A little bit of ketchup

Sam Donnellon started it all off for me. His piece in Friday’s Daily News -- right after the Flyers had acquired center Alexei Zhamnov -- praised Flyers’ GM Bob Clarke to high heaven. I almost couldn’t get past the first sentence. In what might be his most uncertain year as the general manager of the Flyers, Bob Clarke might be doing his best job ever. Ugh. Are you serious, Sam? How can you consider this season one of his best? Clarke has traded away two young defensemen who have oodles of potential. I find this especially tough to swallow when you consider that defense is generally regarded as the toughest position to develop players at. He has also traded away two young, skilled, speedy forwards when he himself said at the beginning of the season that the young players on the team would have to step up and take some responsibility for this team. I wonder how a player can take responsibility for a team when he is afraid of his GM’s track record of trading away young talent for older veterans. Next up was the Daily News' Dana Pennett O’Neil, with her article about the booing coach Ken Hitchcock took exception to after Thursday’s 4-3 loss to Boston. It was a total fluff piece, with no agreement or disagreement coming from O’Neil, and included this quote from Hitchcock. "It made us all pretty angry," he said. "Everyone in Philadelphia knows our situation. We've got a lot of guys out, and we're still fighting for first place. We're at the stage where we're just trying to stay the course, and we need everybody's help, including the fans in the stands. "This isn't going to be our team at the end of the season, and we need everyone to try to rally around us.” I would be happy to rally around you, Hitch, if you guys had any clue of what you were trying to do on the ice and in the front office. Clarke seems intent to love his team so much that he hates it, and your players skate with no heart whatsoever. There has been a distinct lack of effort on the ice ever since Keith Primeau and Jeremy Roenick went down with injuries. (More on them in the future.) So, how can you blame the fans for booing? And finally comes today’s column from Donnellon in response to Hitchcock’s complaints about the fans. His first two sentences say it all. "Here's a helpful hint for Ken Hitchcock: Zip it about the fans. This time, Sam, you hit the nail on the head.

Sorry for the delay

As documented here and here, I was a little bit busy this weekend. I’ll try to get back to it ASAP.

He did it again

Once again, I'm so frustrated about something I can't see straight. Flyers GM Bob Clarke has pulled the trigger on another awful trade, this time sending potential top 2 defenseman Jim Vandermeer, prospect Colin Fraser, and a second round draft choice in 2004 to Chicago in exchange for center Alexei Zhamnov and a fourth round draft choice in 2004. Zhamnov is 33 years old, has missed 35 games this year because of back surgery, and -- of course -- will be a free agent on July 1, 2004. As I mentioned earlier, Zhamnov has played all of 17 playoff games in his 12-year career. I grant the premise that Clarke needed to do something about getting a center, but I submit that Zhamnov is not the answer. I would rather have seen the Flyers go get Carolina Hurricanes center Ron Francis, a player who is older than dirt -- 41 -- but has played in 159 playoff games, with 139 points and won two Stanley Cups. All this being said, I'll still root for the Flyers, though I think come June they'll be playing golf and not hockey. Mark my words, I see another first round exit on the horizon. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm right.

President favors inequality

Sometimes I get so frustrated and annoyed with something that I have a hard time thinking, writing or talking about. Such is the case today. Our esteemed president, George W. Bush, and his wife, Laura, have taken it upon themselves to rid the world of that most disastrous of plagues -- gay marriage. Interviewed by the Associated Press today, Mrs. Bush said: "It's an issue that people want to talk about and not want the Massachusetts Supreme Court, or the mayor of San Francisco to make their choice for them. I know that's what the president thinks.” What about what you think, Mrs. Bush? She went on to call gay marriages “very, very shocking” while saying it’s an “issue” that should be debated by the people and not decided in the courts. Mr. Bush sounded no less crass Wednesday, saying, “I am watching very carefully, but I am troubled by what I've seen,” referring to the marriages currently taking place in San Francisco and to the Massachusetts Supreme Court’s decision making it unconstitutional to ban gay couples from marrying. “I strongly believe marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman," Bush said during an Oval Office session with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. "I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage." The Constitution makes no distinction between heterosexuals and homosexuals. In fact, the two words don’t even appear in the text. The Constitution also makes clear that all citizens are to be treated equally and without prejudice. What is it then, Mr. Bush, that troubles you? You have government employees doing what is required of them by the Constitution. What’s wrong with that? Is it perhaps a subject you are unfamiliar with?

