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By The Daily Hurt… I have lost all respect for Derek Fisher as a basketball player.
His cheap shot on Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola was disgusting.
Fisher is a 13-year veteran and a three time champion. He is also the president of the Players’ Union. He’s been around long enough to know better.
Fisher was rightfully ejected for the hit and then suspended for Game Three, but the league should have been more severe. Fisher should have received further punishment for his stupidity.
Fisher’s act tipped a game that had been simmering over the edge.
Fisher has played in enough playoff games to know that postseason basketball gets tough and sometimes rough. Hard fouls are acceptable; cheap ones aren’t.
As expected, the Lakers increased their intensity for Game Two. They were surprised to be trailing their best-of-seven series 1-0. They couldn’t afford a second loss at home.
Houston are known to be a tough defensive team. Ron Artest and Shane Battier are hard-nosed and stifled Kobe Bryant in the series opener. Battier ended up with a severe gash to his head but didn’t complain. He knows that, if you play hard, occasionally, you have to take the knocks.
It’s part of the game.
Fisher’s pile driving slug into Scola was streetball style. You can get away with shots like that when there aren’t any referees or cameras watching. It was only made worse by TNT commentators Doug Collins and Kevin Harlan, who claimed that Fisher was being tough.
He wasn’t.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson also looked foolish protesting Fisher’s ejection. It’s one thing to stand up for your players, but it’s another to defend their brainless behaviour at a crucial point of the game.
Toughness isn’t about belting a guy who isn’t ready for it; toughness is remaining calm while others lose their cool.
Young guys look up to leaders to know what to do when things go wrong.
Fisher wasn’t even fighting his own war. Nor can he hide under the pretense of sticking up for his teammates. Lamar Odom and Scola had clashed on an earlier play, but there was nothing in it. Scola fouled Odom and had tugged away at his shirt and they exchanged words.
Both Scola and Odom managed to put their handbags away before any lipstick was spilt.
Then Fisher, trying to act like a tough guy, turned himself into a fool.
More from The Daily Hurt
By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter… Jim Balsillie is “All-In”, it’s your move Gary Bettman…Yes it’s true, Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie is at it again. In lieu of the Phoenix Coyotes filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Balsillie, who has tried to acquire an NHL franchise on two occasions before, has offered to buy the club for a whopping $212.5 Million (USD). It is common knowledge that Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes had been struggling to keep up with the Phoenix payroll, recently taking a $20 Million (USD) loan from the NHL, just to keep up with payroll. What we didn’t know, but may have speculated, was that the Coyotes franchise and Moyes himself were in dire straits financially and would file for bankruptcy.
In a statement made during a public forum, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman responded to questions about the Coyotes situation by saying “The Coyotes have had some economic issues during this year (DUH!) and the League has been working with Mr. (Jerry) Moyes, who’s having his own financial issues to keep the club current in it’s obligations”. Spoken like a true lawyer, thanks for nothing Bettman!
In a League-issued statement, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said, “We have removed Jerry Moyes from all positions of authority to act for or on behalf of the club. The League will appear and proceed before the Bankruptcy Court in the best interests of all of the club’s constituencies, including it’s fans in Arizona and the Leagues other 29 Member Clubs.” “Fans”, what “Fans”? Everytime I tuned in to watch a Coyotes game it was like a morgue in that barn, and don’t tell me anywhere near half of those so-called “Fans” in the stands paid full-pop for their seats, most of them were giveaways and discounted tickets, suggesting the Coyotes “Loyal fans” were ponying up full-pop, well, that would be a load of malarkey!
Interestingly, it seems as if Mr. Bettman was going to be meeting with Mr. Moyes on Tuesday to go over all the offers the NHL had received for the club when, without notice, Bettman was advised of the bankruptcy petition. One of those offers is said to have come from Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Unlike Balsillie, who has every intention to move the Coyotes to an undisclosed location in Southern Ontario- likely Vaughan or Hamilton, Reinsdorf is said to be interested in keeping the ‘Yotes in Phoenix. Why would you do a stupid thing like that? Better yet, why is Gary Bettman and the NHL so hell-bent on keeping this albatross of a team in Arizona when he has a gold-mine awaiting him in Southern Ontario? As our good friend at City TV sports “John Gallagher” used to say, “What are you, new”???
