Monthly Archives: April 2010

Our Picks for the Opening Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

You have to love the way the 2010 National Hockey League season turned out. The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers went to the shootout on the final day to determine the last playoff spot in the East, the Phoenix Coyotes proved that Wayne Gretzky couldn’t coach a dog in from a snowstorm with a pork chop and Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Alexander Ovechkin went down to the wire to determine a Rocket Richard Trophy winner (or two).

If the playoffs are half as good as the season that just ended (and you know they will be), they’ll be as good as hockey gets.

Let’s take a look at the first round:

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks (1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (8)

The Sharks never play well in the post-season, but this is a different Sharks team. Colorado was lucky to make the playoffs.

San Jose Sharks in four

Chicago Blackhawks (2) vs. Nashville  Predators (7)

The Hawks are the better team but Barry Trotz is the best coach in hockey. This will be closer than people think because the Hawks goaltending is horrible.

Chicago Blackhawks in seven

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Los Angeles Kings (6)

If Roberto Luongo is better than he was last year (remember when he got bombed in Chicago in Game 6?), Vancouver will romp.

The Kings had a great year, but Vancouver is a Cp contender.

Vancouver Canucks in six

Phoenix Coyotes (4) vs. Detroit Red Wings (5)

The Wings are healthy again. Enough said.

Detroit Red Wings in five

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals (1) versus Montreal Canadiens (8)

The Capitals are simply better. Jaroslav Halak could steal one or two in Montreal.

Washington Capitals in six

New Jersey Devils (2) verus Philadelphia Flyers (7)

Philadelphia owns the Devils. The Flyers were 5-1 in six games against New Jersey. The Devils are a better team with better goaltending, but Philly matches up well against these guys.

New Jersey Devils in seven

Buffalo Sabres (3) versus Boston Bruins (6)

Our first round upset. Neither team has enough scoring, but Ryan Miller won’t be as good in April as he was in February.

Boston Bruins in seven

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) versus Ottawa Senators (5)

Should be a good series, but the Penguins are Stanley Cup champions until the day they aren’t. Pittsburgh has too much offence and a good goaltender.

Pittsburgh Penguins in five

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Glendale (Arizona) City Council Bends Over. Reinsdorf in, Ice Edge Out.

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

On the eve of the opening of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the city council of Glendale, Ariz., “unanimously” approved a lease proposal for jobing.com Arena from Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox, that gives Reinsdorf the arena rent free with benefits.

It’s something Winnipeg should have thought about 20 years ago, but that’s a whole ‘nother argument.

The council’s decision means that Reinsdorf, a reluctant buyer for the team, gets to negotiate the details of a new lease with the city. It also means that Ice Edge Holdings, those crazy dreamers from the East, have been dumped by the NHL.

In a story that appeared in the Arizona Republic, it was stated that, “Reinsdorf is on track to owning the team, pending the approval of the NHL.” Approval of the NHL? Who writes this shit? He was brought on board by the NHL. Commissioner Gary Bettman must have pictures of him with a goat. Six months ago, he wanted no part of this perennial money-loser. The deal he was given would be given only to a person who had no desire to purchase the team and the league was begging him to take over.

According to my sources in Phoenix, the city will pay off the $180 million in debt on the arena that essentially buried the former owner Jerry Moyes. This is a team that has never turned a profit and, depending how far they go in the playoffs this spring, could lose between $20 million and $50 million on this season’s efforts, as well.

The deal also creates an “independent taxing authority” around the arena. Great way to raise money and one that would work in Canada because it essentially taxes the users, not everyone universally.

Reinsdorf has been given everything that Jerry Moyes was not. This is the sweetheart of sweetheart deals. Even if the guy wants no part of this money-losing dog, he has to like what Glendale City Council gave him on Tuesday.

OK, back to square one. Is David Thomson still interested in buying the dog-ass Atlanta Thrashers?

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Mickelson Wins. Woods Entertains. Masters was Great Weekend Drama.

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — So much for reality TV. Survivor, Dancing with the D-List, the Amazing(ly dull) Race, Undercover Boss. Not one of those examples of cheap network programming could hold a candle to the reality TV we watched from Augusta, Ga., this weekend.

