiacovo. Since coming in from Toronto, he has 12 points in 27 games as a blue. It's not eye-popping by any means, but it's not bad for a guy who has never topped 20 points in a season. Probably doesn't help that the most games he's ever played in a season in 48. Though, to be fair, he did spend 5 games in the minors that season.

I said earlier I'd mention Manny Legace's injury. Here's a clip first:

Yes, that was Legace who tripped on Palin's carpet and hurt himself. Legace is usually fragile, and if you seem him listed with an injury, there's no need to be surprised. Injured or healthy, a 3.12 GAA and .888 Sv% isn't good enough. Chris Mason (2.99 GAA, .904 Sv%) hasn't been much better. But Manny isn't all to blame: he's 5'10" and 200 pounds, which doesn't help when the NHL just changed goalie pad regulations and made them proportional. Legace has been better in the past, but it's just not showing right now.

FINAL GRADE: C-. It was a rebuilding season from the start. I'm just hoping that injury to Johnson doesn't stunt his growth as a player in any way. All hope for the playoffs seems miserably lost if you look at their place, but...look at the points. The Blues aren't too far out of a spot, and they won't go away just yet.

STUFF: The Wings won this season's division title before the season even started. Chicago should be a lock for the playoffs and Columbus can make the cut too, but neither of them can match Detroit. It's doubtful St. Louis and Nashville will make it.

NHL: Midseason Grades: Northwest Division

2009-01-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, we can move onto the Western Conference. In case you didn't know, the West is typically stronger than the East. The best evidence I can provide you with is that they have collectively compiled a 92-56-17 record against them.

So, needless to say, the competition in the West is a little tougher. Oh, look at that: I said it anyway.

(We've been a little bogged down lately, so all apologies for the delay)

(NOTE: ALL STATISTICS ARE TAKEN FROM PRIOR TO THE ALL-STAR BREAK)

1. Calgary Flames (3rd)
-The Flames have assumed their rightful place atop the division. My only problem with the team? Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. Ever since capturing the Vezina Trophy in 2006 as the best goalie in the league, his stats have declined at a steady rate. This year, he finds himself with a 2.82 GAA and .903 Sv%. Not incredibly atrocious numbers, by any means, but make no mistake: the main reason he owns the league lead in wins is the fact that he also leads the league in games played. The Flames need a backup goalie who can win a few games for them as well. Nevertheless...

...the fact that they have the 6th best offense in the league (3.15 goals per game) helps. And as usual, captain Jarome Iginla is leading the way (53 points in 46 games). He likes to drop the gloves from time to time as well:

The guy can throw rockets.

After losing Kristian Huselius and trading away Alex Tanguay during the offseason, the offense looked a little empty. Not anymore. Let me introduce you to...The Other Guys. (Template: Goals-Assists-Points).

Mike Cammalleri (C)-acquired from Los Angeles on the day of the draft. Leads the team with 22 goals. Good on the powerplay as well. (22-22-44)

Daymond Langkow (C)-enjoying his time on Iginla's line. Interestingly enough, actually drafted 6 spots ahead of Iginla. (16-21-37)

Rene Bourque (L)-offseason signing has a powerful shot and likes to get his hands dirty, as evidenced by his 62 PIM. (16-15-31)

Todd Bertuzzi (R)-while still having trouble escaping his history, Berty's showing he can still play. (11-20-31)

Fortunately for Kiprusoff, the defense in front of him is pretty solid. Dion Phaneuf can score (30 points in 46 games), but he can also dish out the pain (when he's not taking a tumble). Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich are quality defensive defensemen, while Adrian Aucoin (6-15-21) and Mark Giordano (2-15-17) can be a little more offensive-minded and help round out the group.

FINAL GRADE: A-. Last season, the biggest obstacle for this team was consistency. It hasn't gone away completely, but if Kiprusoff can manage to dig in, it will go a long way.

2. Edmonton Oilers (6th)
-I'll be honest, I didn't even think these guys would make the playoffs, but that was probably just my bias. There they are, sitting smack dab in the middle of the playoff race. Maybe Oilers coach Craig MacTavish will be able to save his job yet again, though his poor track record makes me wish they would fire him already. Sure, he took them to the finals once. It just so happened to be the year that right wing Fernando Pisani, he of 136 points in 340 career games, had 18 points (14 of them goals) during their 24 game playoff run.