Dean drops out, Kerry still leads, Edwards gaining

Much like the month of March -- in like a lion, out like a lamb -- Vermont Governor Howard Dean has dropped out of the race to gain the Democratic presidential nomination. Almost all of the polls that were published before the primaries started showed Dean with a healthy lead over Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, North Carolina Senator John Edwards, Wesley Clark and the rest of the field. Dean will be left wondering for a long time what he did wrong that caused him to drop so far so fast. Riding a strong grassroots campaign -- largely Internet based, he came from out of nowhere to be reality’s version of President Josiah Bartlet. Finishing a disappointing third to Kerry and Edwards in the Iowa caucus caused Dean to stumble out of the gate. Up next was the New Hampshire primary where Dean finished a strong second to Kerry, but still could feel the wind being let out of his sail. Continually taking body blows along the way, Dean’s best finish was in the Washington primary where he finished second and collected 30% of the vote. (Okay, okay -- I’ll stop with the sports metaphors now.) Kerry may now have a late challenger, however, as Edwards finished a strong second in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary. And this comes after Edwards won the South Carolina primary and finishing second to Clark in the Oklahoma primary a couple of weeks ago. It would be easy to declare Kerry the Democratic nominee right now, but -- as the saying goes -- that’s why they play the games. (Sorry, I had to do it.)

Philly actually wins something!!

Okay, it may not be what we wanted to win -- I’m talking about you, Andy Reid -- but it will have to do -- and do quite nicely, I might add. Heather Mitts, a defender on the Philadelphia Charge -- that’s the women’s soccer team that plays here -- and uber-hottie has been crowned by ESPN’s Page 2 as the hottest female athlete. She faced tough competition from 2003 winner Jennie Finch and longtime champ Anna Kournikova, among others. Mitts appears genuinely excited about the honor, and looks forward to her reign. Are you prepared to take on all the rigorous responsibilities incumbent on Page 2's Hottest Female Athlete? Oh my gosh, I'll try my best! Are you serious? What are the responsibilities? The personal appearances? The global tour? There's a code of behavior involved here. Oh, sure! Absolutely. As long as I can fit that into my Olympic training schedule. Deal. We can work that out. These terms are negotiable. Great. I'm sure the coach will be very understanding of my Page 2 responsibilities.

Sens gear up for playoffs

The Ottawa Senators -- in a long-rumored deal -- acquired winger Peter Bondra today from the Washington Capitals in exchange for prospect Brooks Laich and a second round pick in the 2005 Entry Draft. The repercussions of this deal will be interesting to witness. How will Bondra react to being traded? He has been rumored to be on the block several times in his career -- mainly because Washington hasn’t had good teams, despite Bondra’s numbers -- including once by his own request. Will he embrace his new team, or will he wonder why Washington traded him away? More importantly, how will the other powers in the East -- Toronto, Philadelphia, and New Jersey -- react? Flyers GM Bob Clarke has already made two bad trades this season -- will he add to that total? Will Maple Leafs wonder boy-GM John Ferguson feel the pressure from the Cup-starved Toronto fans? Will Devils GM Lou Lamoriello try to make a splash to shake up his team, or will he continue to do what’s always done and add character guys that win? March 9 is less than three weeks away. The clock is ticking.

A big sigh of relief

We can all rest easy now. KYW has learned that the Phillie Phanatic's head -- missing since the February 6 auction and sale the Phillies held at the Wachovia Center -- has been recovered. An unidentified person turned the head in to WYSP disc jockey Tommy Conwell. "I got a phone call yesterday afternoon from a guy who said he heard we had a reward for the Phanatic's head. I said, 'Please bring it in.' He did -- much to my surprise." I think now it's safe to say that the Phillies can really concentrate on Spring Training.