I loved the fact Phil Mickelson won the tournament (160-under on that golf course is pretty special) and was able to share the win with his wife. Great story. Good for Phil.

However, the real story was Tiger Woods — and what a spectacular story it was. The 2010 Masters was a movie unto itself. Forget that Woods was an amazing 68-70-70-69 to finish in fourth place at 11-under. Forget that after 144 days out of the game, hounded by a sick American mainstream media that had absolutely nothing else to sell, Woods played four rounds under par at a tremendously tough golf course in the middle of a pressure-packed atmosphere that would have brought anyone else on the planet to his knees. It was one of the greatest athletic performances in history and unquestionably the best fourth place finish ever.

But what was even better — and certainly more entertaining — was how Woods played. On the final day, he was three over after the first five and then played the final 13 holes down the stretch at six under. On at least four occasions, you thought Woods was done, ready to fade to the back of the pack. But he kept turning it one, kept coming back, kept making birdies.

It was the best weekend in sport in years. Too bad Woods is going t take more time off.

In the meantime, the Stanley Cup playoffs start this week. If they’re a tenth as entertaining as the Masters, it will be the best post-season in decades.

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Woods Play Makes for a Wonderful Weekend of Golf

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The best thing about hanging out about three miles from Tiger Woods’ house, is listening to the rumours.

“Oh yeah, Tiger banged his neighbor’s 21-year-old daughter while his wife watched from the window.”

Friendly, huh?.

“Oh yeah, and did you see those texts he sent to the stripper/hooker/porn star? He wanted to tie her up.”

Kinky.

“Did you know that Tiger’s a sex addict who has to bang women even when he doesn’t want to?”

No, didn’t know that.

Friday night, I had both the opportunity and joy to watch Jesse Ventura guest host the Larry King Show. Forget the fact that he essentially called the hot Republican strategist/guest/talking head a lying bee-yotch (which she was), he also declared the American media to be at the saddest and most disgustingly low ebb in its history. As an example, he used all the time and resources that have been wasted creating a gossip-mongering campaign on Tiger Woods’ sex life.

He’s right, of course. The fastest way for me to hit the mute button or turn the station is for some radio or TV donkey to mention “another Tiger Woods mistress.” This thing is so out of hand, it’s reached the point where clearly 90 per cent of the crap we hear is NOT true. It’s made-up mainstream media clap-trap, just like WMDs in Iraq, the Duke lacrosse story and now, apparently, the Ben Roethlisberger sexual abuse scandal. If Tiger Woods got the action the media claims he got, he couldn’t walk, let alone head into the third round of the Masters in contention.

Which is why this weekend’s Masters Championship will be as compelling as golf can be. And the ratings will match the excitement and drama. If Tiger can pull this off, it will be one of the greatest stories in sport.

After the international media failed to have any idea about Tiger’s private, personal sex life and then, when it found out, did everything humanly possible to destroy the rest of its life over its own ignorance, it appeared as if Tiger’s place in golf history was tainted forever. This weekend, however, as he enters the third round of the Masters at 6-under, just two shots back, there is a chance he can become the comeback of the athlete of the year in just four days of work.

Somewhere between the truth and the media’s fabrications, lies a real human being who could still be the greatest golfer in the world. The next two days at the Masters will be the most compelling in decades.

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After a Week on the Road, Some Thoughts and Observations

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — We’ve been out watching hockey, baseball and golf for a week.

Here are some things we’ve heard and a whole lot of things we’ve seen.

1) Sure, just about everyone you talk to in the NHL these days believes Phoenix Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett will easily win the Jack Adams Coach of the Year Award. But could it be that Tippett is merely the illustration we’ve been given to show that Wayne Gretzky was a horrible coach? Could it be that Tippett is a good coach (there are plenty of good coaches) who just happened to inherit a very good hockey team that got plenty of help at the trade deadline?

This past Saturday night, the Nashville Predators locked up a playoff berth with a brilliant 4-3 win over the Red Wings in Detroit. Tippet is worthy, but Barry Trotz is the best coach in hockey. Nashville — with a lineup of no-names, has-beens, never-weres and Shea Weber — is now 46-29-6 and will play either Vancouver or San Jose in the opening round of the playoffs.