People often point to MacT as the reason Ales Hemsky has yet to reach his potential. Either way, Hemsky's 41 points in 36 games this season satisfies me. Elsewhere, the forwards have been underwhelming. Guys like Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner, after promising rookie seasons, have failed to up their production. Dustin Penner (23 points in 44 games) has also continued to disappoint in Edmonton, as he's on pace for another 40 or so point season. Same for Erik Cole (21 points in 46 games).

When the forwards have floundered, the defense has stepped up. Sheldon Souray (31 points in 45 games), whose durability I enjoy comparing to the house of cards I make when I get really bored (has only played more than 80 games once in 10 seasons, and my house is never sturdy), has shown just how effective he can be when healthy. Prior to Hemsky's return to the lineup, Souray led the team in goals. This guy has a rocket of a shot. Fellow blueliner Lubomir Visnovsky, acquired from Los Angeles over the summer, has been impressive as well (29 points in 46 games). Meanwhile, Tom Gilbert (24 in 46) and Denis Grebeshkov (21 in 43) are both on pace for about 40 points. Four defenseman hitting 40 points? No guarantee, but if it happens, that's pretty impressive.

Oh, and Souray doesn't get involved often, but when he does, he makes sure to enjoy himself:

Prior to shipping Mathieu Garon to Pittsburgh, the Oilers had quite a mess in net. However, Dwayne Roloson has put up decent numbers (2.73 GAA, .913 Sv%) to pry the job away from Garon and Jeff Deslauriers.

FINAL GRADE: B. They've been trending upward since December. If the young guys can pick up their play, pencil these boys into a playoff spot.

3. Vancouver Canucks (7th)
-Right behind the Oilers, the Canucks are in a much less favorable spot. They only have 2 wins in their past 10 games. Mats Sundin and his massive contract have been good enough for 3 points in 7 games, while Roberto Luongo has let up 11 goals in the 3 games since his return from injury.

While Sundin still has the potential to improve his play, this offense still centers around Swedish twins Daniel (48 points in 48 games) and Henrik (44 points in 48 games) Sedin, with Henrik playing set-up man and Daniel pulling the trigger. Pavol Demitra (25 points in 37) games has been electrifying at times and extremely disappointing at others. Meanwhile, Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler do a quality job of shutting down opponents' top players. They can even help out on offense every once in a while (combined 49 points through 48 games).

The defense is without a superstar, but nobody is below average. Kevin Bieksa leads them offensively with 24 points through 39 games, while Willie Mitchell, Matthias Ohlund, and Alexander Edler have provided quality defensive play. Shane O'Brien and his bruising hits has been helpful as well. Acquired from Tampa Bay early on in the season for Lukas Krajicek, O'Brien has the honor of leading the NHL in penalty minutes with 130.

During Luongo's time spent on the injury reserve, Jason LaBarbera, acquired from Los Angeles for a 7th round pick, put up decent numbers (3.07 GAA, .907 Sv%) while handling most of the games. Original backup Curtis Sanford (2.59 GAA, .906 Sv%) has been sent to the minors despite cool suggestions for his helmet design:

(If you don't get it, the top one is former Canuck goalie Dan Cloutier, who wasn't particularly good, while the bottom one is starting goalie Roberto Luongo's face. Isn't it funnier when you understand it?)

FINAL GRADE: B-. And they were playing so well out of the gate. But they need to improve fast if they want to stay in the playoff race.

4. Minnesota Wild (9th)
-Oh, Marian Gaborik. You are so talented, but you are the epitome of fragile. You scored 5 goals in one game once! Then again, you're out for the season, and you have an unresolved contract dispute with the organization. Good for both of you. Now they'll probably lose you for nothing and you'll get less money than you wanted.

When healthy, Gaborik is a weapon and the heart of this offense. However, that's rare, and this season it finally seems as though he's done in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Wild's first round draft pick in 2001, Mikko Koivu, has taken over. He's on pace for 82 points, and on a team that ranks 27th in the league in scoring (2.47 goals per game), every point counts. Pierre-Marc Bouchard is showing just how badly he needs Gaborik with his 23 points in 43 games. Still, props to Antti Miettinen, who has 30 points through 46 games despite having a career high of 34. And as for you, Owen Nolan, you just keep on chugging; your 19 points through 28 games shows you're fragile, but you're a warrior. Nolan's 11 goals are sorely needed on a team without any big name scorers.