Injuries, trades and Bob Clarke

With the NHL trade deadline quickly approaching -- March 9 -- there are a couple of articles on-line today worth reading. First up, on ESPN.com, is analyst Al Morganti -- though he’s probably most well known around here for being on WIP’s god-awful morning show. Morganti asks -- and doesn’t really answer -- 10 questions about what various teams will do before the deadline. (He mentions the Flyers twice, in questions 4 and 6.) Checking in from the Daily News, columnist Rich Hoffman writes about the Flyers’ woes at center and how GM Bob Clarke is taking a wait-and-see approach to the deadline. "Right now, we don't know enough to know," he said. "In the next couple of weeks, [Jeremy Roenick] is going to have to let us know what his thinking is, how he's feeling. In the meantime, we're going to have to find out who has a centerman who might be available. And we've got [Keith] Primeau, too. He's still got the symptoms and, before he can even be tested by the neurologist, the symptoms have to clear up...We wouldn't get anybody until we know for sure how JR and Primeau are. "We'll have to make a decision, probably by the end of the month, if we're going to pursue somebody. The trading deadline is March 9, and if there's any doubt if JR wants to play anymore, then I think we'll have to do something." (A link I used from fellow blogger “Middie Back!” -- Spector’s Hockey, under Trade Rumours -- has been mentioned quite a few times that the Flyers may have some interest in Blackhawks’ center Alexei Zhamnov. Since you asked, I'll tell you -- I wouldn't get this guy. He played on Phoenix and Chicago, and has played all of 17 playoff games -- in 12 seasons!!) Hoffman’s article, and today’s Inquirer piece by Ray Parillo, is the first to mention anything about Primeau since his injury last week. The injury apparently is now being definitively called a concussion, with Primeau still experiencing symptoms. "I've felt better," Primeau said. "I'm kind of going sideways now as far as any progress. I still have symptoms and I'm just trying to wait for those to dissipate so I can get back to doing some exercises." . . . Primeau said his symptoms are similar to concussions he has had in the past. "I get nauseous and motion sickness, so I can't drive a car right now. I'm trying to get some walking in and I'm doing some grocery shopping with my wife. Other than that I'm just taking it easy." Most of the talk this week has been about how quickly after the injury Roenick tossed around the idea of retiring. According to Roenick, this is his ninth concussion. Addressing the shock of the injury and that of observers who were surprised by his conjecture, Roenick had two quotes that absolutely hit the nail on the head. The first quote was printed in Ed Moran’s article that appeared in yesterday’s Daily News: "I don't know if I can do this again," Roenick said in a private suite in the Wachovia Center on Saturday afternoon. "I've got the rest of my life to think about. I've got my family to think about. This is my ninth concussion. I've got to think about my life after hockey." The second quote appeared in yesterday’s Inquirer article by Tim Panaccio. "Everybody wants to have an opinion on my life and when I can come back," Roenick said. "And that is not fair. They should keep their mouth shut. When I come back, I come back. No one should be making any decisions but me. "I understand I'm competitive and all that stuff, but there is a lot more at risk than just playing hockey right now. "Hitch cares about his players. But he also cares a lot more about winning. It's easy for them to tell me when I will come back, but when it's time to come back, I will know when to come back. That's it. Period." I have to admit that I’m a little worried about all of this. The Flyers don’t have the world’s best record when it comes to treating concussions. And now they have two important players who have concussions, one of which is the ninth of that player’s career. After last night's lackluster 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, it's easy to get the feeling that the wheels are starting to come off the bus. Factor in Clarke's penchant for making terrible trade deadline deals (thank you, Adam Oates!!) and it's hard to think that this isn't a dead team skating.