So, what does it all mean? Well, it should be noted that if the bankruptcy filing is accepted that the Bankruptcy Court must take the highest bidder, in this case it would seem like Balsillie’s bid will far outweigh any other bid. The kicker here is that Balsillies bid is conditional. He will only make the purchase if he is entitled to move the Coyotes to Southern Ontario. As I mentioned before, Gary Bettman seems hell-bent to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, but if Balsillie wins the bid, how can he prevent the move? Balsillie has been denied access to the fraternity that is NHL ownership before, most recently when he tried unsuccessfully to acquire the Nashville Predators and move them to Hamilton. Bettman seemed unhappy with the aggressive nature in which Balsillie attempted to acquire the Preds and was less than impressed when Balsillie initiated a season ticket drive without officially owning the team. You might even say that those actions “PISSED” Bettman off, and now Balsillie is paying for it as he once again is facing opposition from Bettman and his cronies. Let’s say for the moment that Balsillie’s offer does stand up as the largest bid, and it probably will, what will it take for Balsillie to get the franchise to Southern Ontario? First, Balsillie will have to have the Bankruptcy Court rule that his offer entitles him to move the franchise to Southern Ontario (The NHL seems poised to fight this tooth and nail). If he wins that battle, Balsillie will have to go through the process of getting ownership approval from the NHL Board Of Governors, NHL Owners and Commissioner Bettman himself, a battle which will surely put many Owners and Board Members at odds. There are those out there that suggest the NHL may try to step in and make legal entitlement to the Coyotes before the bankruptcy court. Don’t forget, the NHL has been funneling funds to the Coyotes for quite sometime and there is the belief by some that the NHL in fact controls the Coyotes at this point, which may make Moynes attempt to file for bankruptcy null and void.
It all adds up to a messy battle for “Damaged goods”. The Coyotes have struggled to attract a reasonable number of “PAYING” fans since their inception. The franchise is yet to make the playoffs and the overall performance from ownership to the coaching staff has been forgettable to say the least. Relocation, while a bold move, would seem like a great opportunity for this franchise to succeed, keeping the Coyotes in Phoenix would ultimately only delay the obvious, sorry Mr. Bettman, the good people of Phoenix have spoken and they don’t want hockey in the desert anymore, probably never did.
For the League’s sake, I hope the NHL does the right thing and explores any and all re-location options for the Coyotes. Southern Ontario seems primed and ready for another team, hell, if New York can have two teams why not Southern Ontario? I mean, what the hell is the NHL afraid of? The Toronto Maple Leafs? Pffttt…Please! They will be just fine, trust me.
Here’s hoping Jim Balsillie, who is as passionate as they come when it comes to hockey, finally gets his franchise. The NHL could do a lot worse than adding one of the most influential businessmen of the century to it’s stable, Balsillie is approachable, well situated financially and a visionary, what’s not to like? Good luck Mr. Balsillie, maybe if you get the deal done I can write for the “Kitchener Coyotes”, after all, I am in the K-dub? LOL…
Until next time,
Peace!
By Stoker MacIntosh… Now that the dust has settled after last Saturday’s thrilling knockout of Ricky Hatton by pound-for-pound great and newly crowned junior welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, we can get a much better picture of the boxing landscape.
Sadly, the heavyweight division still seems to be boxing’s weakest link in an otherwise strong mid-year showing.
However, if David Haye can accomplish what he says he will on June 20 in Germany, that picture may also change for the better.
No offense against the big Ukrainian champion, but in all honesty, I’d rather watch paint dry than to witness Wlad Klitschko—or his brother for that matter—jab their way toward another one of their one dimensional late-round knockouts or boring unanimous decisions.
Other than that, its been a great 2009 so far with some great fights. Yet it’s shaping up to look even better this summer.
Next on the boxing agenda—in regards to the most thrilling division in boxing: the welterweights—is a July 18 showdown between the man who was once deemed unbeatable by his limited fan base and the fighter who has come closest to dethroning the current pound-for-pound mainstay.
When Floyd Mayweather Jr. meets Juan Manuel Marquez in a highly anticipated matchup scheduled to take place a little over two months from now, one way or the other, many questions will at last be answered.
The ongoing debate among hardcore fans and boxing media as to whether the pound-for-pound top spot that Pacquiao has held since Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s retirement last summer should belong to Marquez has not been silenced. But with Pacquiao’s latest win, it has been reduced to a mere whisper.
Some Marquez supporters argue that the Mexican warrior actually won the split-decision against Pacquiao in their 130-pound rematch last March. Others, such as myself and ESPN columnist Dan Rafael, had Marquez winning both fights.
I’m also much more impressed by Marquez in his lightweight championship-winning KO over Joel Casamayor last September than Pacquiao’s 135-pound division title win over David Diaz.