However, let's not forget that a lot of this is due to coach Jacques Lemaire's suffocating brand of defensive hockey. The Wild rank second in the league with 2.30 goals against per game. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky, acquired from Nashville during the offseason, has 25 points through 41 games. This guy can engineer an offense, and Lemaire has handed him the keys to the powerplay. Brent Burns (19 in 42) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (17 in 36) can both help out as well, but Kim Johnsson and Nick Schultz are the ones impress defensively. While Schultz doesn't dazzle offensively (5 points through 46 games), his plus 2 rating seems even higher, given his low offensive output.

Niklas Backstrom has been terrific in net (2.22 GAA and .926 Sv%), and he needs to be. For Lemaire it's not fun unless they win the game 2-1.

FINAL GRADE: B+. If this team makes the playoffs, I tip my hat to Lemaire. It may be boring to watch, but it works.

5. Colorado Avalanche (12th)
-The fact that the Avalanche are this close to a playoff spot is mind-boggling to me. Okay, maybe it's not that surprising, but when I look at this team I don't feel too good about them.

After debating retirement, center Joe Sakic decided to sign a one year contract with the team. He promptly got injured 15 games into the season, then hurt himself again in a snowblower accident. Don't get me wrong, Sakic is one of the greatest of all time (1,641 points in 1,378 career games). If anything, he deserves better than that; it shouldn't be the way he has to go out. I hope he doesn't retire yet. In the wake of his injury as well as the loss of Paul Stastny, left wing Ryan Smyth leads the team with 36 points in 47 games. Not bad, but that's less than I'd like to see in return for 7.5 million. Right behind him is Milan Hejduk with 34 points in 47 games. He hasn't looked the same since his heyday either.

However, Colorado has a funny way of blending the old with the new. Wojtek Wolski has 9 points in his last 8 games since shifting to center. T.J. Hensick continues to show potential with 15 points in 34 games, and John-Michael Liles has 23 points in 45 games to lead Colorado defensemen. Hard-hitting Adam Foote is also on his way back from injury, and will provide a much-needed boost to an ailing club. And here's to hoping Cody Mcleod can hit the 20 goal mark. Feel free to start a website to support his journey.

The Avs haven't enjoyed quality goaltending since Patrick Roy, and I'll bet they miss his occasional fight. Andrew Raycroft (2.77 GAA, .901 Sv%) and Peter Budaj (2.91 GAA, .899 Sv%) have both played excellent for stretches, but just as it seems they are about to pull away with the starting job, they play a terrible game.

FINAL GRADE: C-. I don't know if this team needs all-out rebuilding, but the veterans are fading quick. Peter Forsberg may make another comeback later in the season. Either way, this team needs some fixing.

FINAL STUFF
-Calgary wins the division while the Oilers and Wild tag along for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Canucks get pissed at themselves for blowing all that money on Sundin, fire their coach, and enjoy golf during the spring with the Avalanche.

Thoughts on Gaza

2009-01-27T16:50:00.004-05:00

I don't know how well-informed about world news everyone here is, but I am going to go ahead and talk about a current event that I have become very interested in: the crisis in the Gaza Strip.

First, a brief background: Gaza in a Palestinian region in southwestern Israel that is independent of Israeli rule. The Gazans have elected Hamas to be their government, which is the cause of much tension because Hamas is both a legitimate organization and a terrorist group. Hamas and Israel had a ceasefire, which expired about a month ago. When Hamas did not ask to renew it and rockets were lobbed over the border, Israel responded with an arial

bombardment and invasion of Gaza. A week ago a new ceasefire was written. However, today more rockets were launched from Gaza and Israel responded with more bombings.