Rich get richer

Newsday is reporting that the New York Yankees have all but completed a trade with the Texas Rangers to acquire shortstop Alex Rodriguez -- the reigning American League MVP. However, ESPN.com is reporting that talks are ongoing and that nothing is imminent. As rumored, the deal would call for the Yankees to ship second baseman Alfonso Soriano, pitcher Jose Contreras and a prospect to the Rangers in exchange for Rodriguez. The Rangers would also be asked to pay for some of the $180-plus million that Rodriguez is guaranteed over the next six years. Should the Yankees gain Rodriguez, the plan would call for him to switch positions to play third base, as Derek Jeter already plays shortstop in the Bronx. This deal -- if consummated -- should really stick in the craw of Red Sox Nation, since the Sox traded for A-Rod only to have the deal voided by the Players’ Association earlier in the off-season. While certainly no fan of the Yankees, I almost want to see them get A-Rod just to hear the uproar from Sox fans, who can’t even enjoy having another championship team in town.

Some bad news from Philadelphia

The Inquirer and ESPN.com are both reporting the same story -- that Flyers center Jeremy Roenick will miss “significant time” after undergoing surgery last night for a broken jaw. Roenick was injured during the third period of last night’s 2-1 win against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. After losing a faceoff in the defensive zone, Roenick was struck flush in the face by a point shot from Rangers defenseman Boris Mironov. It is estimated that he could miss the rest of the regular season. Roenick has previously broken his jaw, back in 1999 while with Phoenix, which caused him to miss 3 ½ weeks. Also injured in the game -- about half a minute later -- was center Keith Primeau. Primeau was skating through center ice, looking back at the puck, when he collided with Rangers’ center Bobby Holik. What at full speed looked like a knee injury and was thought after the game to be a concussion, is now leading Primeau to think he merely had his bell rung. It’s amazing to me find the Flyers at the top of the NHL standings, considering the endless string of injuries they’ve suffered this year. To have lost Eric Desjardins, Jeff Hackett, Robert Esche, Dennis Seidenberg, John LeClair, Radovan Somik, Donald Brashear, Primeau and Roenick for significant chunks of time and still win games is astounding. I suspect that the Flyers continued success during these injuries is the one upside from playing in coach Ken Hitchcock’s defense-first system; players are sparkplugs that are switched in and out of the lineup interchangeably, with the same results expected no matter who happens to be playing. On a final note, I can only hope that GM Bobby Clarke doesn’t feel the need now to sacrifice even more good young players to get a well-past-his-prime center to fill the void left by the Roenick and Primeau injuries. Please, Bobby -- don’t pick up that phone and call anyone.

Some good news from Philadelphia

Following Shallow Center’s airborne appraisal of Citizens Bank Park, comes this from a friend who works for the Phillies: Yesterday I went out in the ballpark with my boss to check out some spots. The place is looking GREAT!! . . . We went down to the Service Level eventually and saw the Phil's locker room, weight room and that whole area. Then we bumped into the head groundskeeper out by the field door in right field. He was talking to us about the field and how it's coming along real nice . . . and then he turns to us and says "have you guys been out there yet?". We said "the field? No" so he's like "well c'mon!" So we walked out onto the warning track (crushed lava rocks) and walked from right field around to center and into the pens. They were installing the out of town scoreboard on the RF wall... it looks awesome!!! We weren't able to walk across the grass but I felt it with one foot and it was like stepping on a nice big pillow!!! We went back inside after a while and toured the entire Service Level with him and then came back to the field on the third base side to see the set up with the seats and dugout. Then we walked back around home and to the RF corner again. Man, it’s looking great!! 6 days until Spring Training and about two months until Opening Day. With this beautiful stadium on the way, I don’t mind the wait.