In my personal opinion, Casamayor is a much more skilled fighter at lightweight than anyone Paquito has faced recently, including the faded De La Hoya and the once-great “Hitman” Hatton.
The fact that Pacquiao’s recent opposition isn’t on a level playing field with that of Marquez is secondary to the fact that the little Filipino has had more dominant wins and his power hasn’t diminished with the rise in weight, which is often the case.
A Utopian world is non-existent, but this coming July, fans are looking at a win-win situation in regards to the Marquez-Mayweather welterweight super fight.
Should Marquez win against Mayweather, waiting in the wings for a possible trilogy will be Pacquiao. Although Freddie Roach and Bob Arum have outspokenly been opposed to Manny fighting in anymore wars with Marquez, an upset win over Mayweather would award Marquez an elite resume—one that would be hard to resist.
Fans will be demanding that Pacquiao, once and for all and uncontroversially, prove that he is able to beat the man who will undoubtedly be regarded again as the true pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Juan Manuel Marquez.
Speech is conveniently located midway between thought and action, where it often substitutes for both. -John Andrew Holmes
By Louis “King of Roncesvalles” Pisano…
The Jays made the trek across the country the land of the Terminator, California, to face the LA Angels splitting the two game series. They still sit tops in the American league and hold the second best winning percentage in the whole of the MLB at .645 behind the now ManRamless LA Dodgers .700.
Doc started the first game and got massive run support with 2 runs in the 1st inning and then a 5 run 2nd which was plenty in the 13-1 drubbing of the Angels. Halladay pitched 8 solid innings allowing only 6 hits 1 earned run with 2 walks and 6 strike outs. Doc’s strike out to walk ratio is unreal in 52 innings pitched he has 44 SO to only 7 walks, pretty sick! Wells (5) Overbay (4) and Hill (7) all went yard.
The second game of this series saw rookie pitcher Robert Ray take the mound giving up 6 runs in 6.1/3 innings, and the Jays could only muster 3 hits throughout the game against Jered Weaver who pitched a complete game, surrendering only one run which was another dinger off the bat of Aaron Hill his 8th to lead the team.
The Jays take on the Oakland Athletics in a three game series starting Friday and running through too Sunday before they return home to face the Yanks with ARod back in the line-up at Rogers Centre on Tuesday at 7pm.
By Bryan Thiel… For most, they can only dream about playing in the NHL playoffs.
Each year, 800 or more players suit up in NHL action, and only 16 teams-worth have the opportunity to play in hockey that truly matters.
From there, only 20 men have the opportunity to touch the ice at the same time as hoisting the Holy Grail of Hockey above their heads—the Stanley Cup.
While nothing compares to the feeling of cherishing the chalice of Lord Stanley, some might be surprised as to what a former NHLer and three-time Stanley Cup champion might compare the NHL Playoffs to:
The TV coverage that brings those matches to our homes every night.
Brian Engblom though, despite being distanced from his paying days, still feels the grind of playoffs.
The only day that he and the crew over at VERSUS have had off was the Wednesday in-between the first and second rounds of the NHL playoffs. With so many games to keep track of, there are a lot of long days and a lot of double-headers.
But for a guy who loves the game as much as him, Engblom counts himself lucky to be in the industry. And if he gets tired? Well it’s just as if you’re a player:
“You just go on.”
Engblom has seen a lot of hockey in his time at VERSUS. Alongside Keith Jones, Bill Patrick, and the behind the scenes crew at VERSUS (for whom Engblom has high-praise), the three provide the ins and outs of each series—who’s hot, who’s not, and the injuries hindering your favorite stars.
Coming in to the second round, the crew at VERSUS was faced with the opportunity of following the first-ever matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in the post season—a matchup that could propel the already intense rivalry the two share, not only because of the stars’ talents, but because of their ages as well.
“Sidney (Crosby) and Alex (Ovechkin) are the two biggest stars in the league, in the playoffs. There’s nothing like playoff hockey to develop a rivalry, and you need to look no further than Boston going against Montreal (and the history of that matchup).”
Familiarity breeds contempt, and like it did with the two Original Six teams, it seems like it is working with two of the more recent first overall picks.
Contempt could come Washington’s way with regards to the questions over Ovie’s stick curve.
“You can never say never when it comes to a call like that (you never know how desperate a team is). In a key situation, maybe they call him on it (to get the man advantage). The players know if it’s illegal though. You look down in a draw and you see it there, and it sticks out.”