This, of course, is only the recent events--the full story goes back all the way to 1948 with Israel's War of Independence (known as "the Catastrophe" to Palestinians) and the establishment of Israel as a nation. The US government has been allied with Israel since the beginning, probably because they are a Western nation in a sea of Islamic ones. The US media is often very biased towards Israel; I have found that if you look closely you will find that no one plays fair. Hamas does direct terror cells to fire rockets at Israel, but Israel sends settlers into regions to provoke conflict or use it to show the UN that that area is "Israeli" even if it really isn't. And so on and so forth. The result was "Operation Cast Lead" as it is called in Israel, or the Israeli attacks left a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

I would also like to mention Israel's use of white phosphorous in their airstrikes. WP was outlawed by the Geneva Convention in urban warfare, since it cause much collateral damage and leaves a lingering poisonous dust. In fact, in 2004 there was controversy when the US used it against insurgents in Iraq. So, the question I want to ask is this: should Israel be allowed to use this weapon? Or: to what extent are the Israelis allowed to go after Hamas terrorists? Should they be allowed to kill civilians if necessary? (This is not a hypothetical question--thousands of civilians have been killed in the invasion and in the airstrikes.)

Also, what do you think should be done about this crisis? I have suggested that the UN intervene as they have done in other places, but their stance thus far has suggested that they are just all talk in this case.

If you are interested in becoming more in-tune to world news, I recommend reading the BBC News. The BBC is considered to be the most objective news organization in the world, and I find their extensive coverage of world affairs fascinating.

A quick intro

2009-01-26T17:07:00.002-05:00

Hello all. For those of you who don't know me I am Bill. I have my own blog, on which I discuss current events and philosophical topics, but Brett wanted me to join in on this one as well.

I hope to add a new and interesting perspective to this blog. I'm not going to talk about hockey (that's Brett's job) but I will discuss current events and whatever else I find interesting. I will try to avoid being long-winded and overly philosophical (like my blog is) but I will not hesitate to discuss social issues or whatever else crosses my mind. I like comments (a lot) so always write what you think about what I have to say.

Preview: The Hold Steady

2009-01-22T23:08:00.001-05:00

As a break between my incessant obsession over hockey, I'd like all of you to give a band called "The Hold Steady" a listen. Be open minded, and listen to a few different songs off of a few different albums. I will most likely try to discuss them in the future, and it will be more enjoyable if you've familiarized yourself somewhat with their music.

-brett

NHL: Midseason Grades: Southeast Division

2009-01-22T16:07:00.006-05:00

Last one's was a little lengthy again. I figured I would just highlight the important stuff this time around, but I can't really figure out how to do that. So we'll learn to deal with it one way or another.

Let me preface the whole post just by saying that the Southeast Division...lacks the quality of play most other divisions have.

1. Washington Capitals (2nd)
-The Washington Capitals made huge strides last year, going from last in the league at one point to division champions. This year they're enjoying the same spot again.

Let's start with the offense. Left winger Alex Ovechkin is extremely talented, both at goal scoring and in ordering food to Sidney Crosby's room. Last year, he led the NHL in points. He's picked up his play after a slow start (5 points in first 9 games), and currently leads the league in goals with 31. The greater surprise at the start of the season was Alex Semin, who came sprinting out of the gate with 27 points in 16 games. The party ended shortly after he remembered he remembered how injury prone he was (The NHL regular season has 82 games: Semin has yet to hit 80, and has played more than 70 games only once in four seasons). Sophomore center Nicklas Backstrom seems to be enjoying his role as Ovechkin's center with 48 points in 48 games. He's got talent, but playing with a weapon like Ovechkin always helps.

I may as well tack on defenseman Mike Green to the offense, considering his fantastic 33 points in 35 games, 12 of which you can find in the goal column. However, his fighting skills could be better:

Despite Washington's prolific offense (7th in the league), their defense is their downfall (14th in the league). It's not terrible, but if it's going to take a better defense if they plan on making a deep run into the playoffs. The penalty kill needs to be better as well (79%, 24th in the league). Flaws like that show in the playoffs, and the addition of a punishing defenseman at the trade deadline wouldn't hurt.

Along with problems on defense comes goaltending troubles. Jose Theodore has enjoyed a roller coaster of a career, going from league MVP to playing poorly to playing well to getting sick/hurt and playing poorly in last year's playoffs to, well...playing poorly. His 2.81 GAA and .898 Sv% need to improve, though he's been better as of late. Backup Brent Johnson has played well at points, but injuries have hobbled him, and it's likely they'll continue to do so. I just don't understand why they haven't gone with Brett Leonhardt full time yet. Would've been nice for him to actually play.