Hell has frozen over

The National Hockey League General Managers -- probably the most resistant to change in all of sports -- have proposed a sweeping set of rules changes designed to bring offense back to the game. At their meetings in Las Vegas, the GMs were charged by Commissioner Gary Bettman to consider any and all options that would bring about a better on-ice product and, dare I say, they delivered -- with a few notable exceptions. These proposals will be refined for another set of GM meetings in about six weeks, and then presented to the league’s Board of Governors sometime this summer for consideration -- and hopefully adoption. The proposals are: 1. Reducing the width of a goaltender’s leg pads from 12 inches to 10 inches; 2. Making it illegal for goaltenders to play the puck behind the goal line; 3. Moving the nets back three feet towards the end boards; currently, the distance from the end boards to the net is 13 feet; this would reduce the distance to 10 feet, with the additional six feet being added to the neutral zone; 4. Re-instituting the tag-up offside rule, which allows players already in the offensive zone to “tag-up” at the blue line if a puck precedes them into the zone. Additionally, the following proposals were recommended and will be tried out by the American Hockey League next season before being considered by the NHL: 1. Changing the current points system from 2 points per win, 1 point per tie and OT loss, and 0 points per loss to 3 points per regulation win, 2 points per OT win, and 1 point per OT loss; 2. Instituting a shootout after a scoreless overtime, with the winner getting 2 points and loser 1 point; this would eliminate tie games; 3. Expanding the width of the blue lines and red line from 12 inches to 24 inches. On the whole, I like all of these changes. I think it’s a good first step, especially taking a long look at shootouts. I think they will be wildly successful, and you can bet I’m going to hit a few Phantoms’ games next year in the hopes that I catch a shootout in person. I still don't like that teams are awarded a point for losing in overtime. A loss is a loss; there shouldn't be a reward for managing to make it into overtime and then losing. I suppose I should be glad that this step has been taken at all. NHL GMs are notorious for moving at a glacier-like pace when it comes to substantive change. To see them move this boldy and this quickly is astounding. Would that I had money for Flyers' season tickets to see these changes in person. Oh, wait -- is that another issue that needs to be addressed?

News flash: Burke deal done

The Flyers have completed their much talked about trade with the Phoenix Coyotes, acquiring goaltender Sean Burke, right wing Branko Radivojevic, and unsigned prospect Ben Eager in exchange for forward Mike Comrie. In a separate deal, the Flyers shipped defenseman Eric Weinrich to the St. Louis Blues for a 5th round draft pick. See my thoughts on the Burke deal here. For an even better take, check out "Middie Back!" for his rant on the deals.

Millwood re-signs

The Phillies and pitcher Kevin Millwood have avoided arbitration and agreed on a one year contract for $11 million. The Phils had offered $10 million, while Millwood had been seeking $12.5 million. “We are pleased that we were able to get the case settled," [GM Ed] Wade said. "It's our hope that we can continue to have an open dialogue with Kevin regarding him being a Phillie for a long time." This leaves second baseman/emergency third baseman Placido Polanco as the only arbitration-eligible player heading into Spring Training. In other Phillies news, assistant GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. is in Boston today to interview with new Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt for the vacant GM spot.

Once wasn’t enough?