For a guy who has never won a major coaching award and only coached our national team on one occasion, he’s the most outstanding coach that nobody really knows. And this year, frankly, he’s the Coach of the Year.

2) Watched Tiger in the opening round of the Masters on Thursday. What an incredible performance. Say what you will, Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in history.

Considering that after all the crap he went through — some of it of his own making, most of it the media’s making (he didn’t do anything that hundreds who have gone before him didn’t do) — Woods went out and shot a first round 68 at the Masters. It was his finest opening ever at the Masters. The first time he ever had two eagles in the same round. It doesn’t matter what happens the rest of the way. Nobody plays the game better than Tiger Woods. Period.

And golf is better off now that it has him back.

3) See the Bombers lost $1.2 million in 2009. See the Winnipeg mainstream media wants to blame Mike Kelly for it.

Talk about a one trick pony. The Winnipeg mainstream media either hasn’t got the cojones or the intelligence to point the finger at the people responsible. Wonder how long this will last? In 2016, when the Bombers go 4-14, it won’t matter who’s coaching, it will be Mike Kelly’s fault. Nice deal for Paul LaPolice, though. If he goes 0-18 as head coach this season, the local media will blame Mike Kelly.

If  the coach is the guy who single-handedly lost $1.2 million, why wasn’t he fired a helluva lot sooner? In fact, why wasn’t the guy who hired him fired? And why weren’t the people who hired the guy who hired Mike Kelly all fired? When a football organization loses $1.2 million, the responsibility lands a lot higher up than the head coach. The local media in Winnipeg did a lot more to help the Bombers lose $1.2 million than Mike Kelly did. When you keep telling people to stop buying tickets, a lot of them will eventually stop buying tickets.

By the way, I see that the CFL sent $150,000 less than it did a year earlier to each of its eight teams. That means the CFL raised $1.2 million less in corporate sponsorships in 2009 than it did in 2010. How did that happen? How did the CFL lose $150,000 per team in revenue when the league’s popularity has never, ever been greater.

Wonder where Tom Wright went?

4) The Stanley Cup playoffs start next week. After this past week in Tampa, I can’t wait. Too bad Steven Stamkos doesn’t play in a city where people actually care about hockey.

Speaking of which, my people in Phoenix tell me that the chances of the league still owning the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night after Glendale city council votes on that sweetheart rental deal for Jerry Reinsdorf at jobing.com Arena, is better than 50-50.

Winnipeg might not be dead yet.

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Should There Be More Teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — Dallas Stars scouting director, Les Jackson, believes the National Hockey League needs to add more teams to the post-season. Not necessarily for the sake of competition as much as for the sake of the business.

Friday night I was sitting with Jackson, an old friend from way back in the days when he coached the Brandon Wheat Kings, at the Lightning-Rangers game in Tampa and he asked an interesting question: “Why wouldn’t the NHL want to add eight more teams to the playoffs every year? Why wouldn’t the league want to do everything to help its members make some money?”

It was a nell of a question. According to Jackson, if more teams made the playoffs fewer would lose big money. It makes overwhelming sense and, with some thought, it could be practical, too.

“Back in the glory days of the six-team NHL, four of six teams made the playoffs. If you carried that on to today, it means the league should have 20 teams in the playoffs. So why not 24? Why not give the teams that are in tough hockey markets a chance to sell the game in the post-season? Everybody loves the playoffs. Why not let more teams have the chance to enjoy the playoffs?”

It would be easy to say, “We don’t want more teams in the playoffs because it makes the regular season less important,” but I understand what Jackson means even from the competitive standpoint. This year, a team that’s 10 games above .500 (Calgary) might miss the playoffs and two teams that are seven games above .500 (Anaheim and St. Louis) WILL miss the playoffs. Right now, seven teams with better than .500 records will miss the post-season.

If we were talking about crappy teams without a hope, I could understand why fans wouldn’t want to add any more teams. But this year, a load of teams that will miss the playoffs are probably good enough to challenge more than half the teams that make it. The competition would not suffer.

Jackson is right. The NHL should add at least four and maybe eight more teams to the post-season. It wouldn’t hurt the competition and it would definitely improve the business.

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