FINAL GRADE: B+. This offense can light it up, but the back end needs to be stronger.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (8th)
-I challenge you to find a more mediocre team than the Hurricanes. Not only are they right in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, but their atrocious 2.50 goals per game puts them 25th in the league, and their goals against per game isn't much better (2.90). Eric Staal, a man who has previously notched 100 points in a season, only has 35 points in 48 games. Rod "Rod the Bod" Brind'Amour, once renowned for his skills as a defensive forward, has only 27 points in 48 games and -29 +/- rating that just makes me want to vomit. Defensemen Joe Corvo and Joni Pitkanen each have 21 points a piece, and neither has managed to beat out the other as the go to guy on the powerplay. Right wing Justin Williams spent the start of the season hurt and has only managed 9 points in 23 games.

And now, I will give credit where credit is due. Ray Whitney, at 36 years old, currently leads the team in points with 39 in 48 games. Whitney has never been a particularly dynamic scorer, but he's a relatively consistent 60-70 point guy. He's chugging right along at his normal pace. So don't you pay those other players any mind, Ray Whitney; just keep doing your thing.

People often look at goaltender Cam Ward and are critical of his numbers (2.57 GAA, .911 Sv%) after considering the fact that he helped take the Hurricanes to the Cup back in 2006. However, it's possible that was just a case of him being hot at the time. Ward, a first round draft pick back in 2002, is only 24. So let's cut him a little slack; plenty of goalies aren't able to shoulder a starting job until their late 20's or early 30's. He's played fantastic as of late, and backup Michael Leighton no longer seems to be a threat to usurp the starting job.

FINAL GRADE: C-. These guys look heartless when they play. If you've noticed, there's a pattern here: the worse teams, as well as the teams I tend to criticize more, seem to play without any interest in the game before them. It's a problem.

3. Florida Panthers (9th)
-Congratulations to the Panthers, who refuse to go down without a fight. That's not sarcastic, folks. This team is enjoyable to watch, and I'd love to see them make the playoffs.

After shipping center Olli Jokinen to Phoenix for defensemen Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton, most of the questions about this team were about the offense. However, they've been able to handle the load thanks to a few young players. For quite some time, it was expected that big bad Nathan Horton could be the star of the future:

However, his 26 points in 37 games isn't good enough. He's put up back-to-back 62 point seasons, but he has yet to truly break out. Instead, it seems as though left winger David Booth (31 points in 39 games) could be taking his place at the top of the totem pole.

Props to the defense as well. They currently rank 9th in the league with 2.74 goals against per game. A squad of Jay Bouwmeester, Bryan McCabe, and Karlis Skrastins to go along with Ballard and Boynton isn't exactly sublime, but it's not a bad unit by any means. Couple that with quality play from Tomas Vokoun (2.68 GAA, .916 Sv%) and Craig Anderson (2.47 GAA, .930 Sv%), and we've got ourselves a pretty good defensive unit.

The case of Bouwmeester is an interesting one. He leads Panthers defensemen with 26 points in 46 games, but only signed a 1 year contract this past summer. It's doubtful he'll resign, so it's probable he'll be shipped at the trade deadline. They can choose to keep him for a playoff run, but then they'd be forced to lose him to free agency for nothing. My opinion? Expect him to find a new home as the deadline gets closer.

FINAL GRADE: B. Not only are they playing good hockey, but it's fun to watch. Here's to a playoff berth.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning (12th)
-I will admit, I am a moderate Tampa Bay Lightning fan. But at the start of the year, the team they put on the ice was one with almost no chemistry and no heart. The choice of Barry Melrose as coach didn't help much, and they stumbled early on and found themselves behind in the standings. Therefore, interim head coach Rick Tocchet, I give you my virtual handshake of approval. You've taken a car crash of a team and turned them around as best you could. Tampa is still in place to make a playoff run, and they're no longer sad to watch.

Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis have picked up their play after slow starts, and both will be participating in the All-Star Game in Montreal. The "picked up their play" part applies to everyone on the team, offense and defense alike. The first overall pick from last year's draft, Steven Stamkos, has alternated between games and new conditioning routines as of late. Whatever it is, it's working; he has 4 points in his last 5 games.