ESPN.com began All-Star weekend by reporting that the Flyers had already traded for Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Sean Burke but were waiting until after the game to announce the deal. Quickly backpedaling off of that, they then reported that a deal was in the works, but that nothing was imminent and that the Rangers may have been thrown into the mix. Neither of the local papers picked up the scent, and only the Inquirer filed a small online post, which was the original ESPN.com report. Both papers have the story today -- apparently Ed Moran and Bob Ford took the weekend off as well -- and offer different views of the story. According to Moran, the Flyers basically have a done deal: And yesterday from Las Vegas, where he is attending the league's general manager meetings this week, [GM] Bob Clarke confirmed that while details of the trade being reported are not fully accurate, that unless something goes wrong, Burke will be a Flyer by the middle of this week at the latest and maybe as early as today. Further confirmation came between the second and third periods of yesterday's All-Star Game when Phoenix part-owner Wayne Gretzky told some of the players in the Eastern Conference dressing room that he had traded Burke to the Flyers. "Gretzky was in here between periods," Flyers captain Keith Primeau said. "He told [Mark Messier] that he had made the trade.” Ford, meanwhile, reminds everyone of Clarke general way of doing business: deny, deny, deny and then do. Where there is smoke screen, there is generally a pretty big fire breaking out somewhere, so it was evident from all the sincere denials yesterday that the Flyers were indeed trying very hard to trade for Phoenix goalie Sean Burke. "I won't comment because there is no trade," Flyers general manager Bob Clarke - no stranger to smoke screens - said from Las Vegas, where the league's GMs are meeting today. . . . Clarke's denial was a beauty, of course, because it was true enough, but only failed to include that "yet" word. The deal is said to have the Flyers sending forward Mike Comrie and injured defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to the Coyotes for Burke and right wing Branko Radivojevic. Lost, I think, in all of this will-they-or-won’t-they hoopla is that Burke -- while being a capable goaltender -- is 37 years old! The Flyers have had him once already, way back at the end of the 1997-1998 season for 11 regular season games (7-3, 2.56 GAA) and an embarrassing five game playoff loss to Buffalo (1-4, 3.60). This is the guy you’re going to bring in to get you a Stanley Cup? I quote Bobby Clarke on July 1, 2003, after announcing the Flyers had signed goalie Jeff Hackett: “Our scouting staff, our coaching staff, our whole organization feels that Jeff Hackett will give us the solid and steady goaltending that we will need to take a run at the Stanley Cup." Jeff Hackett, he of the career 156-234-50 record when he was signed -- at 35 years old! Jeff Hackett, he of the 12 career playoff games and three wins -- at 35 years old!! Mr. Snider, please -- let Clarke go. I don’t want to be as disenfranchised by you as I am now by the Eagles. From the heart of every Flyers fan, please let Clarke go.

Wasting Away

In case you were looking for more ways to be unproductive at work, may I offer these three sites: 1. Penguin Home Run Derby 2. Helicopter 3. Bouncing Balls Warning: all three are highly addictive and will cause you to skip significant chunks of work. Not that that's a bad thing . . .

Trouble already brewing?

Inquirer columnist Bob Ford files a piece today on the latest Flyers line to catch fire -- Michal Handzus, John LeClair, and Mark Recchi. Ford comments on how Hitchcock needed to tinker with his lines to help get the team out of the funk it had been in during the first half of January. Necessity is apparently also the mother of fresh line combinations in the NHL, and coach Ken Hitchcock knew he had better invent something when the Flyers were skidding through their six-game winless streak last month. The team was flat and couldn't seem to find that one group on which a game could be reliably fastened, a line that would score goals and not give them up. Which, as Hitchcock notes, is sort of the point. "I was thinking of going back to putting [Mark] Recchi, [Jeremy] Roenick and [Tony] Amonte back together, but that group wasn't having a positive effect on each other," Hitchcock said. "We had to find another combination that could carry us offensively." Ford goes on to point out that, though Hitchcock put the three together and they have combined for 43 points in the 10 games since the swoon ended, hockey lines come and go and to expect this one to go soon with another ready to replace it. Lost in the article is a deeper examination of Hitchcock’s quote. It seems clear that Hitchcock is insinuating that there are divisive forces in the locker room. For the past two years, ever since the departure of head coach Bill Barber after a very public player mutiny, little has been made of how fractious the locker is or was. Team chemistry has been touted, with GM Bob Clarke saying that if the team failed in the playoffs again it wouldn’t be the coach that would go. This was a clear threat to the players to play nice -- and well -- or else. So -- either they have the right players and they're playing nice enough and well enough, or the front office is doing a very tidy job of sweeping things under the carpet. Side note: I think I may be leaning toward the latter as a lot of people seem to think that the trading of Justin Williams dealt a severe blow to the team's chemistry.