But whether it’s controversy, contempt, or controlling the game, Engblom knows how the stars dictate the pace of the league.
“Sports are star driven no matter the sport. Look at football. I’m no expert, but I watch it, and all I see is Peyton Manning. Whose selling Master Cards? Peyton Manning. Even if he’s not in the playoffs, it’s him and his brother there selling. Advertisers and today’s marketing machines appeal to the stars’ quality, and the star players are who they are.
“Because of that, the leagues would be silly to look past them, especially with the velocity that they both (Ovechkin and Crosby) came into the league with.”
Despite their headline-stealing marketing strengths, Engblom is not afraid to look beyond the two stars and their controversies. While questions revolve around who the better skater is and who will play the bigger role as the series stretches on, Engblom’s experiences both on and off the ice have taught him to look at the other players in the series.
Kris Letang—who scored the game-winner Wednesday night—is one of those players he looks at. Letang brings great mobility to Pittsburgh’s defense, and he has the ability to move the puck and skate with (or without) it. The absence of those tools, as well as the simplicity of missing a regular from the lineup, could have been enough to halt a Pittsburgh comeback had Letang missed any extended time.
But while Engblom can look at the headlining series of round two and spot who needs to be better and who will be sorely missed, he also recognizes exciting hockey taking place away from the limelight.
Eric Staal has silently been cementing himself as “the man” in Carolina “ever since their championship in 2006” according the Engblom. He has become one of the most overlooked clutch scores in the game today, and if asked to define a star, Engblom looks no further than the ‘Canes super sniper.
He is also a big reason why Carolina won a tough game in Boston (alongside the play of Cam Ward), and brings with him the kind of aura that doesn’t allow you to count out the Hurricanes.
Despite Boston having trouble with the Hurricanes (in falling behind 2-1 in the series), Engblom said that it is not necessarily a lack of initiative or quality coaching.
“The coaches help to motivate, but it’s a ‘team attitude’ that really gets you there, which is usually developed during the regular season. It’s more on the players. Sometimes teams come out and it’s just not there—that’s why we call it coming out flat.
“It’s something the stars have learned how to cope with and utilize. You have to be afraid to lose, but relaxed enough and ready enough to play. It’s the star players that can strike that balance.
“Sometimes players are too relaxed. Then it becomes clinical and they can fall behind.”
Despite the mentality playing a large part in results, there are always those who defy the odds with a ground-breaking performance, and those who shy away from the spotlight.
So who has caught Engblom’s eye so far?
“(Simeon) Varlamov has been a break-out star for the Caps, he’s done some great things. Chad LaRose has been great for Carolina. He’s usually a depth forward, but he’s brought some big energy, scored points, and played some big minutes for them so far.
“Michael Ryder has been really filling the net for the Boston Bruins, and David Bolland and Dustin Byfuglien have been big for Chicago. Contributions are not always measured by points, but by playing important minutes, their tenacity, and being physical.”
On the other side, “Hossa still needs to hit that level, but he’s the easiest guy to point the finger at because he’s a star. Datsyuk has been having trouble too, but he’s a playmaker. He’s set up his teammates nicely, but (Jonas) Hiller has just been stopping them.’
“Viktor Kozlov comes and goes for the Caps, while Pittsburgh needs all-around production, and not just from Malkin. They need guys like Staal (Jordan), Kunitz, and Sykora to step up. In Carolina, Erik Cole needs to start driving wide with the puck. He brings speed and power to that team, but he needs to start using it to take some pressure off Staal.”
The aforementioned Hiller and Varlamov could easily be counted amongst the players who have been ‘heating it up in the playoffs’. Both are in a dead-heat for the runaway performance of the playoffs, and they have gotten there by playing phenomenal hockey.
Both have been consistent, and they have been great at not allowing the soft goal.
But as Engblom points out, they will both be missing key pieces in front of them, as both James Wisniewski and Jon Erskine are walking wounded.
Wisniewski’s efficient passing and Erskine’s quiet, yet solid play have been big reasons as to why those two teams—and their two goalies—have been so good these playoffs.
But with all of the feel-good stories surrounding players that we have heard little or nothing about, the same question and concern keeps arising in playoff time, and it is always about officiating.
Why can’t it be consistent?
Engblom is one of the few personalities who will give you a realistic answer about that qualm:
“Out of every sport, the NHL officials’ jobs are the most difficult to handle because of the continuity. In football, you’ve got one play, but hockey five or six minutes can go by without a whistle, and it’s always different guys leaving and coming on the ice.