Monster Evgeny Artyukhin (6'5", 254) happens to be incredibly fun to watch as well:

The defense is patchwork, but ever since they shipped Dan Boyle to San Jose, there's been no offensive leader. Recent waiver wire acquisition Cory Murphy could be the solution. He recorded 3 points in his first 2 games with Tampa, and while it's doubtful he'll keep up the pace, the offense needs somebody who can start a rush and engineer a powerplay.

It's goaltender Mike Smith's first year as a starter, and his 2.50 GAA and .919 Sv% look even better considering the type of defense his playing behind. He's still young (26), and he certainly fills the net (6'4", 218). Let's see if he can keep it up for a full season.

Final Grade: C+. This could hit B range if they make the playoffs.

5. Atlanta Thrashers (14th)
-Atlanta has it easy: fire General Manager Don Waddell.

I won't bother discussing the numerous trades in which he has been robbed. That's for another time. However, this could be the second straight year in which Waddell is forced to ship a star player. Last year, it was right winger Marian Hossa. This year, it could be left winger Ilya Kovalchuk, who currently leads the team with 49 points in 48 games. Kovalchuk is a gifted sniper: his career goal totals from his rookie season to last season read 29, 38, 41, 52, 42, 52. He won't be a free agent this summer, but he will be after next season. The Thrashers have only made the playoffs once during his tenure there, and they were swept in the first round. The organization has tried to convince him to stay by naming him captain. If they don't come to terms with him on an extension soon, they may be forced to ship him.

Meanwhile, Todd White (44 points in 48 games) and Vyacheslav Kozlov (42 points in 48 games) have rebounded from down years. Rookie Brian Little was the offensive leader at the start of the season (34 points in 45 games) until Kovalchuk finally started to heat up. Meanwhile, center Rich Peverley, claimed off of waivers from Nashville, has 8 points in 5 games as a Thrasher. Defenseman Ron Hainsey is producing with 25 points in 48 games, and the Thrashers' powerplay is humming along at 12th in the NHL (20%).

As with many other teams, the problems can be seen in the goaltender's numbers. Remember, though, that goalie statistics are both reflective of the goaltender's play and the team's play. With that being said, Kari Lehtonen has a 3.19 GAA and a .904 Sv%. You can't really find any positives in that.

FINAL GRADE: D+. Please, let Don Waddell be fired.

OTHER STUFF
-Washington is essentially a lock. It's all about who else makes the cut with them.

-brett

NHL: Midseason Grades: Atlantic Division

2009-01-20T18:45:00.009-05:00

I'm trying to pump these out quick, but I have a lot to say, so it's tough. Plus, there's a lot of pressure. But it's all good.

Last one's was rather lengthy, no? I'll try to cut this a little shorter. No guarantees.

(mind you, these standings could change tonight: however,I'm not counting on the rangers beating the ducks. but I could be wrong!)

I'll do my best to remove my Flyer bias.

STUFF

1. New Jersey Devils (3rd)
-I never give this team any credit, because in the past, they haven't really deserved it. Every time it seems as though they screw up, don't score enough, then rely on Martin Brodeur to save them. See for yourself:

If that isn't enough, familiarize yourself with these facts:
1. Brodeur most likely would have surpassed numerous goalie records this season (had he not gotten hurt).
2. The Devils don't score often.
3. The Devils do not have a particularly good defense.

But like I said. He's hurt. And let's give the Devils some credit. The defense is without any stars, but somehow coach Brent Sutter makes it work.

And the offense? Patrik Elias is looking like his old self again. He's putting up great numbers. Perhaps even better is that it appears Zach Parise is finally breaking out. After putting up around 60 points for the past two seasons, he has seems as though he's ready to smash his career highs (he's firmly on pace for 94). Elias is right behind him, aiming for about 92 points. While we're doling out some credit, winger Brian Gionta is on pace for his best offensive season since 05-06, while center Travis Zajac will most likely set several new career highs.

How about that Scotty Clemmensen? After serving as Brodeur's backup for several seasons, he finally got bored on the bench (Brodeur usually eats up most of the starts...when healthy) and spent a season in Toronto, where he was fantastically average. Fast forward...not too much...to now. Clemmensen's GAA rests at a respectable 2.30 while he's maintained a sparkling .922 Sv%. Brodeur's backup in Clemmensen's absence, Kevin Weekes, has also managed to put up decent numbers (2.58 GAA, .914 Sv%).