Movie Review: Miracle

Though it opens tomorrow, I was able to catch a special, private screening last week. (Before I begin, I must state for the record that I am too young to have any recollection of the events that were dramatized). Rated PG and starring Kurt Russell as the now deceased head coach Herb Brooks (in whose memory the move is dedicated), the film does a fantastic job of two things: capturing the mood of the nation -- including a fantastic quote from then-President Jimmy Carter, and staging the action on the ice. The opening credits run over a montage of images and sounds that are a compendium of events from the 1970s. Included are Watergate -- and President Nixon’s subsequent resignation, hostages being held in Iran, the Energy Crisis, and the evacuation of the American Embassy in Saigon. The credits end with Carter saying that Americans were experiencing a "crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will." For someone like me who has only read about these events in history books, this quote was really what brought things home. I apologize for the cliché, but looking at each of these events on an individual basis only gives you part of the picture; when you factor in all of the events together, you begin to realize that America wasn’t such a great place all the time (not that today is any indication, either). Americans were ripe for some person, event, or cause they could unify themselves behind that would make them remember again what it was like to live in the greatest country in the world. And while the movie doesn’t focus entirely on this theme, it is time well spent that sets up what is to follow. Quick -- name 5 hockey-themed movies. That’s what I thought. If all you could come up with were Youngblood, Mystery, Alaska, the Mighty Ducks series and the seminal Slap Shot, then you haven’t seen real hockey on film. Hockey is the quickest and most fluid sport there is, where anything can happen at anytime. To watch a hockey game requires your constant attention. A seemingly innocent 3-on-3 rush up the ice can immediately result in a turnover, sending a player on a breakaway. And while the game has evolved in the 24 years since those 1980 Olympics, most obviously in goaltender technique, the basics are still the same -- skate, pass and shoot. Cinematographer Dan Stoloff, who has his cameras follow the players and the puck around the rink at breakneck speed, captures these basics effortlessly. The only “star” of the film is Russell, who does perhaps the best acting of his career. Clad in awful clothes and topped with an even worse haircut, Russell plays Brooks exactly the way Brooks was -- gruff, determined, intense, and stoically passionate. The film -- which sags a bit at times, crushed under the weight of its own story -- is chock full of your usual sports movie clichés -- a coach pushing his players too far, rivals thrown together on the same team who eventually bond into friends, the players becoming a “team,” etc. I submit, however, that you should not hold this against the film. After all, clichés are based on truth and this is the dramatized version of a true story. To borrow from "Entertainment Weekly," I give Miracle a B+, and encourage you to see it -- because you like Kurt Russell, because you like hockey, because you want to introduce your children to the greatest of games, or because you want to remember what it was like to feel good about your country.

As promised

Better late than never, eh? I would like to take a minute to thank Shallow Center for providing the name of this blog. I had no idea what to title this space, but he came back with a very strong suggestion -- as did Boats Against The Current. In the end, I went with the phrase that explains everything -- There It Is. Thanks, T.

Changes Revisited

What few readers I have will (possibly) remember that my first post of any substance was an indictment of today’s National Hockey League. For those of you who follow the game, you will know that this is a very popular topic. Any newspaper article you read or any talking head you see on TV discussing the state of the game will criticize the NHL and offer their changes the game. One such talking head is NHL 2Night’s John Buccigross. Buccigross is a huge fan of the game, which is evident in every broadcast. In addition to hosting NHL 2Night on ESPN, he writes a weekly column on ESPN.com -- usually about a timely topic. This week’s column features his “Top 10 things to enhance the game.” (Astute readers will notice that Buccigross cited one of the things I mentioned in my aforementioned post.) I must agree with all of his offerings, most especially numbers 3, 4, 6, and 9, and admit to being incredibly intrigued by #1. More topics/changes that I would like to see discussed: 1. A way to put the Canadian teams on equal footing monetarily with the American teams 2. The establishment of a permanent Fans Committee that would be able to give the NHL input that would carry some weight 3. Changing the offside rule; it now says the puck must precede all offensive players past the blue line, and that once the puck leaves the zone so must the players; I would like to see it changed to having the puck precede the players over the blue line, but then give the offense the extra territory all the way back to the red line without having to clear the zone again; the defense would have to clear the puck past the red line to have the zone cleared. (I must emphasize that I don’t know if it would work, but I would like to see some college or minor league games played with this rule to see if it’s feasible.) 4. Fixing the delay of game rule; right now, if a goalie -- who has the least control of his stick -- shoots the puck out of the rink without that puck touching anything, his team is assessed a two minute minor for delay of game; I would change this to the complete opposite -- penalize those who have the most control over their stick for the same infraction; 5. Make all major penalties result in an automatic game misconduct; I think players might be a little more cautious with their sticks and elbows -- and fists -- if they knew there existed the possibility of an ejection. Again, these are just some more things I would like to see discussed at the very least. I know all of you don’t agree with me, but perhaps we could talk about it. After all, feedback is welcome.