“Mistakes happen ever year. The goal should’ve counted (Marian Hossa against Anaheim in game three), but it’s part of the game and it happens all the time—regular season or playoffs. That’s the way sports are; you have to be a big boy about it and move on.”
But while officiating is always going to have that human element, Engblom says the changes the NHL has made in the past, and might be considering, are all for the better.
Four-on-four overtime is one of those changes that has been suggested.
“The NHL is going in the right direction. If they begin to look at four-on-four overtime, then they’re solving a problem because the game loses something if it goes on too long. I’d be fine with it after two overtimes—in fact, I’d be fine with it after the first overtime.
“The NHL has displayed a willingness to change for the better since the lockout, and player fatigue and fan interest in long games are big factors (if they go in this direction). At a certain point everyone says ‘let’s get it over with and get a winner’.”
As for how the playoffs themselves will finish up, Engblom still hasn’t changed his stance.
“I said Boston versus Detroit in the Stanley Cup final and both teams are still in it, so why change now?”
Like the teams he hopes to see in the Stanley Cup final, Engblom has stuck with a winning formula his entire career, and has one of the best jobs in the world to show for it.
By Heather Parry… If years and years of watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs has taught me anything, it’s that miracles can happen.
And by “miracles” of course, I mean unexpected upsets resulting from hard work, determination, and just a little bit of luck.
For this reason, I don’t feel quite as ridiculous as I should when I say that I’m hoping for a 2009 finals series that pitches the Vancouver Canucks against the Washington Capitals.
Yeah, yeah, I know what everyone says: the Caps will never get past “human wall” Tim Thomas and his Boston Bruins.
On principle, I agree.
Yet there’s something that stirs within me watching the ever-growing strength of Washington’s second and third lines, and their new-found confidence in front of the enigmatic Varlamov that says different.
Is it hope, perhaps?
Sure, they haven’t even got past Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh yet, but through my rose-tinted glasses it doesn’t seem all that unlikely, even in the wake of tonight’s OT loss.
It’s not just that I want them to win the conference either. I specifically want them to meet the Canucks at the end.
Again, I know that the surprisingly hot Blackhawks and whoever comes out of the Anaheim-Detroit series triumphant (Detroit, surely) both stand in the way of Roberto Luongo hoisting, or rather posing with, the Campbell Trophy, but in the realm of my fantasy final that’s all just a side story.
Just imagine it: Varlamov, the sprawling spider of a man who’s suddenly appeared from nowhere, up against the much more experienced but sporadically inconsistent Luongo, Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows getting shirty with the likes of Donald Brashear, and king of speed Alex Ovechkin coming up against the indefatigable Sedin brothers.
It would be hockey heaven.
It would also be a triumph of youthful vitality—the kids beating the old hands of Boston and Detroit, and pushing themselves to the very limits of their strength and speed.
Most of all though, it would be horrendously exciting; end to end, exhausting, and thoroughly thrilling.
Here’s hoping.
By Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter…
“Stupid is as stupid does”, or in this case, it’s just another case of “Manny being Manny”. In a shocker, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be without their most potent bat until July 3rd as Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
In a statement issued by MLB Players Union, Ramirez was quoted as saying, “ Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me, unfortunately the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing, I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past over the past 5 seasons”.
Unlike other players (***Cough, cough, A-Rod), Ramirez seems to be stepping up and taking responsibility for the positive test. Make no mistake about it, while his Doctor may or may not be partially responsible, this is Manny’s fault. All players are provided with a list of banned substances, it would seem to me that all players should disclose this list to their Doctor, failure to do so is an act of stupidity and ultimately may cost you millions of dollars, your reputation and perhaps even your career. Hell, if it were me, I would provide MLB with a sample of the prescribed drug before I put anything in my body, but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? As usual the incident reeks of lies, clearly every athlete, no matter how dumb, understands the ramifications of a positive drug test. In this case, Manny is either lying- knew what he was putting in his body was banned or his taking of the drugs was an act of stupidity, either way, you play with fire you get burned, sorry Manny, you are guilty of using a banned substance and that’s all that matters.
It is yet to be said exactly which drug/s Manny tested positive for, in his statement Manny said the drug was “Not a steroid”, but something tells me we’ll find out differently. It all leads me to ask the question, when will the cheating stop? These “Athletes” are cheating the fans by taking banned substances, effectively cheating their way into the record books. If you ask me they should suspend the lot of them, banish them the way MLB banished Pete Rose. Say it ain’t so Manny, say it ain’t so……..
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