Final Grade: A. I don't like the Devils. Don't fool yourself, though: Clemmensen and Weekes are playing good hockey, but the real credit goes to the rest of this team. Maybe they finally panicked after losing their star goalie long term. Whatever it was, they're playing incredibly as a group. Right on.

2. New York Rangers (5th)
-Half of me doesn't want to talk about the Rangers, while the other half of me doesn't really want to either. This team disgusts me when I watch them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they come out and completely take over a game. But that's rare. Most nights they seem to be playing without any heart. To put it simply, they have no spark.

Now, some credit to goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. He's had a few rough outings so far this year, but he's shown up to most of the games. Sure, that 2.54 GAA and .913 Sv% may not be great, but the numbers don't always tell the story.

Now, as for the rest of these guys...the signing of defensemen Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival to ludicrous contracts (they have cap hits of 6.5 and 7 million, respectively) is, well...ludicrous. The Rangers lead the league in shorthanded goals against, which typically occur when a defenseman mishandles the puck at the blue line on a powerplay. In other words, these two men are primarily to blame. Please, take a moment, and join me in pointing the finger at them.

I will continue to make fun of the Rangers and their complete ignorance of the salary cap. Centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury both have cap hits of just over 7 million. Both of them have about 30 points. Sure, Gomez missed a few games with an injury, but it's not excusable. Offseason acquisition Nikolai Zherdev leads the team in scoring with 38 points in 47 games. Apparently nobody on Zherdev's old team (the Columbus Blue Jackets) told the Rangers he was absurdly streaky.

You may have noticed I didn't mention the actual statistics of Redden and Rozsival. That's because, while they're not terrible...they're not good, and not as good as they should be.

Final Grade: D. This team will drop in the standings. Badly. Expect it to be a close cut for the playoffs.

3. Philadelphia Flyers (6th)
-At the start of the season, they were terrible. Every game was a shootout (that they managed to lose). The Flyers were the last team to win a game. So this is a nice turn around.

Jeff Carter is finally showing why the Flyers made him a first round pick back in 2003, sitting pretty at second in the league in goal-scoring. Captain Mike Richards has shown last year was not a fluke, and he's looking at an 80+ point season. Lastly, Simon Gagne has made a successful return from a concussion filled season, posting 43 points in 42 games. Meanwhile, center Daniel Briere has spent most of the season being injured/figuring out how to get injured again.

The defense isn't so pretty. Kimmo Timonen has rebounded from his slow start to post 28 points in 44 games. Braydon Coburn's season has been slightly disappointing after last year's success (only 18 points in 45 games so far), but some credit must be given to this unit as a whole. Despite several injuries to depth defensemen such as Ryan Parent, Randy Jones, and Derian Hatcher, they have somehow managed 19th in the league in Goals Against per Game. This group needs a little fine tuning come next offseason. Though it isn't all their fault...

...considering how sub-par goaltenders Martin Biron (2.88 GAA, .908 Sv%) and Antero Niittymaki (2.57 GAA, .915 Sv%) have been. Philadelphia hasn't seen a true number one goaltender for quite some time, and they don't exactly have any stud prospects in the minor leagues.

Before ending this, I would like to personally thank Scott Hartnell for this and the occasional hat trick.

Final Grade: B-. This team needs to be better defensively if they want to make a legitimate run at the Cup. They've hit a few bumps in the road lately; here's to hoping they can right the ship.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins (9th)
-I planned on starting off this one by being hateful, but let's face it, I hate every team in this division that's not the Flyers. Except the Islanders (most of the time). More on that later.

Okay, the Penguins lost their top defensive pairing of Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar before the season, but...come on! The fact that they're out of a playoff spot is, well, terrible. They've been in a funk as of late, though it's possible they snapped it in their 4-2 win against the Flyers in Philly. It certainly carried over to their 3-0 win over the Rangers a few nights later, where a returningish Marc-Andre Fleury posted his second shutout of the season. Though he was rather nice to the Flyers in that Philly game:

The offense! Sidney Crosby! Sid the Kid! OMG!