Super Bowl Final Score: Patriots 32, Panthers 29, There It Is -- Screwed

So, I’m hanging out at my friend Shawn’s house to watch the game. I, like most other people in the country, am involved in a block pool through work. I had two blocks – one crappy (Carolina 5, NE 6) and one really good (Carolina 3, NE 0). I didn’t come close on either one. While this may seem to be upsetting, the worst was yet to come. By the fourth quarter, I had long since given up any hope of connecting on one of my blocks. I was thus able to sit back and relax -- as much as I could with two young kids there -- and enjoy the game and the commercials. One of the guys who was supposed to show at this party was running another block pool, which I of course entered. Well, the guy never showed so I never knew what numbers I had. Again, this helped me to relax and enjoy the game. So I thought. Just as the Patriots scored their last touchdown to go up 27-22 and before the extra point, Shawn received a phone call, part of which was to let him know what numbers everybody had. It just so happened that I wound up with Carolina 2 and NE 9. As I’m hearing this, the camera cuts to Patriots coach Bill Belichick holding up two fingers -- indicating the Patriots should go for 2 points instead of the easy extra point kick. You’re kidding right?! They direct snap to running back Kevin Faulk. What?! A trick play on a two-point conversion with three minutes left in the Super Bowl?! And they make it!! NE 29, Carolina 22. Suddenly, I’m leaning forward on the edge of my seat with a $100 interest in the game. All the Pats need to do is stop the Panthers from going 80 yards in three minutes. Easy right? A great defense playing against Jake freaking Delhomme with the Super Bowl on the line. I’m sitting pretty. I’m already discussing how I’m going to spend my winnings (I’m one of the few people in America who still hasn’t upgraded from the original Playstation). Then the Panthers take the field. Seven plays, 80 yards, and a minute and forty-two seconds later and the expletives are flying. sad;lvh. sdlgjsA:b. ;sdagb;ws. Sorry, that was my head banging against the keyboard. I swear to god, I saw one play where the Pats only rushed two linemen after Delhomme. This means they had 9 guys -- nine!! -- in pass coverage against five receivers. skha[skfb. prohtup]jt';dm. ]5-03hyfl'danbl. They could play man against everybody and still have four other guys left to play zone. No one was covered on the play!! Ricky Proehl was wide open for a 31 yard gain. What were these guys looking at?! The Pats defense was suddenly populated with students from St. Mary’s School for the Visually Challenged. I’m still to stunned to speak intelligently about it. Frustration is the best way to describe what I’m feeling, but it hasn’t ebbed in the 10 hours or so since the end of the game. If anything, it’s gotten worse since I’ve had more time to think about it. So I have now added the Patriots to my list of People/Teams I Hate in Sports. 2pr5uhp[. 24-79pirwasklnb. Anyway, this rant was supposed to make me feel better. It hasn’t. I’m sitting here seeing Delhomme hit Proehl in the end zone. I’m listening to my friends laugh at me. I’m hearing my blood boil. I’m feeling the aneurysm getting ready to pop in my brain. ‘OEURBNHO. ORS UGHR. OSAIHG O’BEH. I . . . I . . . I don’t know. How am I supposed to get any work done today? Skjg ho. Wlrhgow. H R[HB. Somebody please remind me next year not to enter any pools.

While I Was Out

Sorry for being away for so long. I had some things to attend to over the weekend, so I missed out on some posts -- not the least of which was chronicled here and here.