His other nickname is...can you guess it?...Cindy Crosby. But let's face some facts: Crosby, along with teammate Evgeni Malkin, lead the league in scoring (Malkin sits at the top with 69 points, while Crosby is tied with Alex Ovechkin at 59). Of course, the usual situation has arisen. Crosby and Malkin have posted great totals, and the rest of the team suffers from a lack of depth/skill at the winger position. Miroslav Satan seemed to be the answer at the start of the season (18 points through October and November), but has slowed down as of late (only 12 points in his last 24 games).

Whitney is back on defense, so the powerplay improved somewhat. However, I don't really care about "the great job everybody did on defense while Whitney and Gonchar were gone". Because, quite frankly, most of them have stopped overachieving and realized who they really were. Don't get me wrong, they're not as bad as their play lately might suggest: it's just that they were lucky to start off as well as they did.

Ah, now for the goaltending! Fleury hasn't been too good for most the season (2.84 GAA, .908 Sv%). While Fleury was out, backup Dany Sabourin showed just how incapable he could be at handling back-to-back starts, putting up a 2.85 GAA and .898 Sv%. However, he was shipped to Edmonton in exchange for Mathieu Garon, who, despite having a down year (3.17 GAA, .895 Sv%) is usually a quality backup. A change of scenery may do him good, and Fleury has responded well with the added pressure.

Final Grade: C+. This is a playoff team. They need to be in a playoff spot. They made the Stanley Cup Finals last year! C'mon!

5. New York Islanders (15th)
-For those of you unaware of how NHL standings work, there are 30 teams in the league. 15 in each conference. The Islanders have the dual honor of ranking both last in their conference and the whole league.

Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro is signed through the 2019-2020 season. Bad call. DiPietro is one of the most injury-prone goalies out there. He played intermittently this year until finally calling it a day (season) recently. What might be my best example of how his love for injuries is how he hurt himself last year...in the All-Star Game. My bad, it wasn't in the actual game. It was in the skills competition. Get the idea?

Career backup Joey MacDonald did as well as one could ask. Same for Yann Danis, considering MacDonald recently went down with an injury. The concept of bringing back Wade Dubielewicz was stopped during the process when Dubie was picked up on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. They Isles are left with the incredible duo of Yann Danis and Peter Mannino.

On paper, the Islanders defensive corps doesn't look to bad. Key words: On paper. They sit second to last in Goals Against per Game. Mark Streit deserves credit for managing to rev up the power play (sort of), and for leading the team in points (it's rare for a defenseman to manage that, though the Isles are just bad enough for him to pull it off). Brendan Witt can dish out the pain, but his -27 is unacceptable. Chris Campoli has been underachieving, while injuries to depth defenseman such as (let's face it, all of them are depth defenseman) Andy Sutton, Radek Martinek, and Freddy Meyer haven't made life easier.

Meanwhile, the offense has been full of surprises (other than Streit). Bill Guerin is rebounding from an off year with 32 points in 46 games. Doug Weight has experienced a similar revival with 32 in 37. Assume every player I mention has a +/- in the negative. The only person above 0 is Sutton, with a paltry +3. And like I mentioned earlier, he's missed time with injury.

The organization must be thrilled! Weight, Guerin, and center Mike Comrie are all having decent/quality years! And for a team sitting in last place, this makes all of them fantastic trade bait for some draft picks and prospects. Expect at least one Islander to be shipped as the deadline gets closer.

Grade: D-. It'd be an F, but there were no expectations prior to this season, so I'll deal with it. Oh well, another year of reconstruction in the books.

OVERVIEW
The Rangers just won. But they won't hold onto the division lead. Expect it to go to the Devils or Flyers. The Rangers will drop, the Penguins will rise, and the Islanders will enjoy watching the league from the basement window.

Open Forum: First Love?

2009-01-19T17:44:00.002-05:00

Everyone read this article about a study recently published about the effects of teenage love (lust).

Really, read it.

I'm curious to hear everyone's opinions on the matter. The study makes sense to me, but it is troubling. Does this mean I should never get married and stay single forever? If not, then according to this study I'll be in poor marriage. Interesting stuff. Post your thoughts in the form of comments.

Review: George Bush

2009-01-19T15:28:00.003-05:00

This isn't my review. Instead, I will provide you with two facts.

1. The majority of the United States is educated. What does educated mean? They're literate, and have a basic understanding of what I can only describe as "things".

2. Here is a live tracker of Bush's approval rating. Last I checked it, it read 23%.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2006/02/02/CU2006020201345.html